Sleeping in a Braid = Damage?

[vampyyri]

I'm not exactly sure where I heard this, but now this has me worried. I sleep in a braid every night, and when I wake up of course it's disheveled... but I wonder if this could be causing damage?

I'm an extremely restless sleeper, so I definitely can't leave it down. I've tried satin sleep caps, and they just grease up my hair for some unknown reason (same with pillowcases). Plus, the cap usually doesn't stay on all night anyway since I toss and turn the whole night.

Now I'm nervous that I'm doing more harm than good with keeping my hair in a braid at night... :scared: Perhaps this is just another case of the YMMV theory, but I haven't seen any damage from this myself. What do you guys think?

[Of the Fae]

I'm following as a fellow braidsleeper :D I did have a lot of splits lately.. perhaps relevant information in this context?

I tried a night cap but it kept falling off... now I am trying braided buns and that is so-so because obviously sleeping on your back is waaaay less comfortable that way.

[spidermom]

A problem I used to have is that the hairs that worked their way out of my braids would tangle and knot up with each other. I had to be very careful about taking the braid out, otherwise I'd break hairs.

[pili]

I definitely think it's a YMMV. Don't worry about it. If what you are doing is working for you, you're fine.

[parkmikii]

I sleep with my hair braided in a satin bonnet and sometimes i can keep the braid for 2 days (I just do a braided bun in the morning). It works fine with me.

[ipickee]

I can't sleep in a braid, because I get too many tangles. I worried it was causing damage too. So I sleep in a high bun.

[school of fish]

Seconding the YMMV thing :) For me, yes a sleep braid leaves me open to more damage than a high bun, so I go with the bun.

You know your hair best ;) Go with your gut and keep an eye on your hair's condition - keep with what works when something's working for you and change up as necessary if something stops working :D

[Strands]

I am probably really naughty, but I sleep in a buff and with my hair in a low ponytail, the scrunchie about half way down my nape to make it more comfortable. I do not get too many tangles at all like this, and am MBL. I plan on doing this until it gets too long for it.

[Mrstran]

Being that my hair is shortish and too thick to do a decent braid without hair strain, I sleep with a loose bun on top of my head. So far I haven't gotten and new splits in the sections that I've done my S&D, and my hair hasn't come out ratted.
I'm also sleeping on satin

[littlestarface]

I always wear braids/crown braids to bed no breakage for me and it is safer than wearing hair open and laying on it, rolling on it, wrestling with it at 3am, getting it caught in blankets, having it in your face and all around your neck having it trying to strangle you.

[lapushka]

I'm not exactly sure where I heard this, but now this has me worried. I sleep in a braid every night, and when I wake up of course it's disheveled... but I wonder if this could be causing damage?

I'm an extremely restless sleeper, so I definitely can't leave it down. I've tried satin sleep caps, and they just grease up my hair for some unknown reason (same with pillowcases). Plus, the cap usually doesn't stay on all night anyway since I toss and turn the whole night.

Now I'm nervous that I'm doing more harm than good with keeping my hair in a braid at night... :scared: Perhaps this is just another case of the YMMV theory, but I haven't seen any damage from this myself. What do you guys think?

If you tie your hair off too tightly and move, then it can rip the hair right out at the root - it can! That's why loose braiding is key, very loose braiding and that then should not be so much of an issue.

That's why I leave my hair down at night. The tension, and possible breakage.

[antler_tines]

I've been wondering about this also. I have fine, thinner hair. I I have been doing a sleep braid for years and always seem to have a lot of breakage, I just can't seem to get past waist. I don't very many true split ends, but thousands of white dots. A lot of those I think come from detangling, my hair ties it's self into knots. I wear my hair up about 50% of the time and I don't use heat, I haven't for years. Ugh, it's so frustrating. So I keep wanting to blame my sleep braid, I've tried high buns but I usually don't sleep well with them. So lately I've been considering buying a silk scarf to braid into my hair and tie the braid off with that? I can't do a sleep cap or satin sheets. Has anyone ever used a silk scarf for sleeping protection?

[Hairkay]

Definitely YMMV. I use plaits/braids all the time. If I left my hair loose for sleeping I'd have ends breaking off and serious tangles that would cause more breakage when it came to detangling. I've had my share of neglectful summer nights and it was always a hair horror in the morning. That's best avoided.

[Obsidian]

I am probably really naughty, but I sleep in a buff and with my hair in a low ponytail, the scrunchie about half way down my nape to make it more comfortable. I do not get too many tangles at all like this, and am MBL. I plan on doing this until it gets too long for it.

How do you keep the buff on? I've tried sleeping in mine and it just slides right off.
My silk cap stays on even though I'm restless but the buff is so much more comfortable

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I tried sleeping with a braid and saw much more tangles and damage than when I sleep in a bun! I would need a really tight braid, otherwise it would unravel and I'd have knots!

[TatsuOni]

I can't sleep with it in a bun, since I get a really sore scalp. Also it's nearly impossible to get a bun to hold for an entire night in my hair...

So my options are braided or loose and loose isn't really an option. I don't think that you have to worry. Best thing to do is to tie the ends with something hairfriendly like a schruncie or invisibobble :)

[Chromis]

Definitely YMMV. I use plaits/braids all the time. If I left my hair loose for sleeping I'd have ends breaking off and serious tangles that would cause more breakage when it came to detangling. I've had my share of neglectful summer nights and it was always a hair horror in the morning. That's best avoided.

Yes this! Now I braid no matter how tired I am. Even if I leave too long a tail that gets crazy tangled and down is just right out. There is no way I would have been able to grow to knee sleeping with my hair loose. I am too restless a sleeper and got too many tangles.

I do not like sleeping with things on my head, aside from all the ribbing I would endure from my husband, I would just tear it off in the middle of the night anyhow. (This happens every time I try wearing something for warmth while camping no matter how cold it is. Now I just have a super awesome sleeping bag.) High buns make my scalp hurt, so those are out too.

[moon_witch]

I can't sleep with it in a bun, since I get a really sore scalp. Also it's nearly impossible to get a bun to hold for an entire night in my hair...

So my options are braided or loose and loose isn't really an option. I don't think that you have to worry. Best thing to do is to tie the ends with something hairfriendly like a schruncie or invisibobble :)

It's the same for me. If I have my hair in a high bun for a full night my scalp gets really sore and hurts the next morning. I didn't notice more damage since I started sleeping with my hair in a braid at all so I think you should be fine. :)

[littlestarface]

The only time I sleep with a bun is when it's full of conditioner or henna and it's at the very top of my head and I always have such a horrible sleep, crinked neck. Crown braid all the way for me!

[vampyyri]

Yes this! Now I braid no matter how tired I am. Even if I leave too long a tail that gets crazy tangled and down is just right out. There is no way I would have been able to grow to knee sleeping with my hair loose. I am too restless a sleeper and got too many tangles.

I do not like sleeping with things on my head, aside from all the ribbing I would endure from my husband, I would just tear it off in the middle of the night anyhow. (This happens every time I try wearing something for warmth while camping no matter how cold it is. Now I just have a super awesome sleeping bag.) High buns make my scalp hurt, so those are out too.

This really comforts me. I'm exactly the same way... if I'm too tired to braid it, I just get DH to do it for me :lol: I also don't wear a sleep cap because he kept calling me "Little Bo Peep" or "Little Miss Muffet" and I obviously didn't appreciate that... :rolleyes: I think I'll be okay then, my braid looks really explode-y in the morning, but once it's out of the braid it's all fine and dandy.


The only time I sleep with a bun is when it's full of conditioner or henna and it's at the very top of my head and I always have such a horrible sleep, crinked neck. Crown braid all the way for me!

I've been trying to learn how to crown braid... I had an almost successful attempt until I looked at the first lace braided part/band... it looked like a reallllly weathered rope :lol: I suppose I need to keep trying it.

[Deborah]

I have had long hair all my life. Before coming to this list I slept with it down, just swept up over my pillow. Since I now sleep with it in a braid, which I also toss up over the pillow, I have far less tangles in the morning.

[Alissalocks]

littlestarface I so agree! I sleep in braids, and more often now in crown braids too.

vampyyri I just do it the easy way. I do two milkmaid braids, starting just behind the ears, and pull the braids up and over to secure the ends behind my ears with Bobby pins.

[luvlonghair75]

I sleep with my hair in a loose braid for bedtime and it's one of the best things for my hair!:D

[Aunty Miki]

I wear my hair down in bed. I've tried everything else, but it's just too uncomfortable. What is YMMV?

[meteor]

What is YMMV?

YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary

I like braids for bed for reducing tangles and simply keeping all that hair contained. Before waist length, I preferred double braids (or 4 -6 braids) for containing hair better (since shorter hair gets out of just one braid a lot more easily) and encouraging braid waves in the morning.
Now I just do one English braid, which I either coil or fold or simply do a braided bun with hairstick removed and cover the braid in a silky scarf. I can usually wear that same braid bunned the next day, too. :)

[missrandie]

Could you wrap your braid in a satin tube/scarf, perhaps? That would save the shreds from rubbing on everything and give you a bit more protection..

[sumidha]

I find that for me a sleep braid creates tons of tangles. I have lots of taper and a braid (especially a loose one) causes all the ends to stick out, tangle up and rub against everything all night. On top of that, the mechanical damage from untangling a braid every morning and then sectioning and braiding again every night makes it not worth it. Plus it always seems to end up making an uncomfortable lump underneath my neck or shoulder by the end of the night...

However, tons of people swear by them, so it really all depends on what works for your hair. :D

[Rhodugune]

In my personal experience sleeping with your hair in a braid can cause damage.

My hair couldn't take it and I'm also a restless sleeper and it caused my hair to really thin out as when I join this group and tried to learn more about how to care for long hair and heard braiding it at night was a good way of protecting it from breakage as well as wearing it up during the day so I started to braid it every night as well as being all around careful with it.

Fast forwarding it to about 2 years later, as I during that time had learned to be more gentle with my hair and still it just become more and more thin.
I wore it up more often then not compare to before, varied my hairstyles, was gentle with it when washing and detangling it so I couldn't understand why my hair had gotten even more damaged then before I started to try and take care of it.

One day I had an epiphany, that it might be that I braided it at night that thinned it out as you are suppose to vary your hairstyles to keep it from getting mechanical damage from being worn the same way.
It helped, it has taken about 2-3 years to grow out the damage I got from braiding it at night, nowadays I sleep with it in different loose buns or with it loose flipped up over my pillow which seems to be more gentle to my hair then braiding.

This is my hair in 2012, when I started to braid it every night.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=16637&d=1428099784

This photo is from 2014, after having trimmed off about 5-6 inches as it was just a rattail left of my ends and I had split ends all over my hair.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=16645&d=1428099792

I stopped to wear it in a braid at night a few months after that photo was taken and it has taken me until now to be back to were my hair was in length and thickness.

As you can see by my pics below, I haven't gained any real length the last 5 years because of this. so for me personally, sleeping in a braid isn't working to protect my hair at all.

[Greenfire]

Could you wrap your braid in a satin tube/scarf, perhaps? That would save the shreds from rubbing on everything and give you a bit more protection..

I do this! I do a side braid so that there's less under my head if I'm turning, but I also wrap it in a silk scarf. (not a tube though, haven't heard of those)

I've taken a square and put the braid inside it, and tied the corners up at the top of the braid, sometimes it would slip off. I tried it tying the ends through the braid, it didn't slip off but felt weird, and I've tried it with a rectangle scarf wrapped around and around the length of it and tucked into itself at top and bottom, kind of what bikers do to protect from the wind.

I found the square scarf tied up at the top the most comfortable, at least till my braid is a lot longer, then I'll have to figure something else out. It does sometimes come off but it doesn't look as weird as a little bo peep hat would to my husband. (though he's seen me wearing scarfs on my whole head too when I do a pincurl set or overnight deep condition...) so he'd probably get over a sleep cap too.

[turtlelover]

I sleep in twin rope braids. A single braid down the back creates a lump underneath me that annoys me, so twin braids fix that. Of course, I feel like I look like a 10 year old, but so what. Also, the rope braid waves seem less lumpy and look prettier in my hair than regular English braid waves.

[Frankenstein]

I sleep in a braid often but it's always in a satin bonnet so there's no damage that I know of.

[DweamGoiL]

I have had long hair all my life. Before coming to this list I slept with it down, just swept up over my pillow. Since I now sleep with it in a braid, which I also toss up over the pillow, I have far less tangles in the morning.

Same for me! :)

[Crystawni]

I vary my night-dos up and down my head, but mostly French braid, then wrap it into a cinnabun (tucking the ends under for protection) and removing the hairtie before pinning the bun with my Starlites. It's a little bumpy, but rarely budges and is the lesser of many evils. I'm too restless to have loose hair (and it's too hot), and high buns often hurt my scalp or don't stay bunned all night as the slipmonster likes to escape to play tangle-strangle-or-trapmmmmmffle while I sleep. My hair has fared well so far... *touch wood*

[hypersensitive]

I braid my hair every night before sleeping and have been for the past six years. The nape hair and face framing layers get really tangled in the morning but the hair contained in the length is well protected. I've noticed that twin English braids seem to reduce the nape and face framing hair tangles but I am way too lazy to have to braid twice every night. I think I'll try that for a while and see how it compares to the past 6 years.
Good luck! You can also try a high bun to protect the length and ends.

[furnival]

I found sleeping in braids didn't work for me until I started using a sleep-sock. It's the toe end of a pair of tights, cut off about 8" long. I braid my hair and form a pendulous bun at my nape, then slip the sleep sock over it, stretch out the 'mouth' of the sock, twist it 360 degrees and stretch the 'mouth' over the bun again, leaving the bun covered in two thicknesses of the fabric. It results in a contained, pear-shaped bun dangling at my nape, so it moves out of the way of my neck when I turn over. The twist holds the sock tight at the top, though a scrunchie could also be used instead of the twist- I found this method less reliable though, as the sock tends to creep off in the night. This has cured my night-time tangling problems and resulted in every pair of tights I own having no feet. :p

[lapushka]

My mom often asks me why I don't braid my hair at night. She saw that from her great-grandma, who had silverwhite hair beyond her bum. She used to be able to wrap it up into a bun up to when she was in her 80s, with regular U-pins, and she braided at night. I can't do that. I'm afraid to cause breakage just being still in my bed. I once went to bed, not with a braid, but with my ponytails in as a young teen (when I had it cut from classic); that did cause breakage. But I hardly cared at that point.

[Aphra]

I vary it - historically I always left it down and just cut it when it got long enough to annoy me (usually by getting trapped under my elbow sitting up). However, now the combination of hair beyond BSL + actively wanting to grow it + (and this is the major one) a husband who rolls on it, leans on it, traps it etc I've started to prefer braiding it at night. My favoured option is two english braids just at the angle of the skull so they aren't under my head on my side or back, but I sometimes do a single braid, usually to the side. And sometimes I can't be bothered and just drape it loose up over my pillow and hope it doesn't move into the husbandly vicinity.

I can't tolerate a high bun for long enough to sleep in - I can wear them very comfortably for a few hours, then my scalp starts to hurt where the lie of the hair is inverted.

[Ophidian]

My mom often asks me why I don't braid my hair at night. She saw that from her great-grandma, who had silverwhite hair beyond her bum. She used to be able to wrap it up into a bun up to when she was in her 80s, with regular U-pins, and she braided at night. I can't do that. I'm afraid to cause breakage just being still in my bed. I once went to bed, not with a braid, but with my ponytails in as a young teen (when I had it cut from classic); that did cause breakage. But I hardly cared at that point.

That's so funny, I'm the opposite. When my hair isn't braided/up at night I feel like it's all going to break off.

[browneyedsusan]

I don't like braids for sleep, because the tassle end seems to get jacked up. In the morning, the ends are bent at crazy angles --probably because I've been laying on them? --, and they seem crunchy and grabby.

For me, a topknot (Nautilus) works best. I'm not laying on the knot, and the ends stay smooth. My nape hairs don't tangle, either. I do secure the thing with a hairtie before I bun it, or it will come loose in the night, but that's par for slippery hair. :) I do have mild concerns about the damage from the hairtie in the same spot night after night, but haven't yet found any evidence of breakage from it.

[Nique1202]

It's definitely YMMV, but the general rule for waking or sleeping is that buns are more protective than braids, and braids are more protective than leaving hair loose. I cannot see any way in which a braid would cause more damage than wearing the hair loose at night. And if you turn over a lot in your sleep, wearing long hair loose or in a braid is an actual safety hazard.

Personally, I'm a side sleeper, so I have no issues with a spin pin cinnabun or a french braid with the tail coiled up on the back of my head. If you're a back sleeper, you could probably do twin buns on the side if you get a sore scalp with a bun up top. If all that fails, a crown braid or a coronet braid will keep the hair fairly flat to the head as long as they're pinned down well. But I can't imagine having my hip+ length braid coiling around my neck at night, or the bulk of my hair left loose and getting in my face and smothering me. shudder::tmi::couch::run:

[triumphator!]

Those who are worried about mechanical damage on their ends every night from a hair tie may be well served by sleeping with a paranda braid. Just a thought.

[Ophidian]

I have been doing double French braids, wrapping the ends across the back of my head and then tucking them close to my scalp. Then I wrap in a silk scarf which secures it. This keeps my ends very happy. A few nights a week I mix it up with a single loose French braid (still wrapped in the scarf). I use those little silicone rubber bands because they slide right out and I've never found broken hairs in them. My hair is far from super long so I'm sure I'll need to adjust as it grows but for now this routine has been working really well.

[TatsuOni]

It's definitely YMMV, but the general rule for waking or sleeping is that buns are more protective than braids, and braids are more protective than leaving hair loose. I cannot see any way in which a braid would cause more damage than wearing the hair loose at night. And if you turn over a lot in your sleep, wearing long hair loose or in a braid is an actual safety hazard.

Personally, I'm a side sleeper, so I have no issues with a spin pin cinnabun or a french braid with the tail coiled up on the back of my head. If you're a back sleeper, you could probably do twin buns on the side if you get a sore scalp with a bun up top. If all that fails, a crown braid or a coronet braid will keep the hair fairly flat to the head as long as they're pinned down well. But I can't imagine having my hip+ length braid coiling around my neck at night, or the bulk of my hair left loose and getting in my face and smothering me. shudder::tmi::couch::run:

I sleep both on back and on the sides and my scalp gets sore from a topbun, but a braid or braids isn't really a problem for me, since I move it atomaticly in my sleep :) I remember almost beeing strangled by my braid when I was younger though...

[Strands]

How do you keep the buff on? I've tried sleeping in mine and it just slides right off.
My silk cap stays on even though I'm restless but the buff is so much more comfortable


I dont. I usually have to fix it if I wake up in the night and need to go to the bathroom. However, I do find that if I wear a traditional headband under it, and pin both from the front into the hair and around the edges it stays well, but I fear the mechanical damage that might cause. Some people wear it over their eyes, but I don't like how that feels LOL

[Deborah]

... I once went to bed, not with a braid, but with my ponytails in as a young teen (when I had it cut from classic); that did cause breakage. But I hardly cared at that point.

Ponytails are way more damaging than braids, whether the wearer is awake or asleep. I finally realized that ponytails are very damaging for my fine textured hair, but braids are not.

Now that I sleep in a braid I wake up with much less tangling than when I slept with my hair down. I'm sure it's not something everyone would like, but it works well for me.

[Long_hair_monk]

The only time I sleep with a bun is when it's full of conditioner or henna and it's at the very top of my head and I always have such a horrible sleep, crinked neck. Crown braid all the way for me!

Your hair very beautiful.

[littlestarface]

Your hair very beautiful.

O thank you so much! <3

[VersLaLumière]

Sleeping in a single very loose braid most nights (and sometimes switching it up) has made a difference for my hair and decreased damage during sleep. I learned over time that for me, the trick is to keep the braid very loose. I make adjustments if I feel any tightness or pulling at all, in any style I use for sleep.

[Dessi]

I don't think it causes much damage and you've noticed no such thing, so all is fine. I used to sleep in a braid for about 2 years but I changed that to a high bun, because it's more comfortable for me and I don't always want to have braid waves.

[Zebra Fish]

I sleep in a loose braid. Usually, in the morning, the braid is 'tight' at the end (last 10-15 cm) and the upper part is veery loose. I don't have any tangles this way. I do worry about damage, but don't see any. I have problems with thinning atm, but don't think it is connected to sleeping in a braid. I cannot wear a bun, my scalp gets really sore and it usually resolves during night, as well as it is uncomfortable. I secure the braid with a small claw clip - I find it more hair friendly than any kind of tying, but if it comes under you during sleep it hurts and you can get a bruise. Very rarely, I sleep with it loose (maybe few times per year) and then it is over the pillow.

[dollhair]

I think braiding is causing my ends some damage and I dont know what to do about it .. :( I try switching up where I put the bobble and I use soft bobbles with no metal. I think I need to invest in a silk cap and start wearing my hair in a bun again or maybe I could braid my hair and not tie it off and leave it in the silk hat..
I have a very tender head so I'm not sure how I would secure the bun without it hurting

[lapushka]

I think braiding is causing my ends some damage and I dont know what to do about it .. :( I try switching up where I put the bobble and I use soft bobbles with no metal. I think I need to invest in a silk cap and start wearing my hair in a bun again or maybe I could braid my hair and not tie it off and leave it in the silk hat..
I have a very tender head so I'm not sure how I would secure the bun without it hurting

You can always use ribbon at the end of your braid.

[vampyyri]

I think braiding is causing my ends some damage and I dont know what to do about it .. :( I try switching up where I put the bobble and I use soft bobbles with no metal. I think I need to invest in a silk cap and start wearing my hair in a bun again or maybe I could braid my hair and not tie it off and leave it in the silk hat..
I have a very tender head so I'm not sure how I would secure the bun without it hurting

A good way to combat it is by putting your braid in a silk bonnet... I personally don't do this as I haven't gotten damage from wearing my hair in a braid at night, but that should fix that issue. Perhaps take an old pair of old pantyhose and cut some hair ties out of that if yours are too rough.

[meteor]

I think braiding is causing my ends some damage and I dont know what to do about it .. :( I try switching up where I put the bobble and I use soft bobbles with no metal. I think I need to invest in a silk cap and start wearing my hair in a bun again or maybe I could braid my hair and not tie it off and leave it in the silk hat..
I have a very tender head so I'm not sure how I would secure the bun without it hurting
Good idea to try it without tying it off. :) I always do that for the night (just coil the braid and wrap it in silk) and wake up with the braid almost intact. And it gets easier at greater lengths (as more intersections hold the braid together better). Of course, the bottom few inches unravel, but it's no big deal and I'd rather re-braid in the morning than deal with tight elastics crimping my ends. A silky ribbon or narrow silk scarf woven into the last few stitches and tying off the braid is another gentle option.

[mellsss91]

I always sleep with a loose side braid, and tigh it with a soft ribbon.
Just not braid it to tight i guess.. Good luck!

[dollhair]

Lapushka , vampyyri , meteor and mellsss91 thank you so much for your replies! I'm going to try using a silk ribbon and if that doesn't work I'll invest in a silk bonnet :)

[swearnsue]

When I sleep in braids, two, one the last foot of hair I apply a little Pantene Overnight Rescue. This product is a silicone type protectant and along with a satiny pillowcase is good for me. Sometimes though I wear a top bun and use a very short hair stick. As I get close to hair wash day instead of the Pantene, I use coconut oil.
Don't even look at this picture on the right, it's way old. My hair is now past waist somewhere!

[Aunty Miki]

I tried to sleep with my hair confined in a braid, but I couldn't stand it. My hair must be free at night. I do worry about the damage of free sleeping, though. Seems my hair doesn't care.