New bedtime style needed!

[Nadine <3]

My hair just cannot be contained! GAH.

I usually sleep in a braid, just a french braid usually, but recently even my braid has been getting in my way. It's just long enough to be laid on and wrap around my neck, but not long enough to toss over my pillow and have it stay. I tried tucking the braid but it made an uncomfortable lump at the back of my head, and it wouldn't stay without pins and the pins would pull and shift during the night.

I tried a top knot with spin pins, but that didn't stay put...I woke up to it half unraveled with the spin pin stuck in there...tangled mess. Tried using two spin pins, same thing. After that I got desperate and tried a top knot with a pony tail, but after about an hour or two my scalp was sore and achy and I had to pull it down.

I sleep on a silk pillow case, my hair doesn't tangle to bad, but sleeping with it down is not an option. I wake up with it all over my face and in my mouth, tangled around my neck and stuck in my armpit (yes...my armpit pulls my hair lol) and when I wake up like that suffocated in hair I have zero patience and it just ends up getting yanked and raked through, anything to get it off me.

I do have, I think 4 silk sleep caps and I hate them all with a burning passion. They won't stay on and when they do I sweat profusely (I sleep really warm) and then I have to wash my hair...and the cap because it's soaking wet when I wake up and stuck to my head. Grossness.

I have Amish pins, but I can't get those to stay even when I'm awake. My mom offered to shave my head and I grabbed my hair and ran away from her screaming...lol Help?

[cutekitty]

How about a top knot with a large claw clip? I used to do that before deciding that I don't like sleeping with my hair in a bun (I just throw it over the pillow).

[lapushka]

How about two French braids, or 2 English braids?

[cadencesday]

Life with long hair. I would do two side braids and then a low bun at the nape of your neck.

[PalomaSincera]

An upside down French braid would allow you to toss the braid away from your head.

[lapushka]

An upside down French braid would allow you to toss the braid away from your head.

Good point. Madora has a thread on here demonstrating the style!

[Arctic]

upside down frenchie is good idea. I was going to suggest something similar: make a regular 3-strand braid but start it from your crown/top of your head. Maybe braid with long, thin scarf, and instead of elastic, secure the tassle with the scarf. Braiding like this produces a loose kind of braid (especially the nape area might sag) but it might be comfortable for sleeping and would also give some waves in the morning.

[Jo Ann]

I use either two rope braids or two "standard" (English?) braids for my hair when I sleep. My length is in the mid-back abyss, between BSL and WL.

[CRX<3]

I sleep with a really high basic bun secured with two smooth small/medium claw clips. I just twist my hair into a bun while bent over so I can gather it really high, almost where my bangs begin, I adjust it so it has a firm hold but doesn't pull on any hairs and then I sleep all night with three cats on my pillow. And it usally works as a weird "stay at home" hairstyle the morning after :D I hope you give it a shot! It keeps the neck cool too!

[Nadine <3]

Thank you for the suggestions guys! I tried out the claw clip suggestion, but the clip wouldn't stay very well and it ended up pretty tangled in my hair. Eeek! I had success last night with a top knot held with a scrunchy instead of a hair tie though! I should see if I can find some pretty silk ones...

[-Fern]

Madora also talked about hanging your head upside-down and braiding loosely, then coiling the braid on top of your head in a relaxed topknot. That should hold better than a regular topknot. That or practice your crown braid... :D

[missrandie]

Thank you for the suggestions guys! I tried out the claw clip suggestion, but the clip wouldn't stay very well and it ended up pretty tangled in my hair. Eeek! I had success last night with a top knot held with a scrunchy instead of a hair tie though! I should see if I can find some pretty silk ones...

I saw some on Etsy recently :)

[maskedrose]

My holy grail night style has been a cinnabun on the top of my head (I also bend forward at the waist and gather it as high as I can) held with 2-3 small claw clips. One claw clip does not work for me, it has to be 2-3. That way, it doesn't slip or pull and like a previous poster said, works well as a stay at home style the next day. There have been weekends where it's stayed like that all day haha.

[enting]

Would a fake crown braid using heidi braids work, or would that pull too much in your sleep? I have had limited success with a braided topknot bun - the braid keeps it more contained and less prone to awful tangled messes should it partially escape the pins, while the bun keeps it up and away from getting stuck under you. I keep wanting to try a Lark's squiggly or a moon shaped hairtoy in a topknot to see if that would be a comfortable and effective sleeping arrangement.

[nikegirl]

I do loose crown braids and then wrap in a silk bonnet before I sleep. My hair is quite short so I use soft bobby pins(the jelly like ones) to keep it all up. Super comfortable and helps with the breakage and the moisture and all that good stuff. My hair grows at an inch a month and this has really helped keep that growth up too.

[browneyedsusan]

I alternate between a top knot and a loose french braid. Whatever I'm feeling will be most comfortable. Neither style works perfectly, but my hair stays mostly tangle -free. :)