Keeping protective scarf/wrap on while sleeping?

[Kitteny]

I tried searching but couldn't come up with any threads for this... if one exists please kindly link me to it! Thank you ^.^

I have so much trouble getting my protective head scarves or wraps on overnight. I always without fail wake up with my braids or buns a mess and my scarf that was meant to protect it somewhere buried in my blankets. I don't know what I'm doing to my head in my sleep. Maybe I'm securing it wrong? I've tried everything from silkies to actual hairnets to do-rags. I just can't make it stay on. I know my pin straight, fine, thin hair is very very slippery (with or without cones) so maybe its just impossible to secure? Any advice would be much appreciated!

I just woke up from a nap and my scarf was on the floor next to my bed and my double french braids were loose all over with layers sticking just waiting to be damaged :(

[Kitteny]

I meant to say "keeping" my head scarves or wraps on overnight, just to clarify. I'm sorry! Again, thank you for any advice.

[Dendra]

I don't wear a scarf on my head overnight but instead lay the scarf on top of my sheet where my head goes (don't use a pillow).

Could you use hair friendly hair grips to secure the scarf in place?

[Kitteny]

I don't wear a scarf on my head overnight but instead lay the scarf on top of my sheet where my head goes (don't use a pillow).

Could you use hair friendly hair grips to secure the scarf in place?

I suppose I could try laying one on my pillow (I don't own a silk case yet, too broke at this point) or the grips are a good idea. What are some good hair friendly grips to try? I'm new at being nice to my hair, sorry if I'm full of questions!

[floridaorchid]

I heard that a high thread count or satin can be somewhat helpful and a little less expensive, maybe something like that could work?

[Kitteny]

I wasn't sure about satin, but while my hair is still relatively short it wouldn't hurt to try :) Thank you floridaorchid.

[Deborah]

I have never been able to keep a scarf or any sort of covering over my hair when I sleep. They simply slide off, even those fastened with elastic or ties. For some of us there are no 'tricks'. We just cannot keep them on.

When I first tried sleeping on a silk pillowcase, the whole pillow just slid away onto the floor. I just kept trying, and quite shortly somehow I became used to it, and the pillow stayed in place from then on.

[Kitteny]

I'm sorry that you have the same problem, Deborah, but I'm glad I'm not alone. I love my silky hair but it can be a serious pain sometimes! Right now my partner and I have this flannel sheet set on our bed and the pillowcase doesn't seem to be damaging my hair as bad as normal cotton, but I think I just need to get a proper pillow case. Hopefully the silk will stay on my bed!

[Larki]

I have two methods: usually I just put my eye mask over the cap, which keeps it in place. Otherwise I will do a loose bun on the top of my head with a soft scrunchie and that also keeps it from moving. I have bangs that I leave out of the cap, so the front edge of the cap is actually on the top of my head, which should make it less secure but I never have any issues this way!

[Kitteny]

Also I wonder if sleeping on one of my numerous very soft-furred stuffed animals (I'm 28 and still have an obsession...) would be more gentle on my hair. They make excellent pillows but I've never tried it. Anyone know how that might do?

[Kitteny]

I have two methods: usually I just put my eye mask over the cap, which keeps it in place. Otherwise I will do a loose bun on the top of my head with a soft scrunchie and that also keeps it from moving. I have bangs that I leave out of the cap, so the front edge of the cap is actually on the top of my head, which should make it less secure but I never have any issues this way!

I don't have bangs anymore to try that method with, but I could try the soft scrunchies! That gave me an idea though, I have a do-rag with very long ties. Maybe I could braid the ties into my hair and tuck the hair underneath? I feel like that may secure it.

[Dendra]

I suppose I could try laying one on my pillow (I don't own a silk case yet, too broke at this point) or the grips are a good idea. What are some good hair friendly grips to try? I'm new at being nice to my hair, sorry if I'm full of questions!

Don't worry about asking questions! It's all good :D

I cannot find a picture of my 'gentle' hair grips for love nor money, I think they were made by scunci. We call them kirby grips in the UK but in the US they are bobby pins, basically these gentle ones are coated with something that makes them feel much nicer and less harsh, but they work like your average bobby pin/kirby grip.

[Ophidian]

So I have a way of tying my scarf on that is comfortable for me and stays on all night. First I secure my hair in a single braid, usually without a hair tie. Then I take my scarf, which is a large silk square, drape it behind my shoulders like a cape and draw up one corner on each side and tie it in the center of my forehead just below my hairline. Then I take the hem of the "cape" still hanging behind me at each corner and then draw it up over my braid so the flat edge is about level with the knot from the first tie at my hairline. Then I cross the ends under my braid at the nape and bring them all the way around to tie at the top.

This might make no sense at all, so please let me know if you need any clarification. Basically I end up with a "bag" holding in all my hair, created by wrapping one flat end from bottom to top around my head and the opposite end from top to bottom. I've been doing it this way for over a year and it works great for me. Lots of trial and error to figure this out though.

[Anje]

I like those "Stay on Satin" bonnets, which don't slip off as readily as scarves. They're super cheap, so you can have a few of them and toss them in the laundry, which is a plus.

Mostly, I advise persistence. I think it took about 2 weeks before I wasn't finding my bonnet on the far side of the room in the morning, having apparently annoyed sleeping me enough that I not only pulled it off but flung it across the room! Then it started staying on, most of the time. :)

[Madora]

Once in a while I used a rayon scarf to protect an intricate hairdo. Just folded the square of cloth into a triangle, then put it over the hairdo and tied the scarf under my chin. It also helps to place the scarf so that a little of the top section juts out just above your forehead.

[Siv]

I usually wrap my scarf around my pillow. It stays there most nights, and it's super easy. Otherwise I clip my hair with a big claw clip on the top of my head and wear a hairnet pulled own so that the edge goes halfway down my forehead and under my ears. I then wrap the scarf around my head and tuck the edges under the hairnet - like a good 2 inches of it, at least. I then use flat hair clips to secure the scarf around the edge of the hairnet. Since they're flat I can't feel them when I'm sleeping. Plus, since they're clipped to the hairnet and scarf, not the hair, they don't pull on the hair and cause mechanical damage in the long run. If I do an overnight deep treatment/heavy oiling I typically do the same thing with a shower cap, a turbie twist, and hair clips. I tried using a shower cap instead of a hair net on regular nights, but then I wake up with my hair and scalp covered in sweat. (So don't do that if you have scalp issues! Especially fungal scalp issues!)

[ChloeDharma]

It's nice to know I'm not the only one with this problem. I have a satin pillow case now which helps but it's very rare that I manage to keep a head covering on at night. I have one of those satin "stay on" scarves that fold into a triangle and the part you place against your head is a slightly different less slippery texture. It still slips off often, usually I wake up with it dangling from my bun. Bonnets just slip off, silk, satin, whatever that is not going to stay on my head at all unless I manage to just not move at all while I sleep and that's not going to happen!
I see these videos on youtube with all these people being like "just wrap your hair in a scarf at night to protect it while sleeping" and it seems so easy for them. I had thought I was just not getting it, missing something obvious but I think the combination of my weird head shape, slippery hair and need to move around fidgetting while I sleep just make this nigh on impossible for me so a satin pillow case is the best I can do I think. Still I do keep trying it again every so often in the hope one day I'll get the hang of it.

[lithostoic]

I have this same problem. Can't wear headbands either, back of my head is flat. I also aggressively nuzzle my pillow and pull the blankets over my head which causes breakage D:

[Ophidian]

"Aggressively nuzzle"

:rollin:

[raemarthe]

I recently bought a satin sleep bonnet to protect my hair while I sleep, it's suppperrr comfortable, and it stays on all night. I'm used to sleeping in a bun but lately they've been hurting my head sooo badly and pulling out hair from the weight. I was skeptical that the hair bonnet would stay on but it does, and it's large enough to contain my waist length hair and I think it could handle at least 6-8 more inches of hair easily. Also, the one I have is adjustable, which is definitely helpful.

[enting]

I haven't yet figured out if this would do more harm than good, but a velvet stretch headband (aka wig grip) will keep anything on my head while sleeping. Velvet should be gentle for hair, shouldn't it?

[Siv]

I haven't yet figured out if this would do more harm than good, but a velvet stretch headband (aka wig grip) will keep anything on my head while sleeping. Velvet should be gentle for hair, shouldn't it?

I have one too! Not a specifically for a wig, but it works just the same. I get frizzies from it, so I figured there's some friction going on. I think it's better than e.g. hair clips since the "weight" is distributed. I dunno, I just have a gut feeling that velvet does put stress on the hair simply because it's so "grippy". Then again, I've never actually seen any damage, just the frizzies, so I'm honestly not overly concerned.

[Lisa Long4Life]

I have a stay on satin bonnet, but if I sleep with it under my fringe (around my forehead) it's pretty tight. I snipped a bit of the elastic and it helped a bit but then I end up with my fringe sticking up.
If I sleep with it above my fringe, it falls off. I do fidget a lot in my sleep. I was considering getting a pocket bonnet so the length of my hair could go in the pocket rather than being tucked up but I'm not sure it would stay on.
I don't like braiding to sleep because I prefer not to have braid waves.

[enting]

I wonder if hair taping would create enough of a bump to prevent a sleep cap from sliding off. I have no idea if that would be comfortable to sleep with, that may depend on your sleeping habits and head sensitivity.

[Krissycats]

I just ordered a cute silk sleep cap from Etsy. I can hardly wait until it is delivered. I've been sleeping on a silk pillowcase and my hair in a loose topknot.