Bantu knots are a great hairstyle and have been around for a long time. First found in South Africa, they were a common hairstyle in the Zulu tribe. More recently, they have been modernized as a “halfways hairstyle” where you can wear them in or leave them for a few days and when taken out will give you tight, heatless curls.
This hairstyle can be a pain to master, but products like Silk bonnets, argan oils, and styling gels can make mastering the beautiful bant knots effortless.
Bantu knots themselves can only be worn for up to two weeks before fraying and falling out, but it’s important to make those two weeks as comfortable as possible. In this article, we will be telling you the best way to sleep comfortably with Bantu knots.
Can You Sleep With Bantu Knots?
Yes! The modernized Bantu Knots are a “halfway hairstyle” which means they can be worn as is or taken out a few days later to achieve great curls. This hairstyle is meant to be put in after a shower, and then slept on. You want to make sure you don’t take out your Bantu knots until your hair is completely dry.
This article will walk you through the best ways to sleep with Bantu knots, as well as different products you can use to keep your curls in longer.
How to Sleep With Bantu Knots
3. Make sure your Hair is tied tightly, but not pulling at your scalp.
When you are tying your Bantu knots having them tight is a great thing. For sleep, however, it can cause an increasingly annoying issue when your hair is tied too tightly and has no wiggle room. Therefore, you should make sure your hair is tight enough to hold the style, but with enough wiggle room so your head can lay comfortably.
2. Secure each Bantu knot with bobby pins.
In addition to the first step, securing your hair with bobby pins is a great way to make sure they don’t fall out, but let them move slightly as you do in the night. The bobby pins are an extra security measure in case you are a frequently moving sleeper.
3. Cover your hair with a silk scarf or hair bonnet
Now, this has to do with your sleep patterns, and how you move in your sleep, but it also has to do with the friction of your head on the pillow.
To avoid the friction of your pillow, you should tie your hair with a silk scarf or wear a silk bonnet.
This will eliminate the friction of your pillow and make sleeping with the knots a more comfortable experience.
Here are some examples of great silk bonnets you can use to cover your hair.
Sleeping With Bantu Knots Uncomfortable
Bantu knots are not made to be comfortable, but luckily there is a multitude of different products and tips that can make the process a lot easier.
Following all of the steps above and using the recommended products are a good first step, as well as trying out new things.
If you find a different brand of product that keeps your scalp moisturized and healthy while the knots are setting then use it!
Does it Hurt to sleep with Bantu Knots?
Since Bantu knots stick out from your head, and they are an uncomfortable hairstyle to sleep with. A commonly recommended tip is to stop curling your Bantu knot an inch from your scalp, as to not pull and fray the hair follicle.
This trick also helps the scalp pain from arising so sharply when trying to sleep on your knots. Some people say sleeping on your stomach makes the pain of Bantu knots less, since less of your head is on the pillow.
How to Sleep Comfortably With Bantu Knots
To make this process easier as you wait for your flawless curls, you can use a styling gel, like Ors Olive Oil Smooth Pudding.
There are a few types of silk bonnets you can use for your hair, some having elastic and others having a wrap to secure it to your head.
I believe you should try both and see which works best, and is most comfortable for your head.
The silk bonnets should not cut off any circulation to your head, or create deep lines in your forehead.
Do Bantu Knots Work Overnight?
Bantu knots are meant to be put in after a shower where you wash your hair and left for a few days. If you are experiencing discomfort and don’t want to keep them in for the full time, you can take them out early.
Taking the Bantu knots out early will only make a small difference, and that is that you may have to reapply them more frequently to keep the same level of curliness for the days after. Even with this said, there are styling products that will help keep your curls for longer.
Mielle Organics Honey & Ginger Styling Gel protects your hair, and infuses it with great minerals to strengthen.
This product will also reduce frizziness over time from having the hairstyle.
The most you can leave your Bantu knots in for are two weeks, as anything past this can damage your hair more than the hairstyle is worth. If you are planning on leaving the hairstyle in long term, you should definitely use the recommended products above.
A common tip for tying Bantu knots, is to remember to tie them in smaller chunks. If you try to section your hair off into too big pieces, the hairstyle won’t stick, and it will be more painful to sleep in. Although it may take longer to tie, the resulting style will make you glad your spent the extra time and care into your hair.
How Do I Protect My Bantu Knots At Night
After spending hours tying and creating your Bantu knot hairstyle, nothing matters more then protecting your hair. Thankfully, there are many ways to make sure your hair stays for its duration. To name a few, you can wrap your hair in a silk bonnet, protect it with gels and puddings, not to mention making sure you tie your Bantu knots the recommended way.
It has been recommended that you make sure your knots end one inch from your scalp, for wiggle room as you sleep. This will remove scalp pain and irritation.
Another great way to protect Bantu knots is to use bobby pins. Since you (assumingly) left the one inch of room between your knot and your scalp, the bobby pin can make a big difference. This secures your hair, further preventing friction that can be detrimental to your style.
Final Thoughts About How to Sleep With Bantu Knots
Sleeping with Bantu knots can be uncomfortable if done incorrectly, but thankfully there are lots of tips and tricks out there to make your Bantu knots as comfortable as possible. Remember, argan oils and styling gels are great for keeping the hair strong and silk bonnets are very helpful for going to sleep.
If you find that when you wake up, your Bantu knots are undone. That’s okay, it’s just an opportunity to try and figure out what was the issue so you can try again. Bantu knots are not an easy hairstyle to get on your first try, but it is a super rewarding one to have mastered.
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