How many of you wear hair down in bed?

[sarahthegemini]

Hi all,
I always wear my hair up at night - my go to style is a peacock /french twist hybrid secured with a claw clip. However, I've recently been thinking that this could be the cause of some breakage. This is the only way to confine my hair. Nothing else holds. So I'm wondering if wearing it down at night would be the better option. Thoughts?

[flickm]

I wear it down 24/7 except for baths etc. i dont think I coyld sleep with it up.

[Robi-Bird]

I french braid it. The shorter layers at my temples escape a lot in the night but it works well enough.

[Ephemia]

I wear my hair down in bed. I just lay it over the pillow behind me. I don't get a lot of tangles when I wake up.

[lapushka]

My hair is always down for bed, even now at classic. It's either draped over the pillow or bunched under my head (I don't move much in my sleep).

[sarahthegemini]

Thanks for your input guys, my main concern with wearing it down is that I am quite the mover when I'm sleeping! I do like the idea of giving my hair a break though as it's up all day too.

Lapushka I'm surprised at classic you can wear it down! I know your hair is a different texture to mine but has having it 'bunched up' hindered growth or caused any significant breakage?

Eta: I'm a little worried about tangling too :-/ Usually any tangles I get just slip out during my co-wash but I suspect I'll get more tangles if it's not confined at night, plus I'm no longer co-washing! Argggghhhh. I hate having to make a few changes at once.

[lapushka]

Lapushka I'm surprised at classic you can wear it down! I know your hair is a different texture to mine but has having it 'bunched up' hindered growth or caused any significant breakage?

No, not so far. I haven't noticed it being damaging or anything. IMO braiding it, and having it contained is worse than having it loose, but that's due to my personal preference. I don't like contained hair at night. I like it to be wild and free. I might think differently once it's beyond classic, though. :lol:

[missblueeyes]

If you're worried about damaging or tangling your hair because you move a lot, invest in a silk or satin pillowcase! That personally helped me a lot and I move A LOT in my sleep. :) Nowadays, I also braid it or put it up but I do get how that might not be too appealing or maybe not even possible at your length. Also, if you wear your hair up all day long, you might want to give your scalp a break when you sleep so it should be down-ish. Maybe you could braid the last few inches?

[lapushka]

Maybe you could braid the last few inches?

Actually, that's a good idea for me too. Thank you! :blossom:

[rowie]

I sleep with my hair in a single English braid and moved to the side of my bed left to hang. However, the moment I get up I get dressed and fix my hair and it's up in a bun for the whole day. I've tried sleep caps, buns etc... You name it and the simple braid I find works best for me. So far I haven't noticed any damages sleeping with just a simple English braid draped to the side of my bed.

eta: also utilize a satin pillow case.

[ravenreed]

I vary between classic and fingertip and wear my hair down for bed. The bump of the braid was giving me a neck ache, and the tail had a tendency to slide down under my butt. This meant that I was getting pinned down and had trouble moving around. I rarely have this trouble with my hair loose. Plus, because I was usually sleeping on my braid tassel, I was noticing a lot more damage to those delicate ends! I detangle before bed and as soon as I am up and around, and all is well.

[Anje]

Mine's typically loose but in a bonnet. Not sure that counts. ;) I tried the satin pillowcase thing, but I tended to end up sleeping on top of my hair, sometimes pinning myself in place.

[Nique1202]

I'm a side sleeper so I just put a spin pin bun on the back of my head and sleep away. If you toss and turn, you can put the bun on the top of your head instead. If you sleep with enough of your pillow over your head to support it, the bun won't even feel heavy or start to pull when it gets bigger, and spin pin buns will protect the delicate ends that are left vulnerable in a braid.

I can't imagine leaving my hair loose to sleep, with two extremely playful cats hanging around, and a braid just leaves my hair dry and tangle-prone in the morning.

[missrandie]

Before I was married (and before my now husband was tangling himself in it) I wore my hair loose at night, preferring to flip it/fan it over my pillow at night. I had the flip perfected and apparently also did it in my sleep, because despite being a wild sleeper, I never woke up on my hair nor had major sleep tangles. Even on a cotton pillow case.

I currently switch off and on with my bonnet, but I don't have much hair to fight with right now. Somehow my husband is already laying on it and trapping me with it, though it is less than shoulder length. He is my single largest reason for wearing a sleep cap!

[Arctic]

When I was growing my hair the first time I wore it up, usually in a bun on top of my head. Now I have been wearing it mostly down, until just recently, when I started to switch my shower (and hairwashing) routine from morning to night. I'd still rather keep it down, but if I want to be presentable, it really needs to be up or braided.

[DollyDagger]

Im a flip-floppin, restless, slow-to- fall asleep type which used to result in frizzy crazy bedhead in the morning. Silk pillowcase cover and occasionally bonneting has helped alot.

[neko_kawaii]

Silk cap. It does fall off sometimes but it is contained and protected for most of the night that way.

[Frankenstein]

Up until around the time I joined here, I always wore my hair down at night (or sometimes in a braid when I wanted waves). Since then I invested in a satin bonnet and now I'm never without it. It's nice to not have hair get trapped under my body while sleeping.

[EdG]

I drape my hair over the edge of the bed and it stays that way all night.
Ed

[-Fern]

I am with lapushka and EdG. I toss and turn from side to side a lot in my sleep, but my hair all seems to stay over my pillow. Adding another human into the mix does tend to get it trapped underneath limbs, like missrandie mentioned, haha, but I never really minded that... :)

When I try braiding it or bunning it for bed, I seem to wind up with a lot more frizz and braid shred. :shrug: I wonder how much hair texture plays into this... :hmm:

[woodswanderer]

I've always worn my hair down at night. Never a problem. I just drape it over and up out of the way

[mindwiped]

It depends on the day, usually I will take it down for bed, but I have just been too tired, and will leave it however it was during the day.

However, I sleep with cpap, so my head gear tends to contain and keep my hair out of my eyes

[trolleypup]

Calf length, I sleep with it down, just toss it across the pillows. But I am not a toss and turner.

[teddygirl]

I wear my hair down in bed. I just lay it over the pillow behind me. I don't get a lot of tangles when I wake up.

Me too. I kind of tuck it under the pillow so it doesnt move much.

[rags]

Until recently my hair was hip length, and I tried everything - buns, braids a silk pillowcase. The problem with the pillowcase and being a very restless sleeper is that my hair would end up on the sheets under me anyway (or trapped under DH half the time!).

So I ended up with a silk sleep cap and I adored it. Now at shoulder I can just use the pillowcase; I'd think that would work for APL too. Once I get past APL again (if I'm able to regrow), I'll be using the cap again.

[yahirwaO.o]

Im the biggest toss and turn person in this planet (I even kick lol) and still I usually let it down at night with no real tangles. Sometimes its braided, a low pony or recycled upstyle, but down allows me to have a nice, better and pleasent sleep.

[Miss P]

My hair is only neck length now so I sleep with it down, but when it was mid back I would french braid it because I'm a restless sleeper and it would knot. maybe try a plait with a silk scarf braided in or a sleeping cap

[Eastbound&Down]

*raises hand* I always sleep with my hair down, even when it was tbl. Braids fall out or end up a tangled mess and buns are uncomfortable to me so might as well wear it loose.

[spotsb4myiz]

I wear it loose over a silk pillow case. I also sleep on silk sheets. My DH doesn't trap me by the hair but I do flip it in my sleep and have been known to have my hair attack him at night. The fine strands love to stick in his five o'clock shadow!

[Waffle]

I wear it up in bed because I find it more comfortable.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I wear mine loose but contained in a silk sleeping cap.

[dogzdinner]

I usually plait mine, but it isnt long enough yet to cause problems. Sometimes (rarely) I sleep with it down even though I toss and turn loads over night but my hair doesnt seem to tangle or break all that much.

[Marika]

I sleep with my hair down even though I toss and turn all the time. I tried a top bun for a while (a couple of months or so) and I could see some increased breakage in "weird" places. That's why I'm thinking my sleep bun was causing it. I've tried a sleeping cap (very nice one) but no, it's not for me. Braid(s) cause me more damage than wearing it down. My hair is very tangle-prone but for some reason, I don't have any tangles in the morning. I have cotton pillowcases, I hate those slippery ones.

[Nixia]

I try to braid it, but I quite often get lazy and just leave it down :P. I move around alot so I am a little worried about damage. I dont get too many tangles though (love my tangle teezer!).

[HairPlease]

I was braiding it but I'm considering quitting. I'm getting "weird place" breakage too, especially towards the front of my hair. I sleep on a silk pillowcase and move around a lot, but I'm not too worried yet.

[lisasca]

I wear my hair down to bed when it is wet or I was too lazy to or forgot to braid it. I find I get way more tangles when it is down than when it is in a braid.

[Klaudia]

Before LHC I always wore it down (in bed and all day), it was fine, it didn't get tangled. Now I braid it, Dutch, French or do a cinnabun. I place my bun high. I do this, because I get impatient with my hair.

[meteor]

Personally, I've always contained my hair in a braid or two (or more, if I wanted tight braidwaves next morning).

Nowadays, I just remove a stick/fork from my braided bun and cover the bun with some silky smooth material for the night. By the morning, it usually unravels, but the braid is still there, so I don't have any tangles in the morning.

Sleeping with my hair loose would invite lots of tangles.

But I think it's easy to sleep with loose hair safely if you don't move much in your sleep or if you keep hair above the pillow on some silky smooth material between the pillow and the wall.

And in the Knee Length Hair Questions, Stagecoach mentioned a really great tip for sleeping with long hair loose :thumbsup: :

So what do you do with your hair at night, what works the best?

I leave my hair loose at night.

I took a length of silk and attached it to the top of my head board, I draped it down, over my pillow, and tucked it under. I keep the excess tucked in between the pillow and headboard and at night, I pull my hair over my head and lay the length along that little trench. It stays pretty well unless I'm very restless.

[NorthernLorelei]

I tend to sleep with it braided. I tried a bun, but ended up with a horrible neck cramp the next day, so that's out.

Since my bed is a bun, I can just let the braid dangle out into space with minimal tangles. The most tangles happen near the nape for me.

[dancingfrog]

I sleep with my hair in a high, loose ponytail. I have sleep issues: I toss and turn before and after I fall asleep. I should do some experimenting because I have some breakage at jawline length, but as a newbie I have other hair experiments to conduct that could give a more immediate payoff.

[endlessly]

I used to only sleep with my hair loose as I couldn't fall asleep with a bulky braid beneath my back. However, once I adopted cats, that had to change and I've since learned to adapt to wearing a braid. I'm not going to lie, I desperately missed sleeping with it loose in the beginning, but I also had quite a few problems as a result. Basically, horrible tangles. Now, I sleep with several medium-sized braids that I then braid together (tighter braid waves) and not only do I not have any tangles, but I also get gorgeous waves the next morning. I've had a lot less breakage, too, because again, no nasty tangles to sort out the next morning.

In the beginning, I did have an issue with my braids falling out, but I started braiding after putting a leave-in conditioner in my hair and that helps them stay better - plus, you know, moisture for my hair, so that's an added bonus!

[sumidha]

I wear it down, and by down I mean bunned but not secured in any way on the top of my head, on a silk pillowcase. Braids always end up being an uncomfortable lump under my shoulder, but this way it stays above me and out of the way all night. There's no increase in tangles.

[Lorzi]

I wear it down, tossed over the pillow but I move a lot in my sleep and it results in the hair shifting around and making me wake up and flip it back over :mad: and then I see hair on the pillow and freak out more! (I have dark hair and white pillow cases) I love the feeling of hair up to sleep but it leaves too many kinks! I'm looking into some way of putting it in a ponytail without any bumps when I wake up

[kidso]

I sleep on my back and move very little. An English braid over my shoulder served me well without any problems. After joining LHC, I purchased a silk bonnet and enjoy the novelty of trying something different.

[bekstamonkey]

I wear my hair down for bed. Doesn't stay-put in any style I've tried, and usually ends-up pretty well matted if I try. Plus, any hairdo for sleeping tends to cause problems with how I lay down (even if a top knot), which then causes muscle spasms in upper back and neck.

[Kiiruna]

I wear it down in the bed. My layers looove to escape from any updo, and now it's too warm to sleep with a bonnet - so I switched to silk pillowcase. Feels lovely. :)

[DarkCurls]

Down and tossed back over the pillow, unless it was braided during the day. Then it's going to stay braided. :p

[Carolyn]

I almost always sleep with it down and loose. The exception is when I've worn an English single braid that day. I'm too lazy to unbraid it. I can't sleep in a french braid. I can't sleep with the discomfort of that hard line of braided hair down the back of my head. I've never tried twin braids but I don't see the point really. I've never suspected damage from sleeping with it loose and I sleep on cotton sateen pillow cases not silk ones. It take me about 30 seconds to detangle in the morning.

[sarahthegemini]

Wow, guys I've read all the responses and honestly I am quite shocked at how many of you keep your hair down at night. It's reassuring though :D I must say, the first night of keeping the wild mess down felt odd, almost wrong? But I sure did feel comfier! I used to have a satin pillow case but, because I've worn my hair up to sleep for ages, I got rid of it (not even that long ago!) I think I'll invest in another.

[Nellon]

Yeah, also wearing it down when I sleep. Braids and buns during the night causes too much breakage for me.

[Babyfine]

Down with a satin/silk pillowcase. I'm afraid that anything else would cause breakage. Although I've been thinking of a side braid as I do still get tangles on the ends.

[Hopeful65]

I always wear my hair down, day and night. It is fine, thin, and past waist, 31 inches or so.
I sleep with it kind of laid out over the top area of my pillow, or even dangling over the side of the bed. When I move around at night I just subconsciously flip in over the other way.
If I ever start out with it up, I normally will wake up at some point and let it down because it's usually not comfortable to me.
I don't think it has ever caused damage. I have good healthy ends, which I attribute from being a frequent micro trimmer.

[school of fish]

About a year ago I started sleeping with my hair in a loose bun on top of my head, before that I'd always kept it loose. I didn't really think much about it at the time, but since then on the few occasions that I've slept with it loose I've woken up to many morning tangles, so up it shall remain!

Seems to be very much one of those individual preference things, influenced not just by our hair's needs but also by daily routines and styling habits. For example I don't have to allow for bun- or braid-wave styling since my hair gets water every morning in the shower, but I'm sure many others consider that as part of their sleep style.

[Nadine <3]

I can't sleep with mine down, it tries to choke me lol I sleep with mine in a top knot with a scrunchi. I use a silk pillowcase :)

[luxurioushair]

I wore it down to bed earlier this week, no problems. I agree with people who say you need a smooth pillowcase though.

[Impulsive]

I enjoy the feeling of wearing it down. I get the best curls when I wear it slightly damp and loose to bed. I also get a lot of tangles this way, so I tend to rotate between wearing it down and putting it up in a braid or bun. Actually, the night bun is a recent addition. I never thought I'd be comfortable wearing a bun to bed and the only reason I ever found out it would work for me is because I was sick and I was so tired I kept falling asleep before going to bed (and thus falling asleep without getting ready for bed). It is surprisingly comfortable ... and, oddly, results in few tangles.

[Ashflower89]

I don't really have any option but leaving it down to bed since I'm only at chin length, but even when my hair was in shoulder-armpit-bra strap territory, I always left it down. The only thing I would really do is put it in low braids. Although I did pull it above my head and draped over my pillow in the summer because of the heat.

[Charlottie]

Been braiding it for bed for like 2-3 years now. Paranoid over getting big tangles/knots.

[goneJackal]

I always leave it down while sleeping.
Can't say much about hair breakage, but almost broke my fingers a couple times during sleep. Does it count? :P

[Twinkletoes21]

My hair is curly, so I clip it up loosely on top of my head to sleep. I feel like it protects my curly style and my next-day hair isn't quite so frizzy. Plus I just like the feeling of my hair being out of my face, no matter night or day.

[Alf]

I sleep with my hair in a top knot, using a soft scrunchie. I can't fall sleep if my hair's not up, haha. :D

[syndel]

I have fine thin hair at hip length. My go to sleep style is a bun on top of my head, secured with a satin scrunchie. Because my hair is so thin the size and weight of the bun is quite manageable. I've tried sleeping with it down a few times but it just doesn't work for me. I toss and turn all night so it winds up everywhere, and I have a rather curious house rabbit who chews my ends if he finds them dangling off the bed. :bunny:

[lapushka]

I have fine thin hair at hip length. My go to sleep style is a bun on top of my head, secured with a satin scrunchie. Because my hair is so thin the size and weight of the bun is quite manageable. I've tried sleeping with it down a few times but it just doesn't work for me. I toss and turn all night so it winds up everywhere, and I have a rather curious house rabbit who chews my ends if he finds them dangling off the bed. :bunny:

Your rabbit has the run of the house, or is in your bedroom, I mean right next to your bed? :?:

[syndel]

Your rabbit has the run of the house, or is in your bedroom, I mean right next to your bed? :?:

He's got free run of the house along with my labrador :). He'd throw an absolute tantrum if he was secluded to a hutch or a room lol. It's fine though, he comes when he's called and he's litter box trained, so it's a bit like having a cat I suppose.

[axonal]

I have found the perfect solution that both contains and styles my hair!
I wore my hair down until a few months ago, when it started getting close to BSL, then I started getting lots of tangles overnight. Now, I flip my hair over and tie it very loosely in a scrunchie at the top of my head. I then wrap the length around the flat of my hand (mine goes around twice) and turn the loops of hair so they lay flat forward onto the top of my head and secure with a claw clip.
It tames my frizzy mess, making it straighter with lots of volume and a little bit of controlled loose wave at the ends. I love it!

[elvenelk]

topknot :)

[GoddessLocks]

A lot of time I end up going to bed with it still damp so if I want my hair straightened the next day ( I know, bad) I leave it down because my hair is wavy and this is the best way for me to get LESS waves. If i want it curly/wavy, I put it in a bun high on top of my head.

[Jeno86]

I tried to wear mine in a braid as I slept but I woke up with terrible little knots. Now, I always wear mine down when I sleep. If I'm on my side, I'll drape it over my neck on the side I'm not laying on. If I'm on my back, I part it and drape it over both shoulders and lay it on my chest.

[Groovy Granny]

When it was SL I would use an octopus claw to secure a high top knot.
Then as I hit BSL I would put it in a low ponytail and flip the tail up onto my pillow.
Now that I am WL/one length I do a single english braid, and flip the tail up over my pillow.

[Hairkay]

I grew up sleeping with hair plaited. I recall the rare times when I went to sleep with my hair just tied back in one giant puff on my usual cotton pillow cover. I'm a tosser and turner. That was tangle hell, never again.

[chen bao jun]

I grew up sleeping with hair plaited. I recall the rare times when I went to sleep with my hair just tied back in one giant puff on my usual cotton pillow cover. I'm a tosser and turner. That was tangle hell, never again.

Mine makes dreadlocks pretty quickly if I sleep with it loose too many nights in a row. I used not to mind, but then when I had to untangle them, oooh, the breakage. So I braid it at night now.
I did look much cuter sleeping with it out (says hubby)
I do sleep with the sheets over my head, this possibly makes a difference.
Satin pillowcase alone was not much help.

[missmelaniem]

When my hair was BSL I wore it in a metal/damage free elastic band. I would put it in a ponytail and half pull it through... like a loop.

[jrmviola]

Hair down and over pillow. It tangles more braided than when loose, unless its wet and im braiding a tight braid for some reason. But that is very uncomfortable and i dont usually sleep much those nights. I cut splits last night and didnt find any on length just on last 6 inches. So loose is good for me. No tangles that way.

[Hairkay]

Mine makes dreadlocks pretty quickly if I sleep with it loose too many nights in a row. I used not to mind, but then when I had to untangle them, oooh, the breakage. So I braid it at night now.
I did look much cuter sleeping with it out (says hubby)
I do sleep with the sheets over my head, this possibly makes a difference.
Satin pillowcase alone was not much help.

Same here. I now use a satin cap. It'd be expensive to keep getting silk bedding in king size. Considering the creams I use for my skin they'd get ruined quickly no matter what I try come laundry time. Yes there are cheap polyester satin looking sheets etc but that's not good for my skin. Some of my bedding is satin weaved cotton, that's as far as I'll go.

[MINAKO]

O_o you mean sleeping without a bun covered in silk?....

Aha.. Ahaha... Hahahahahahah... You almost got me with this one. :3

[sarahthegemini]

He's got free run of the house along with my labrador :). He'd throw an absolute tantrum if he was secluded to a hutch or a room lol. It's fine though, he comes when he's called and he's litter box trained, so it's a bit like having a cat I suppose.

That sounds fantastic. I love rabbits but hate the thought of having them confined in a cage/hutch.

[lapushka]

He's got free run of the house along with my labrador :). He'd throw an absolute tantrum if he was secluded to a hutch or a room lol. It's fine though, he comes when he's called and he's litter box trained, so it's a bit like having a cat I suppose.

Oh that's cute that he's trained like that, and pretty handy. ;)

[DollyDagger]

snydel ^That trained rabbit sounds so cute but Holy smokes..Id have a heart attack if a rabbit came hopping along out of nowhere. Im jumpier than they are..lol Does it have teeny bell or something at least to warn you?

[DreamSheep]

I almost always wear it down, occasionally in a side braid or twin braids - but tbh I value sleeping comfortably over having it tied up well :)

[dulce]

I do, unless it is super hot-then a top knot.

[two_wheels]

If it was plaited that day then it stays in the plait, otherwise it's down. I did buy a silk pillowcase which helps a lot- sometimes it's in the wash overnight and I really notice the difference.