Protective updos for thin hair

[Isabel]

So, I've recently reached waist length. Yay, except that I've also reached a length where I can't sleep with my hair open anymore. If I do, I'll wake up to my SO sleeping on it or not being able to sleep because it's in his face.

Thing is, my hair is fairly thin (just thick enough to be ii), and if I braid my hair, the result will be a thin, little braid. My hair takes curls easily, so braiding creates these little zig zag curls that tend to misleadingly look like dried frizz when I undo the braid in the morning. I've tried sleeping in a bun, too, but for some reason buns seem to yank at the roots of my hair while I sleep and I seem to end up with an increased number of loose hairs in my brush in the morning after having a bun.

So, I was wondering what other folks with i or ii hair tend to do for protective updos for the night? Has anyone else run into these kinds of issues?

[neko_kawaii]

I'm quite fond of my sleep cap. Or as my husband calls it, "No fair, you have your hat on." - meaning I'm heading to bed before anyone else, leaving bedtime chores to him.

[florenonite]

I have the opposite problem with sleep braids; my hair's short and thick enough that I get a couple of bumps, but no defined waves. My solution is just to braid my hair for bed and wear it up the next day.

[Mustang Suzy]

I second neko_kawaii. The sleep cap helps keep my hair up and out of the way. I bought mine at Walmart for $2.00 - it is "stay on satin" bonnet with a stretchy band that keeps it in place. I can't sleep unless I'm wearing my cap. :sleep:

[Marika]

I bought recently a sleep cap too because I like wearing my hair loose at night but without someone pulling it. Braids give me tangles and a bun on top of my head caused breakage. It's a shame because it also gave a lot of volume. I've never seen sleep caps sold in Finland though. If you're handy, you could try making one yourself or shop online. I bought mine from Etsy (adorabellababy). It's a bit pricey but really high quality and I like it a lot! :thumbsup:

[lapushka]

My mom has shorter hair (APL), also i bordering on ii, and she sleeps with a peacock twist - don't ask me how she does it.

[Anje]

Sleep cap is definitely my favorite option. It's far more comfortable than sleeping in an updo, in my opinion, and it doesn't leave me with a braid that wraps around my neck/husband lies on top of/cats play with.

ETA: I'm another ii who's not far into ii territory. 2.5 inch circumference, but I'm hanging onto that ii designation tooth and nail!

[Lore Ley]

I like to use a scarf whenever I braid my hair. In contrast to a regular braid, it will leave you with much bigger, wavy-ish curls as the scarf increases the volume of your braid. If you want to, have a look at the last braid version she does: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gVVk4PWma2g

[rags]

I'm another thin finey who loves my sleep cap! I do wear braids occasionally but not often; usually only if my hair is heavily oiled.

[Agnes Hannah]

Yep silk cap sleeper here too. I made my own. Am having to braid it now though as well as it is getting too long to poke up into the cap, so its braided and oiled beforehand.

[Isabel]

Thanks for all the replies! I should've thought about sleeping caps - I've had one, but it was made out of very thin wool. Comfortable, but far too hot to wear. Looks like I'll have to look into either making one out of some lighter fabric.