What do you do with your hair when you're sleeping?

[afinemess]

I'm in desperate need of a new sleep style and I could really use your help!

I need a style that will be easy to deal with in the morning. Lately, I've been using a single side braid which works very well to keep my hair from getting tangled while I sleep, BUT, I end up with braid waves on the bottom and straight hair on the top, which looks a little bit crazy when I take the braid out.

I can't do a French braid on myself, or I would totally use that one instead.

I've tried a bun on top of my head, but that usually ends up giving me a weird crimp in my hair because my hair is quite slippery, so I have to bun it tighter than I want to or else it will slide right out.

When I just leave it down, of course I get strangled while I sleeping, but it makes it easier to get it under control in the morning.

Does anyone have advice or want to share what you do with YOUR hair at night?

Thanks! :flowers:

[FallingDarkness]

I'd suggest a crown braid but if you can't do a French braid on yourself, a crown braid would be much too difficult.
I just put it in an English braid straight down my back and flip it over my pillow, but I wear my hair up consistently so I don't have to worry how it looks... :/

[M-L-E]

Have you tried a silk/satin sleeping cap? Haven't tried one myself but many people recommend it, and there might be less crimping if you can just plop your loose hair into a cap maybe?

[Larki]

I just use a silk sleep cap and leave my hair down inside it. I move too much in my sleep to do anything else; I lay on braids, and I find buns uncomfortable to sleep in.

[FallingDarkness]

I just use a silk sleep cap and leave my hair down inside it. I move too much in my sleep to do anything else; I lay on braids, and I find buns uncomfortable to sleep in.

Ooh I'd forgotten about these. Yeah silk sleep caps have been widely appreciated by the LHC population.

[afinemess]

Thanks for the ideas!

I've considered a sleep cap, but I have a feeling it would be hard for me to get used to. I'm a pretty picky sleeper and I don't know if I'd be okay with having something on my head. I might get a cheap one at the grocery store just to test it out and see how I
handle it.

I just placed an order with Amazon for a 2 pack of satin pillowcases. I'm hoping those will help too.

[Larki]

Thanks for the ideas!

I've considered a sleep cap, but I have a feeling it would be hard for me to get used to. I'm a pretty picky sleeper and I don't know if I'd be okay with having something on my head. I might get a cheap one at the grocery store just to test it out and see how I
handle it.
See, I thought so too, but the one I have (from Adorabellababy on Etsy) actually doesn't feel like I have anything on my head at all. That might be because I have bangs that I leave out of the cap (otherwise they'd be royally messed up when I woke up) so the front edge of the cap rests in my hair behind my bangs, instead of on my forehead.

[Nadine <3]

Maybe learn how to french braid? That's how I wear mine every night. I have a silk pillowcase, but I have to contain my hair as well or it's still a tangled mess in the morning. Or you could make a loose ponytail at your nape and then put a pony tail every couple inches to keep all the hair banded together.

[Nique1202]

If you could split your hair into two braids, one coming straight up off the top of your head and one down the back, you'd have less straight areas in the morning. But, that might be a little awkward to sleep on.

Personally, I keep my hair in a cinnabun atop my head, secured with spin pins. Spin pins are much more secure than elastic-held buns, so I can fasten just the bun and let it flop around a bit on top of my head, and they cause less damage over time. The Goody ones are well worth the cost in the value you'll get from them, though I'd recommend getting the short set of 3 instead of the very long set of 2 for your hair type probably. Screw them into your bun about evenly spaced, and it should hold through a hurricane or a restless night.

[afinemess]

Nadine <3, how I wish I could learn! I've tried many, many times. I can do a French braid with much ease on someone else's head, but on my own, my hands just get so confused, and it doesn't help that my hair slides right out if I don't hold it just right. I will keep practicing though because it is one of my personal hair goals.

Nique1202, I will give the spin pins a try. I would really like to avoid braiding because I much prefer my natural texture over braid waves. My hair being thin makes my braids skinny, so the waves are a bit crimpy on me.

Maybe the satin pillowcase along with a pinned bun (instead of scrunchied) will be my magic combination.

Thanks, all. :heartbeat

[AZDesertRose]

I vary what I do with my hair at bedtime. Usually it's either an English braid (straight down center back) or a not-too-tight bun at the nape of my neck, or a looped ponytail, both of the latter held with a scrunchie, but my hair is also fairly short (for this community at least) right now, so what works for me may not work for someone with longer hair (I'm thinking particularly the looped ponytail).

I hope you find a solution that works! :)

[Arctic]

Maybe make your braid start from the crown and braid a scarf into it to give it some bulk, which would help to prevent the crimped look.

[afinemess]

Maybe make your braid start from the crown and braid a scarf into it to give it some bulk, which would help to prevent the crimped look.

Ooh, that will be an easy one to try because I already have all the required tools, hehe. I'll give that one a try tonight and see how it turns out! :D

[snowyx]

I find that if I secure my hair with a scrunchie, then I don't get the crimps in my hair. I usually do a *very* loose bun, and in the morning my hair is straight with no hair tie marks!
I also second the idea of a silk/satin pillowcase. Good luck!

[Calypso]

I braid mine in either a single braid down my back or twin braids, which works fine for me. I'm curious about silk pillowcases and sleeping caps, though, but I'm vegan so I don't use silk. Does anything else work in the same way? Maybe satin?

[Federica]

Having a natural wavy texture, I usually sleep with my hair in a braid and I really like the braidwaves on the bottom of my hair.
Never used a bonnet or a silk pillowcase (shame on me).
If you don't like braidwaves at all, maybe you can try a cinnabun on the top of your head, or leave your hair loose in a sleep cap.
If the matter is that you find your braid too thin and don't like the waves to be tight and crispy, I think a paranda (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=91490) would do the job :)

[Linguaphilia]

You could sleep with a banded ponytail instead of a braid to avoid waves in the morning.

[TurtleWexler]

I have a satin sleep cap and don't like it. My hair loves to take the shape of whatever I put it in, so it ends up weirdly curled under from where I tuck it into the cap. It does the same thing when I put it in a bun.

These days I'm using a buff. Well, the one I got called itself a "motorcycle neck warmer," but it's really just a cheap off-brand buff. It's a tube of stretchy fabric. I put it on over my head so it's all bunched around my neck, then pull it up so it's in the same sort of position a sleep bonnet would be in. Because it's open at both ends, my hair can go out of the back and doesn't get all weird and out of shape. And I use a satin pillowcase as well. Seems to be working well so far, though I do have to make sure the buff is pulled down onto my forehead a bit, or it likes to slip off.

[afinemess]

Well, last night, I put my hair in a cinnabun on the very top of my head, held with two claw clips. This morning when I took the bun down, my hair was still as soft and shiny as it was yesterday!

Normally, in the morning, my hair is a rough, dry mess. It would take water and oil and much fussing to make it look alright. But with the bun, I just brushed it out and it was glorious.

Why didn't I come up with this idea on my own? Oh well, thanks so much for all your suggestions! :D

[Arctic]

I'm curious about silk pillowcases and sleeping caps, though, but I'm vegan so I don't use silk. Does anything else work in the same way? Maybe satin?

Nothing is quite able to imitate silk. Satin is actually a way of weaving, and it can be of many materials. I assume you mean polyester satin. All satins are dense, smooth, and have a certain sheen. I think they are or could be better for hair than normal weaved fabric would be (less friction). Cotton satin can be as drying as any cotton farbric. Artificial fibre satin can cause acne, static and is not breathable. Some people like and use (different types of) satin, some don't. I like my sheets and bedlinens to be cotton satin because it feels nice to my skin, but I have never noticed any effects on my hair to be honest. Polyester satin - I have never tried polyester satin because I stick with natural fibres (mostly plan based). I wouldn't be comfortable with using silk either for ethical reasons.

Maybe you could buy one pillowcase in cotton satin nd one in polyester satin to see how you like them. I am willing to bet you like the cotton one more in general, but who knows, maybe the more slippery poly satin is just what your hair needs?

[Arctic]

Well, last night, I put my hair in a cinnabun on the very top of my head, held with two claw clips. This morning when I took the bun down, my hair was still as soft and shiny as it was yesterday!

Normally, in the morning, my hair is a rough, dry mess. It would take water and oil and much fussing to make it look alright. But with the bun, I just brushed it out and it was glorious.

Why didn't I come up with this idea on my own? Oh well, thanks so much for all your suggestions! :D

That's great news!

[AZDesertRose]

Well, last night, I put my hair in a cinnabun on the very top of my head, held with two claw clips. This morning when I took the bun down, my hair was still as soft and shiny as it was yesterday!

Normally, in the morning, my hair is a rough, dry mess. It would take water and oil and much fussing to make it look alright. But with the bun, I just brushed it out and it was glorious.

Why didn't I come up with this idea on my own? Oh well, thanks so much for all your suggestions! :D

Glad you found a good solution! :)

[Agnieszka]

Well, last night, I put my hair in a cinnabun on the very top of my head, held with two claw clips. This morning when I took the bun down, my hair was still as soft and shiny as it was yesterday!

Normally, in the morning, my hair is a rough, dry mess. It would take water and oil and much fussing to make it look alright. But with the bun, I just brushed it out and it was glorious.

Why didn't I come up with this idea on my own? Oh well, thanks so much for all your suggestions! :D

I was just about to reply with exact the same idea :-) That's how I sleep with my fine, slippery hair. Silk pillowcase, bun on top of my head with two small claw clips ( two one inch long ones). Happy that it works for you.

[endlessly]

The best method I've found for my hair which keeps it in place and also results in pretty braid waves the next day is to do 6 medium-sized regular 3-strand braids, then braid those together. So, I divide my hair in half like I'm doing pigtails, section it into three sections - one on the top, middle, bottom - then take each of those sections and make a 3-strand braid, so I'm left with 3 braids on each side. In order to braid them all together, I take all of the braids and pull them back, pair the top braids together/middle together/ and bottom together, then make a larger braid. It eats up a ton of length since I can't wear one large braid without getting wrapped up in it at night, but also results in tons of waves the next day.

My profile pic is the morning after this method.

[Arctic]

Endlessly, I would get super small, sharp, crimped looking zigzag pattern with that method :D

[prettigurl]

I sleep with my hair braided neatly under a satin bonnet. Every now and then I sleep with loose hair, but that's trouble.

[Calypso]

Nothing is quite able to imitate silk. Satin is actually a way of weaving, and it can be of many materials. I assume you mean polyester satin. All satins are dense, smooth, and have a certain sheen. I think they are or could be better for hair than normal weaved fabric would be (less friction). Cotton satin can be as drying as any cotton farbric. Artificial fibre satin can cause acne, static and is not breathable. Some people like and use (different types of) satin, some don't. I like my sheets and bedlinens to be cotton satin because it feels nice to my skin, but I have never noticed any effects on my hair to be honest. Polyester satin - I have never tried polyester satin because I stick with natural fibres (mostly plan based). I wouldn't be comfortable with using silk either for ethical reasons.

Maybe you could buy one pillowcase in cotton satin nd one in polyester satin to see how you like them. I am willing to bet you like the cotton one more in general, but who knows, maybe the more slippery poly satin is just what your hair needs?

Thanks so much for the information! That's really useful. :)

[patienceneeded]

I have a silk sleepsack from Blensblend, and a silk pillowcase. Overkill, I know. I very loosely braid my hair and then put on my sleepsack. I only braid it to help with getting the hair in the sack, I don't use a hairtie at the end of the braid and it's so loose it often comes undone in the sack while I sleep. No braidwaves the next day and my hair LOVES to hold on to waves.

http://blensblend.com/Charmeuse-Silk-Sleep-Cap-Adjustable-Wine-16-011213.htm (I special ordered a 32" one after I outgrew my 15" one). It's actually really comfortable to sleep in, I don't even notice it now. I started with one of those cheap satin ones you can get at Sallys and hated it. I love my sleep sack from Blensblend. I saved my shorter one for travel and camping.

[lapis_lazuli]

I wear a normal english braid and drape it over my pillow :)

[Fericera]

I do a sectioned french ponytail. Kind of weird to describe, but basically imagine doing three or four small half ups along the back of your head. It keep all my layers contained, and I pull my ponytail half through the last scrunchie to protect the ends a little.

Edit: Also I forgot to add that I sleep on a very slippery, shiny, satin pillowcase. It prevents friction and keep my hair feeling smooth and nice.

[lapushka]

I wear it loose, but sleep on my side. So I fold it underneath my head, and I stay in that position almost all night. Easy.

[gthlvrmx]

For now, my hair is loose since it is so short but when it was longer, I used to make a bun on top of my head and secure it with spin pins. Spin pins really hold a bun well even through the night!

[DweamGoiL]

Well, last night, I put my hair in a cinnabun on the very top of my head, held with two claw clips. This morning when I took the bun down, my hair was still as soft and shiny as it was yesterday!

Normally, in the morning, my hair is a rough, dry mess. It would take water and oil and much fussing to make it look alright. But with the bun, I just brushed it out and it was glorious.

Why didn't I come up with this idea on my own? Oh well, thanks so much for all your suggestions! :D

This has been my go to for over a decade as well. The claw clips have gotten larger as my hair has grown. I alternate between wearing a haircap as well depending on the season.

[meteor]

For me - just a braid (no tie) coiled above the pillow. I toss and turn a lot at night, but the braid remains in OK condition since it's out of the way.

[Phoe]

google "french rope braid curls"

it'll show many tutorials.

I am hopeless with french braiding, but putting these simple ropes into my hair before bed is so easy!

[M.McDonough]

Thanks for the ideas!

I've considered a sleep cap, but I have a feeling it would be hard for me to get used to. I'm a pretty picky sleeper and I don't know if I'd be okay with having something on my head. I might get a cheap one at the grocery store just to test it out and see how I
handle it.

I just placed an order with Amazon for a 2 pack of satin pillowcases. I'm hoping those will help too.

Satin is not really comfy!

ETA:

I personally let my hair down before bedtime. But sometimes I tie it back in a low, messy, loose ponytail!

[yogagirl]

So glad you got the top bun to work for you! That's how I sleep too, only with one bigger claw clip. I love the big bouncy waves I get from it. Looks like I spent half an hour on it using a large barrel curling iron :o ;)

[maegalcarwen]

As a fluffy/wavy 2b/c, I think the best way to sleep is with my hair out on a silk pillowcase. Anything I do to my hair stays that way, as in, it reshapes it.

[curlylocks85]

I'm in desperate need of a new sleep style and I could really use your help!

I need a style that will be easy to deal with in the morning. Lately, I've been using a single side braid which works very well to keep my hair from getting tangled while I sleep, BUT, I end up with braid waves on the bottom and straight hair on the top, which looks a little bit crazy when I take the braid out.

I can't do a French braid on myself, or I would totally use that one instead.

I've tried a bun on top of my head, but that usually ends up giving me a weird crimp in my hair because my hair is quite slippery, so I have to bun it tighter than I want to or else it will slide right out.

When I just leave it down, of course I get strangled while I sleeping, but it makes it easier to get it under control in the morning.

Does anyone have advice or want to share what you do with YOUR hair at night?

Thanks! :flowers:


I do have a suggestion, but it all depends on how long you are willing to work with your hair, that I use on myself. Instead of braids that are half way down your head, you could make little braids from the scalp around your head. I do this after I wash my hair and it has mostly dried, but is still a bit damp to keep the waves from falling out once I take the braids out. I usually make 10-12 braids on each side. I leave it in the first 1-2 days depending on weather, it could be longer, then when I want to take them out, the night before I take them out then put them in pigtail braids the night before and let then lose the next day, Manipulate if so desired and voila, braid waves all the way down your length and a way to keep your hair at night. I hope this helps or at least gives you some inspiration. :)

[MINAKO]

High cinnabun covered with silk, only around the bun because i cant wear caps. Also i have a silk pillow case so it probably comes down to the same. I have been sleeping like this for 1.5 yyears now and dont see anything i would change about it.

[Carolyn]

If I've worn my hair in a single braid during the day, it stays that way at bedtime. On the rare occasion that I wash my hair in the evening I do a high, loose topknot type bun on top of my head. That gives me nice waves in the morning if I want to wear it down. Most of the time I sleep with my hair loose and don't have many tangles. It's 1" above waist currently.

[donnanoble]

Depending on how long/thick your hair is, this might work- I use a thick-hair claw clip and twist my hair on top of my head, clip loosely. It's not the most attractive thing ever, but I don't wake up from turning and simultaneously pulling my hair from laying on it anymore, and its a loose enough wave when my hair is damp that it doesn't look like a braid does, with no wave at top and tight wave at the bottom. Good luck!

[ExpectoPatronum]

As a curly, I'm all for the pineapple. It's probably not the absolute best way to sleep for long hair, but it preserves my curls fantastically. I also really enjoy being able to sleep without my hair suffocating me :)

[Yarrow]

Heidi braids, so I don't sleep on my hair and I can switch sides during sleeping

[7thOfTheDamned]

I've done a traditional English braid for about 5 and a half years now. Sometimes I change which side it's on, or do two, but that's my routine. Then I brush it pretty much first thing when I wake up and put it in some kind of bun for the day.

[WaimeaWahine]

A very loose bun and a bobby pin or two. Sometimes one of those plastic thin elastics to secure it. Good for avoiding unwanted waves as you just "unfurl" it in the morning and it's shapeable.

[Zesty]

I wear a silk sleep bonnet and also use a silk pillowcase. Having the slick on slick helps keep the bonnet from being dragged off my head, as well as being backup. It's just the simplest way to get ready for bed IMO and doesn't kink my hair or disturb me with lumps at night. Plus I'm skeptical about the way a lot of people braid and tie up their hair, it seems like it would cause breakage, at least on me. I got used to the bonnet pretty quickly, too.