At what length did you start wearing it to bed in a way other than loose?

[Rustam]

My hair is a bit past APL now if you average it out. I have still been wearing it loose to bed. It's still not any more difficult in the morning than it alway s has been. But reading on here the general opinion seems to be that's not a wise choice. Are there some of you who still wear it loose? Or do I really need to invest in a sleep cap or learning how to braid?
I do have a silk pillow case btw.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

My hair was a bit shorter than yours when I bought my first sleep cap. I guess it depends on how long you want your hair to get and how much you want to baby it, as to when you might want to think about more protection for it.

[divinedobbie]

Never. My hair is close to waist and I never put it up for bed.

[wannabe-rusalka]

Probably a little longer than APL but only because it gets in my mouth!

[Rustam]

My hair was a bit shorter than yours when I bought my first sleep cap. I guess it depends on how long you want your hair to get and how much you want to baby it, as to when you might want to think about more protection for it.
Fair point. Guess I'd have to figure that out first.

Never. My hair is close to waist and I never put it up for bed.
Have you had to adapt how you deal with it as it's gotten longer?

[*Wednesday*]

At MBL I wore a loose braid to the side to bed. Now, I wear up in a loose bun or braided. I recently bought a sleep cap and wear sometimes. I'm actually wearing it tonight. I usually wear it when I don't want to feel any tension on my hair or scalp. I could never wear loose because I don't like feeling my hair move around.

[DoomKitty]

Somewhere between SL and APL...pretty much as soon as it got long enough for the majority of it to go into a bun on top of my head. That's now how I wear it every night, I can't stand having my hair in my face when I'm trying to sleep and it's long enough now that DH breathes it in and chokes lol

[divinedobbie]

Fair point. Guess I'd have to figure that out first.

Have you had to adapt how you deal with it as it's gotten longer?

It doesn't really bother me, I don't move when I sleep and am in a LDR with DBF so it doesn't bother anyone else either. I usually just fold it in half and lay it on the pillow behind me (use satin/bamboo pillow cases) and that's that. I have wet-bunned it occasionally for bedtime and I have a much harder time sleeping comfortable with a ball of hair mashed onto my head.

I could see it getting to be a problem the longer it gets or if I shared my bed but at this point my system works for me.

[Goatcraft]

Hmmm I think I started at around.. bra-strap length, maybe a bit before that. Honestly, I didn’t know that it even mattered until I started lurking the forum.

But for me, it’s made a world of difference. I no longer have to deal with tangled hair in the morning, and my hair no longer breaks off.

[Danielle440]

Could y'all suggest some good sleep caps.

[HaMalka]

I started wearing my hair in a braid to sleep around waist length, I think. It was a long time ago. I still sleep with it loose when its wet in order to let it air dry.

[Chiquita Banana]

I wear my hair down - the longest it's been is tailbone. I found that it broke more easily when braided. I do sleep on a silk pillow though and toss my hair over to the side when I turn in the night.

[DweamGoiL]

I used to sleep with it in a sleep cap for many years. Then, I would bun it atop my head and secure it with claw clips. As it got longer, it got heavier so then I began braiding it to the side. I found that the braid did cause breakage at the base of the braid and it would sometimes get caught under my neck and cause me to wake up with a stiff neck or get caught under me as I moved around. Now, I just sleep with it loose over my pillow. No more headaches, stiff necks, or hot sweaty head inside the sleep cap. My hair is now about HL.

[Hexen]

Honestly... I cant sleep unless its loose. I realize that it may be more protective to do otherwise, but I have to fight that kind of opposition. Not Unlike Clint Eastwood did in the movie, "Every Which Way But Loose"

[school of fish]

I was probably around hip length when I started bunning it for sleep, but I probably should have been doing it from about APL or BSL onward.

My hair is the very fine and cobweb-tangly variety - it actually does very well worn loose during the day with periodic detangling but the friction of hair on pillow guarantees a nest atop my head every morning. As I recall, the tangle-nest was manageable up to a certain length, but longer than that the morning comb-out started getting ugly...

[Beeboo123]

At hip, because that’s when it got long enough to be trapped under my elbows, and that kept waking me up

[divinedobbie]

I also want to chime in that my previous roommate had the most gorgeous TBL-BCL hair, fine 1a and wore her hair down nearly 24/7 including to bed and her hair was in perfect condition. I don't think it's really a problem to wear hair loose provided you're not a very active sleeper and it doesn't bother you. However if you notice it does tangle during sleep and its comfortable to wear up then why not! However I have heard both sides of the story especially from sleep braid wearers that it caused breakage so just be careful.

[trolleypup]

Not yet.

But I also don't toss and turn.

[hayheadsbird]

I tried buns and braids for a while, then about mid back went back to loose. Now waist + I've started braiding again in a loose English braid with a long tassel. I'm a fairly active sleeper right now as the bump weight gets uncomfortable over night, and we still have small people getting in to bed with us through the night. I was starting to find I was strangling myself and small bodies on top of it loose. Will see how this goes and I might have to look at getting a longer sleep cap. I did get one, but it wouldn't stay on when my hair was shorter and now my hair won't all fit!

[leayellena]

it was mid-back-length and I found this trick on lhc :P

[Plants&paint]

I would really suggest trying to sleep with it in loose braids. I find one on either side of your head it better than one big one just for comfort :)

[lapushka]

My hair is a bit past APL now if you average it out. I have still been wearing it loose to bed. It's still not any more difficult in the morning than it alway s has been. But reading on here the general opinion seems to be that's not a wise choice. Are there some of you who still wear it loose? Or do I really need to invest in a sleep cap or learning how to braid?
I do have a silk pillow case btw.

I wore it loose all the way past classic last time, and I am now between TBL & classic and also still wearing it loose. Loose is the way to go for me. We'll see once I reach thigh if I still feel the same way. :) :p

[Zesty]

I've largely gone back and forth between loose and a sleep cap since around BSL. I did have a disastrous foray into braiding, but I have a lot of breakage to show for it, so I'd be careful with that.

When I do sleep with it loose, I don't have much of a problem, I just flip it up over the pillow and it pretty much just stays up by the headboard. With a braid I'd wake up to find it under me all the time. For the record, I'm a pretty active sleeper.

[Chikabee102]

I started putting mine in a loose bun to sleep around BSL, now I’m right about at classic and keep it bunned most nights. On wash day I wear it loose, and throw the length over my pillow to hang down in the gap between the mattress and the headboard. We leave a pretty big gap there for that purpose. I don’t think I could regularly sleep with it down... as I share the bed with my husband and 19 mo old daughter. I’d get several rude awakenings!

[Jo Ann]

Just after I started lurking here a couple of years ago, I started wearing my hair in a loose rope braid. After I joined, I saw where some were just tossing it over the pillow and sleeping with it loose.

Then I started cat-sitting a couple of months ago, and back to a loose rope braid it was. I can't sleep with it bunned on top of my head with the puddy-tats, though--they like playing with my hairstick https://illiweb.com/fa/i/smiles/suspect.gif

[Prism]

Mine is almost APL, and I started wearing it either in a braid or a high bun using a soft scrunchie at night because it was tangling (despite a silk pillowcase). I'm not fond of the look of sleep caps.

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

I have always slept with my hair contained especially since I have very curly hair. It prevents the morning mess of ruffled and tangled hair and takes less time to smooth in the morning.

[LexI bright]

I actually just started putting my hair up in a topknot for sleep in a soft scrunchy and my hair is just above APL. I tried it after reading some curly girl method tips (pineappleing). I don't do it every night, but when I do, I let my hair down the next day and have nice body at the roots. I can just spritz the lengths and scrunch some beachy waves in.

[melikai]

When I got to just past waist, I found that it would get caught under me when I turned over. I wear it on the top of my head in a very loose bun (sort of pineappled), with a Grace Eleyae sleep cap on top.

[Groovy Granny]

My hair is fine and wispy and by MBL it was all over my face when I slept :p

I started with a low/loose ponytail because sleep caps make me crazy and top knots give me a painful scalp and headaches.

That worked great for a long time, but when I hit hip for the 3rd time I noticed my now mostly silver hair, though fine was more dense and it thickened my ponytail = a knot digging into the base of my head/neck.

So I switched to a low loose english braid, but when the base twisted over my shoulder it was too bulky = pain.

Now I am doing a side braid but getting uneven braid waves :doh: so the last step will be 2 braids....perfect for an old hippie like me :eyebrows:

*I use satin pillow cases

[Cg]

I don't even remember when I started putting it in a topknot for night. Probably as soon as it would all go up. Claw clips loosened or fell out during the night for some time so it must've been pretty short. After joining here I used also a sleep cap.

[Hippuris]

I started putting my hair in a bun when the hair was at APL. Somewhere around BSL I switched to braiding. I can’t sleep with my hair loose because of all the tangling.

[Phaerie]

I'm one of those that sleep with it loose. I'm not saying that's wise! My daughter with hair the same length always sleeps with braids. Personally, I find it more comfortable and the morning brushing is either fine, or I'm just very used to it. :)

[Phaerie]

Also.... flannel pillow case. Again I'm not saying it's wise! Lol. But yes, loose on flannel is how I sleep. Because.... flannel!

[Alex Lou]

I'm glad I'm not the only one with long hair who still wears it loose.

Well sometimes I wear it loose and sometimes I don't. Usually it depends on how I was wearing it that day. I often just leave it as is.

My hair doesn't tangle easily, so wearing it loose to bed isn't a problem for me. It does look messier in the morning vs if I wear it in a bun and then take it down in the morning.

At TBL it is getting unwieldy.

[Rustam]

Its good to see that different things work for different people. Guess I can just stick with loose for now since that works for me and not worry about it.

[Simsy]

My curls never approved of being loose. Once they were long enough to pigtail or braid; they got put away for sleep. I’m a little annoyed that I can’t sleep with my hair loose, and a little envious that others can.

[Pumpkin3826]

When my hair was around APL until about waist length I would sleep with it in a top knot or 2 pigtail braids. Now that my hair is at BCL I surprisingly sleep with it down every night.. I know that sounds backwards.. I think it is because when my hair was shorter I would wear it down during the day, but now that it is longer I wear it in a bun everyday so the night time is the only time I can give my scalp a break and wear it down. I sleep on my back and don't really move much so I just drape my hair over the top of my pillow right above my head, then when I wake up it is still up there and not tangled. I am sure I will have to re-evaluate this as my hair continues to grow but this method is currently working wonderfully.

[Natalina]

My hair is MBL right now but when I had Classic length, I remembered that I had to start wearing a braid/top knot bun to sleep once I reached TBL+. I also sleep with a satin/silk pillowcases so they're slippery and likes to slide off my pillow thus covering me in hair if I don't. Doesn't help that I'm a wild sleeper.

[Nenyath]

At around waist I started braiding it, if I had known more about hair care back then, I would probably have started earlier though! My hair likes to try to strangle me in my sleep, or I will lie on it and pull my own hair trying to get up in the morning :rolleyes:

[Reyn127]

Also.... flannel pillow case. Again I'm not saying it's wise! Lol. But yes, loose on flannel is how I sleep. Because.... flannel!

Haha, I love flannel! I can barely sleep in anything else, flannel is the way to go....

I started wearing my hair up at night ALL THE TIME when I was just above waist length. I really should have been doing it since at least APL, and I knew it all along but never cared back then to do it consistently. I haven't had my hair down while sleeping in over a year and a half, and although sometimes I miss the way it feels, my hair will turn into a handful of giant mats overnight if I don't.

[Stray_mind]

I think i was able to braid one bump a bit below shoulder and that's basicaly when i started.

This time i'll just start whenever i am able to make a full french braid.

[Glitch]

I'm glad I'm not the only one with long hair who still wears it loose.

Well sometimes I wear it loose and sometimes I don't. Usually it depends on how I was wearing it that day. I often just leave it as is.

My hair doesn't tangle easily, so wearing it loose to bed isn't a problem for me. It does look messier in the morning vs if I wear it in a bun and then take it down in the morning.

At TBL it is getting unwieldy.

Agreed -I almost always leave my hair down, most up-do styles make my sensitive scalp sore or give me a headache :(

[Andthetalltrees]

Just recently at right above waist, and it's not every night. For the longest time wearing a braid to sleep in was really uncomfortable but I think it's gotten long enough to be able to be braided looser and not fall out so it's better now. But I still forget or don't want to braid it some nights and it's fine

[Krissycats]

When I had long hair the first time, I just used to throw it over the pillow and leave it loose. This time around I was a bit past armpit length when I started putting it up to sleep. I alternate between a high bun with a terry scrunchie, one braid, or two braids.

[Hairkay]

I can count how many times I've left my hair loose in bed on one hand and still have fingers left over. It's just not worth the tangles with my tight curls. I've had my hair in plaits/braids since I was a child. These last years I got a hair bonnet simply because I was tired of having to deal with a lot of lint in my hair. I also adore flannel bedding in winter.

[Caraid♫]

around APL, or as long as it needs to be to be able to put in a bun on top of my head. I hate having my hair down during sleep, it just feels like it's getting squashed and tangled!

[enting]

I think I started putting it up to sleep when it was between waist and hip, maybe hip. My hair gets badly damaged if I sleep with it loose. I probably should have started keeping it contained for sleep far sooner, but I didn't know that at that point.

[pandabarrier]

I started wearing a silk sleep cap when my hair was around BSL. I toss and turn a lot during my sleep. The sleep cap felt a bit tight and hot after my hair hit BCL, so I’ve been making a loose braid and putting the braid inside the sleep cap by my pillow.

[Forever]

Not yet, at classic.

[MlleMC]

I don't remember exactly when I started braiding it to sleep, probably around tailbone length, but I have since gone back to wearing it loose unless I'm sharing my bed. I don't like having braid waves all the time, and I don't move enough for it to be a problem. So I keep my hair loose and drape it over my pillow (and down on the side of the bed).

[AutobotsAttack]

Around APL- BSL.

Before that I couldn’t catch my hair enough to put it into a pony or braid. So I would just roll it together like a chignon and go to sleep.

Then when I reached APL-BSL I would bum it and pt a satin bonnet on.

Waist length I got lazy and would go to bed with nothing on. My hair would be a wild mess and mainly dry, however if I washed or just spritz water to break up the tangles I would be fine.

Now I sleep with a beanie on that has a satin covering inside that I made. I’ll either bun it or braid it and go to bed. I can’t sleep with my hair loose. Causes too much damage.

[CopperButterfly]

I've had hair as long as hip length and worn it loose most of the time. My hair is straight and slippery and doesn't tangle much except for in crazy wind. I actually find sleeping on braids or buns pretty uncomfortable. I just kind of spread my hair on my pillow and bed above my head, and if I roll over, I'm awake enough I can also rearrange my hair enough I don't get it in my face or tangled up.

[unheardletters]

I still wear my hair loose to sleep and I will continue to do so. It gets annoying when it gets caught under me or when one of my kids slips into my bed at night and lies on my hair. But even at hip length before I wore it loose because I get a sore scalp if Inwear it up all day and all night. I can tolerate it down at night better than I can during the day. I tried braids for a few years in the past when my hair was hip length, but my hair comes out of the braid quickly. I tried wearing it up several months ago in a bun at the top of my head, but my scalp was getting sore. I guess I’m stuck with wearing it loose, but I might try a sleep cap at some point. But I toss and turn all night so it likely will not work out for me.

[MoonRabbit]

Started side braiding at apl+/bsl. I still do it out of habit but it does have its down sides. I now have more broken hairs around the nape of my neck, and my hair still gets full of tangles when I wake up because the opposite side of the braid gets loose and causes friction frizz even on a faux silk pillow case. Could never get a bun to stay secure all night and my satin sleep cap causes a red dent mark across my forehead that takes forever to go away. I just learned to live with damage I will get from sleeping. I'm doing the most I can to keep it healthy so I would rather be comfortable while sleeping and get some damage over time than keep waking up from an uncomfortable protective night hairstyle.

[maborosi]

I'm actually on the opposite course now- as I have longer hair, I wear it to bed loose to dry more often than not.
Otherwise it takes way too long.

[ExpectoPatronum]

BSL, but if I ever went shorter I'd probably still where it up if possible. Going to bed with it loose feels weird now.

[halomancer]

I put my hair in a satin sleep bonnet and my hair is BSL. When it was long before, I left it down and used a satin pillowcase.

[Alissalocks]

At BSL I joined LHC and began braiding at night habitually for the first time ever. It made a tremendous difference in the lack of tangles I had to comb through each morning, which meant less damage overall, ...which meant split ends magically disappeared for the first time ever... which meant breakage stopped for the first time in my life.

Huge positive changes came from small habitual changes. Just a quick side braid, takes 20 seconds, is all it takes. :flower:

[spirals]

I think it was midback or maybe BSL. Pretty much a single braid, occasionally twin braid for 4 years now? It's unbelievably tangly and it even tangles in the braid but at least it's not as bad as falling asleep with it loose. I did that once and the next day combing that mess out was accompanied by 45 minutes of weeping and gnashing of teeth.

ETA: If I'm taking an afternoon nap I don't bother to braid because I won't be tossing as much. And sometimes I sleep in curlers.