New Satin Quarter Sheets Maintain Hair While You Sleep
Toni Osborne, pictured here, said she came up with the idea to create Satin Quarter Sheets out of frustration and necessity. Photo by Toni Osborne.
By J. Coyden Palmer February 8, 2023
Necessity is the mother of all inventions. When it comes to hair care products that cater to the uniqueness of natural Black hairstyles and hair in general, there is a lot left to be desired. Enter Toni Osborne. A Chicago native who said she grew tired of having to use a variety of different products just to maintain her hairstyle overnight. When she couldn’t find anything on the market to fit her needs, she invented something that would.
Osborne is a person who doesn’t like sleeping on pillows necessarily. She said she would take the satin pillow case and remove it from the pillow and place it on the bed to sleep on. However, throughout the night, the pillow case had found its freedom and when she awakened, she found herself sleeping on the cotton fitted sheet and her hair a mess, which had totally defeated the purpose.
“I wanted it. I needed it. So I created it,” Osborne said. “About 15 years ago, Black women decided en masse that we were going to get away from the chemical perms and stop straightening our hair so much. We decided to go natural, but in that we discovered that we had not been used to our hair in that state. So we didn’t know what worked for us and what didn’t. We learned a lot in the process and we as Black women probably made the satin fabric industry boom in the way of creating things to wrap our hair with to maintain the moisture and to help not pull the hair when we sleep. So doo rags, satin wraps, satin bonnets all these things that we now make memes about in large part and make fun of are also things that we need.”
Satin Quarter Sheets are available in white, gray, black and silver. The product is made with a strong elastic bands that allows for the pillow to be placed under the sheet and still stay snugged to your mattress throughout the night. They can be purchased online at satinquartersheets.com and run between $65 and $100. Photo by Toni Osborne.
Satin Quarter Sheets are a satin bedding cover (which is patent pending) that is a quarter size in length of its respective mattress. It is available in six sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King and California King. The product sells for between $65 and $100 based on the size you need. Right now it is being sold exclusively online but Osborne hopes there will be enough demand where she can get into the retail market as well.
Osborne is positive Satin Quarter Sheets will have many benefits that address the multitude of issues women have been having for decades when it comes to overnight hair maintenance. She said women have tried everything from creative wraps, sleeping in chairs overnight, to sleeping in the position where their head is propped up by one arm, resting their head in their hand. None of these positions are healthy or consistent with a good night’s sleep, according to somnologists (sleep doctors), who say these positions can lead to the restriction of blood flow, muscle spasms and in the most severe cases, nerve damage. Most importantly however, doctors say sleeping in non-traditional positions never allows the body to completely relax for a good night’s sleep, which has been linked to shorter life spans and other health issues.
“I would wake up with a headache because the wrap was too tight. Sometimes I would have a line around my forehead that didn’t go away until someone saw me with the line and we would rub it until it went away or I would have creases in my style,” Osborne said with a laugh. “It was just a lot just to make sure your hair was being cared for. And it wasn’t sexy. Your partner was complaining when they would wake up and see you in the morning.”
With Valentine’s Day coming up, Osborne said her product is going to be helpful in keeping the romance and intimacy at a high level. She said Black women are very conscious of their appearance for their partner and oftentimes, waking up in the morning to strange looks from their partner doesn’t sit well.
No more sleeping in odd positions and waking up with a crook in your neck trying to maintain your hair. Satin Quarter Sheets with their unique design allow for a restful night’s sleep knowing your hair will retain its style. The product can also be used with a pillow to sleep on or without one if you want to sleep on just a sheet. Photo provided by Toni Osborne.
“It’s not sexy,” she began. “Your partner is complaining saying ‘this thing is on your head again tonight?’ So they are really going to be relieved and maybe even gifting some people this product for Valentine’s Day or other special occasions.”
While the product started out being designed for Black women, Osborne said the practical use for the product is now non-gender specific because Black men who wear dreads, locs or who have a full beard can also enjoy the benefits of the product.
“It can help brothas with beards and side facial hair as well,” Osborne said. “Also many men in our community are also wearing braids and locs so I’m sure this product will appeal to them as well as they are dealing with the same issues many sistahs have been struggling with for years.”
The cultural shift on natural Black hairstyles becoming accepted in mainstream society and corporate America are due to a number of factors. Better education on how to care for natural hairstyles. The haircare industry’s creation of more products designed for natural Black hair along with legislative laws like the CROWN Act making it illegal for race-based hair discrimination, were all significant factors. Aspects of the CROWN Act includes the denial of employment and educational opportunities because of hair texture or protective hairstyles, including braids, locs, twists or bantu knots.
Osborne has plans to expand the product line in the future to include different fabrics and colors. Also, she is adding customization features where you can add your favorite celebrity or emotional support images like a loved one or pet that helps you sleep. She believes there are endless possibilities.
Osborne was determined to create a high-quality product before she attached her name to it. She went through a variety of prototypes and materials before finally finding something that worked. She said that is reflective in the price point and she explains all of this in videos on the website. To learn more about her journey and Satin Quarter Sheets, including care instructions, be sure to visit her website where you can also order products and view more photos.