Sleeping with very long curly hair

[Botticelli Gold]

How do you guys do this? My hair is too long to pineapple as when its up it still ends up below bra strap level. I CAN do it, but I dont like to crush the curls in my sleep so I kind of do a high ponytail and then pull the bulk of the ponytail halfway through the hairtie again, creating a high loose curly loop with ends hanging out (does that make sense?) But Im finding its getting to long for that now too. The ends still get lain on and can get crushed if im not careful.
Any solutions to stop very long curls being crushed during sleep?
I guess I could just leave it, as the bulk of hair is still in perfect curls in the morning, and just wet the ends so it recurls, or I could take the ends and make them into a tubular ringlet and tuck that up into the hairtie, to stop them getting squashed.
Am I making any sense? Lol.

By the way, I find making a tubular ringlet by winding all my curls togather after washing is an excellent way of taming frizz AND getting perfectly shaped curls. Anyone else do this?
I also sometimes seperate hair into several of thes ringlets, it looks very old fashioned and unique.

[Fillette]

Hello Botticelli Gold,
I have no advice since my hair is still quite short. But I just wanted to say that your hair is absolutely awesome! Welcome!

[NurseMama]

Have you tried sleeping with it loose and just draping it over the head of the bed? I started doing that when my hair was your length and even though my hair is shorter now, it still works.

A lot of people here use silk/satin sleep caps as well with some success.

[Botticelli Gold]

Hello Botticelli Gold,
I have no advice since my hair is still quite short. But I just wanted to say that your hair is absolutely awesome! Welcome!

Oh thankyou so much Fillette (blush) You are very kind for saying that. :)
It sounds as though your hair is similar in curl to mine so maybe yours will end up like this too.

Thanks for the warm welcome, its lovely to be here.

[Botticelli Gold]

Have you tried sleeping with it loose and just draping it over the head of the bed? I started doing that when my hair was your length and even though my hair is shorter now, it still works.

Hmm, I will have to try this. I move alot in my sleep though and I find I end up lying on top of it if I wear it down, you know, so that when you move it gets pinned under you, but I havnt tried putting it over the end of the bed. I would have to put it in a ponytail first though or it will drag on the floor, but ill definately try this.
Thankyou kindly for the advice. :)

If I wear a sleep cap it just squashes the curl so that one's out for me.

[Kimberly]

I braid mine, or just flip it up over the top of the pillow. My curls will re-form if there's enough humidity, though, so I'm not too careful about preserving them. I do that thing of encouraging a stronger curl pattern by trying not to disturb the ringlets while they're drying, though.

[Aditi]

I braid mine, or just flip it up over the top of the pillow. My curls will re-form if there's enough humidity, though, so I'm not too careful about preserving them. I do that thing of encouraging a stronger curl pattern by trying not to disturb the ringlets while they're drying, though.
I agree with Kimberly, braiding your hair will be a nice idea.

[Missie]

your hair is absolutely gorgeous ! You reminds me of one of those paintings.. Victorian art..

[Heidi_234]

I do a cinnamon bun and hold it with a jaw clip. I know it's not that good, but a braid seem to break my curls, unless I initially air dry in a braid, then I get waves I don't really like.
If I air dry my hair in a rope braid, I get cork screw curls. So when I go to bed I just re-do the rope braid and it keeps my cork screw curl as good as new on day 2, 3, 4, 5... until i wash my hair actually.
I move alot in sleep as well, and draping it over the bedhead didn't work for me well. But my hair's still not that long for that I suppose.

[Botticelli Gold]

I braid mine, or just flip it up over the top of the pillow. My curls will re-form if there's enough humidity, though, so I'm not too careful about preserving them. I do that thing of encouraging a stronger curl pattern by trying not to disturb the ringlets while they're drying, though.

Yes I plait mine if im planning on washing next morning, but if not, it will totally pull the curls out. I need to saturate my hair to get the curls back otherwise ill just get frizz.
Unfortunately its not always practical as my hair can take the better part of a day to dry properly.
Thanks for your advice though. :)

[Botticelli Gold]

your hair is absolutely gorgeous ! You reminds me of one of those paintings.. Victorian art..

Thankyou Missie. :D

I love that old fashioned look so you've made my day!

[Botticelli Gold]

I do a cinnamon bun and hold it with a jaw clip. I know it's not that good, but a braid seem to break my curls, unless I initially air dry in a braid, then I get waves I don't really like.
If I air dry my hair in a rope braid, I get cork screw curls. So when I go to bed I just re-do the rope braid and it keeps my cork screw curl as good as new on day 2, 3, 4, 5... until i wash my hair actually.
I move alot in sleep as well, and draping it over the bedhead didn't work for me well. But my hair's still not that long for that I suppose.

Two questions, please excuse my ignorance, not sure if things have different names where I am, or if its something I just dont know.

What is a cinnamon bun?

What is a rope braid?
is it where you twist the curls together rather than plaiting? Do you take two strands and twist them togther? Sounds similar to my tubular ringlets (lol, cant think of what else to call those old fashioned ringlets).

Thanks for your help.

[Heidi_234]

Two questions, please excuse my ignorance, not sure if things have different names where I am, or if its something I just dont know.

What is a cinnamon bun?

What is a rope braid?
is it where you twist the curls together rather than plaiting? Do you take two strands and twist them togther? Sounds similar to my tubular ringlets (lol, cant think of what else to call those old fashioned ringlets).

Thanks for your help.
That's okay, I didn't knew much either when I just joined. :)
Cinnamon bun (from my understanding) is gathering your hair together as if into a a ponytail and twisting around the length, and then coiling it around the base. It's the easiest bun to do. When I twist the hair around itself it saves the curls nicely for me. I found instruction with pictures here (http://www.instructables.com/id/S98CCLLFB7FYCQU/) for you.
A rope braid sort of what you've said, but it's a little more than that. You twist the strands in one direction and then wrap them around each other in the opposite direction, that's how it doesn't get undone. There instructions here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=47), but you better search it in youtube, it help seeing how other do it.
There you go. :flower:

[Kimberly]

Because my braids have a way of going a bit fuzzy, and because I got used to it when I was growing out layers when trying to keep the ends from escaping, I sort of twist the sections of hair I braid, as you would for a rope braid. It also keeps the braid from taking out my curls.

[LadyEliza]

I use to drape mine over the top end of the mattress too. First, get a nice bit of cloth (satin would be perfect, although I just used whatever I had) and put it where your hair is going to go. You will probably have to safety pin it to the top end of the sheet or something. Then, when your hair goes over the top, it won't brush the floor and sweep up the dust bunnies. :)

I found that when I had my hair out and straight up over the end of the bed, that it didn't matter how much I rolled from side to side, my hair just rolled with me. However, I don't know, maybe you sit up more as you roll or something?

Hope this helps a little

[zift]

My hair's wurly and I always braid my hair for the night and you can wrap it a couple times if it's too long and bothering you. But you're right it will pull the curls out. If I want to wear my hair curlier I wear it loose at night.

[Curlsgirl]

Because my braids have a way of going a bit fuzzy, and because I got used to it when I was growing out layers when trying to keep the ends from escaping, I sort of twist the sections of hair I braid, as you would for a rope braid. It also keeps the braid from taking out my curls.

That is a good idea! I never though to that!!! My braids pull out the curls too so I don't sleep like that unless I am going to wear my hair up. I am going to try twisting as I braid!

Also to the OP, I have done the big curl twist thing only with sections of hair. I liked it only it took quite a while to dry. I did it while watching TV and I think I went to bed with it still damp so it was okay but probably better if I could have been patient enough to let it dry all the way.


BTW, you are my new hair idol!!!! :thud:

[magpielaura]

I just plait mine to sleep, which is no good for you.

I remember reading a post from someone who hung an old silk dress over the head of their bed for their hair to hang on. It made me think that a silk pillowcase pinned/tied to the bedhead might work for some people. You could stuff your hair into it, and if its long enough maybe enough hair would stay in the bag despite moving about.

Thats a lovely load of hair! Very pretty colour and curls.

[Nicole.Amina]

I've always draped my hair over my pillow or over the side of the bed (I'f im sleeping close enough to the edge of the bed). I find that if I braid or bun my hair, my hair will take that shape and won't form decent curls after that.

[Johanna64]

IThe last few years I braid my hair for the night(one braid).

But WOW:your curls are very beautiful :bowtome:

[Leabhar]

My hair type is different so I don't know what would help, but I just wanted to say *thud* your hair is gorgeous!

[Moiraine]

I don't know if this will help you but I wear 4 long braids to bed and sleep on a silk pillowcase at night. If I wore it out, I would have a tangled mess in the am because I am a restless sleeper as well. Also this style is good for another reason. I sleep with a C-pap machine and the headgear on my mask works with the 4 braids. It is more comfortable and not "bunchy" in the back:)

[Botticelli Gold]

That's okay, I didn't knew much either when I just joined. :)
Cinnamon bun (from my understanding) is gathering your hair together as if into a a ponytail and twisting around the length, and then coiling it around the base. It's the easiest bun to do. When I twist the hair around itself it saves the curls nicely for me. I found instruction with pictures here (http://www.instructables.com/id/S98CCLLFB7FYCQU/) for you.
A rope braid sort of what you've said, but it's a little more than that. You twist the strands in one direction and then wrap them around each other in the opposite direction, that's how it doesn't get undone. There instructions here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=47), but you better search it in youtube, it help seeing how other do it.
There you go. :flower:

Thankyou for the links, I did try this braid last night but found that the twisted bits ended up pulling my hair into dreadlocks kind of. I think if I amend it to just twisting two sections together in a spiral quite tightly, that may work better for me.
Cheers for the suggestions. :)

[Botticelli Gold]

Because my braids have a way of going a bit fuzzy, and because I got used to it when I was growing out layers when trying to keep the ends from escaping, I sort of twist the sections of hair I braid, as you would for a rope braid. It also keeps the braid from taking out my curls.

When I twist my hair tightly and tie it, it ends up like dreadlocks if that makes sense, so I usually just twirl my curls together into one tubular ringlet to tame it and it will dry quite bouncy, then you can either leave it in ringlets or seperate into uniform spiral curls. The photo in my profile is taken after seperating one of these ringlets. Its quite good for taming but it will pull the hair closer to the scalp a bit straighter and leave the loose ends ringletty. You can also do more of them all over your head starting at the scalp if you prefer, just twirl the curls together in the direction they naturally curl.
My avatar pic is just natural after ive washed (co washed) and air dried.

[Botticelli Gold]

I use to drape mine over the top end of the mattress too. First, get a nice bit of cloth (satin would be perfect, although I just used whatever I had) and put it where your hair is going to go. You will probably have to safety pin it to the top end of the sheet or something. Then, when your hair goes over the top, it won't brush the floor and sweep up the dust bunnies. :)

I found that when I had my hair out and straight up over the end of the bed, that it didn't matter how much I rolled from side to side, my hair just rolled with me. However, I don't know, maybe you sit up more as you roll or something?

Hope this helps a little

Thanks for the advice, im definately gonna try this tonight, ill let you know how it works for me. :) Hmm I think I MAY kind of sit up as I turn but maybe I can train myself differently. Its funny how when you are half asleep in the middle of the night you are still aware of your hair lol. Anyone else find this?

[Botticelli Gold]

My hair's wurly and I always braid my hair for the night and you can wrap it a couple times if it's too long and bothering you. But you're right it will pull the curls out. If I want to wear my hair curlier I wear it loose at night.

Yea, I cant really plait it unless im gonna continue to plait the next day or im washing it or wearing it up or something. Its the bain of being a curly girl lol.

[Botticelli Gold]

BTW, you are my new hair idol!!!! :thud:

Oh thanks alot Curlsgirl, you're a sweety and you've made my day! :D

[Botticelli Gold]

I just plait mine to sleep, which is no good for you.

I remember reading a post from someone who hung an old silk dress over the head of their bed for their hair to hang on. It made me think that a silk pillowcase pinned/tied to the bedhead might work for some people. You could stuff your hair into it, and if its long enough maybe enough hair would stay in the bag despite moving about.

Thats a lovely load of hair! Very pretty colour and curls.

Well this hanging the hair over the end of the bed has been mentioned several times so there must be some thing in it. Definately going to try this tonight. :)

Thankyou for your kind compliments :D

[Botticelli Gold]

I've always draped my hair over my pillow or over the side of the bed (I'f im sleeping close enough to the edge of the bed). I find that if I braid or bun my hair, my hair will take that shape and won't form decent curls after that.

Another vote for hanging it over the end of the bed :D Yep, must be something to this. Ill let you know how it goes. Thankyou.

[Botticelli Gold]

IThe last few years I braid my hair for the night(one braid).

But WOW:your curls are very beautiful :bowtome:

:D thankyou so much. Braiding pulls out my curls and id have to saturate it to bring them back so wont do it unless im washing in the morning or doing an up-do.

[Botticelli Gold]

My hair type is different so I don't know what would help, but I just wanted to say *thud* your hair is gorgeous!

Oh wow, what a sweetheart! Thankyou very much :D

Gee all these compliments have gone to my head lol! Excuse the pun.

[Botticelli Gold]

I don't know if this will help you but I wear 4 long braids to bed and sleep on a silk pillowcase at night. If I wore it out, I would have a tangled mess in the am because I am a restless sleeper as well. Also this style is good for another reason. I sleep with a C-pap machine and the headgear on my mask works with the 4 braids. It is more comfortable and not "bunchy" in the back:)

Thankyou for the advice :) Unfortunately braiding pulls the curls out so Im trying to find something that will preserve the curls. I do braid sometimes though if im washing or up-doing in the morn. :)

[Botticelli Gold]

Oops, ill figure out this multi quote thing soon, sorry everyone.

[embee]

My hair is *extremely* different, but to avoid tangles I put it up on the very top of my head in a scrunchie bun. It is not tight, it's sorta floppy, but I'm in bed so that doesn't matter.

Sometimes I start to twist my hair at the middle of the length and then put the scrunchie on and tuck the ends in/around, but *my* ends don't stay "around" - they just stick out straight. Your ends would wrap around nicely.

Sigh. Your hair. Sigh. In my dreams.... (but I wouldn't know how to care for it at all!)

[spidermom]

Wow, your hair is just stunning; really beautiful. When I go to bed, I wedge a pillow between the bed frame and the mattress. I make a top of head ponytail, then I lay my ponytail along the space between the above-mentioned pillow and the pillow that I lay on. It pretty much stays there, except for nights when I thrash around a lot. Then I find myself on my hair and wake up long enough to put it back where it belongs.

[Red Rapunzel]

Boticelli Gold,

I love your hair!

I, too, have wavy hair, mid-thigh length. At bedtime, I wind the hair around my hand (using my hand as a sort of large curler) and then carefully lift the coiled hair up into a silken nightcap to sleep. Works fine for me, keeping the hair secured and out of the way so it doesn't get tangled while I sleep. Then in the morning, my ends still have curl and wave (from wrapping them around my hand).

I don't travel anywhere without my silken night bonnet (even taking it to my massage sessions where it keeps my hair clean and out of the way of the masseuse).

Red Rapunzel

[wonderlywroughte]

Wow, your hair is really lovely! :bigeyes:

I have long curly hair, and I'm another one that wears it loose to bed if I'm trying to preserve curls. I do something similar to Spidermom. My mattress is flat up against the wall, so I just pull my pillow away from the wall a little bit, and then flip my hair up and over the pillow and into the little space that I've created. I realize this method might not work for everyone, as I'm a very still sleeper. :o

[Kimberly]

When I twist my hair tightly and tie it, it ends up like dreadlocks if that makes sense, so I usually just twirl my curls together into one tubular ringlet to tame it and it will dry quite bouncy, then you can either leave it in ringlets or seperate into uniform spiral curls. The photo in my profile is taken after seperating one of these ringlets. Its quite good for taming but it will pull the hair closer to the scalp a bit straighter and leave the loose ends ringletty. You can also do more of them all over your head starting at the scalp if you prefer, just twirl the curls together in the direction they naturally curl.
My avatar pic is just natural after ive washed (co washed) and air dried.

Too bad that your hair dreds when you twist it tightly and tie it. When I braid my hair, I don't tie the end, because the braid tends to fuzz up more if it hasn't got a bit of slack, and also because it doesn't need to tie. The tassle forms a bunch of curls that wrap around each other and sort of hold the end of the braid together. Maybe you'd have better luck, too, if you didn't braid too tightly or tie the end?

That tubular ringlet thing does work for me, but I get my *best* ringlets if I go dancing with my hair loose and sweat on it and toss it around. For me, it's all about humidity, which is not the same as spritzing water on it from a spray bottle or getting it wet in the shower. My hair loves *fog*, and I live in a place where there's usually a lot of cold, foggy nights and winter days. If the humidity is high enough, I can sleep with my hair any way, or do anything to it (even brush it), and if it's left to its own devices for an hour or two the curls all come back. In a dry place, though, my hair almost invariably looks horrible, is unmanageable, tangles up in evil fairy knots, and sleeping on it, braiding it, putting it up at all, or looking at it too hard makes the curl turn into a bunch of nasty straight frizz. A humidifier can help some, though. Maybe that would help your hair, too?

[Botticelli Gold]

My hair is *extremely* different, but to avoid tangles I put it up on the very top of my head in a scrunchie bun. It is not tight, it's sorta floppy, but I'm in bed so that doesn't matter.

Sometimes I start to twist my hair at the middle of the length and then put the scrunchie on and tuck the ends in/around, but *my* ends don't stay "around" - they just stick out straight. Your ends would wrap around nicely.

Sigh. Your hair. Sigh. In my dreams.... (but I wouldn't know how to care for it at all!)

Yes I used to do that too, but now that its longer the ends get flattened. I will have to try wrapping the ends around and see how that works. :D thankyou for dreaming of my hair lol!


Wow, your hair is just stunning; really beautiful. When I go to bed, I wedge a pillow between the bed frame and the mattress. I make a top of head ponytail, then I lay my ponytail along the space between the above-mentioned pillow and the pillow that I lay on. It pretty much stays there, except for nights when I thrash around a lot. Then I find myself on my hair and wake up long enough to put it back where it belongs.

Thankyou spidermom :D Yea ive been trying that lately and its been working really well, apart from when im in a coma sleep and wake up lying on top of it :( then all my curls are squashed. Its not fair, straight haired girls dont have to worry about squashed curls lol.


Boticelli Gold,

I love your hair!

I, too, have wavy hair, mid-thigh length. At bedtime, I wind the hair around my hand (using my hand as a sort of large curler) and then carefully lift the coiled hair up into a silken nightcap to sleep. Works fine for me, keeping the hair secured and out of the way so it doesn't get tangled while I sleep. Then in the morning, my ends still have curl and wave (from wrapping them around my hand).

I don't travel anywhere without my silken night bonnet (even taking it to my massage sessions where it keeps my hair clean and out of the way of the masseuse).

Red Rapunzel

That sounds interesting but because my hair is quite curly, wrapping it round would pull some of the curl out. I guess I could try just plopping it into the cap, that might work.
Thanks :)


Wow, your hair is really lovely! :bigeyes:

I have long curly hair, and I'm another one that wears it loose to bed if I'm trying to preserve curls. I do something similar to Spidermom. My mattress is flat up against the wall, so I just pull my pillow away from the wall a little bit, and then flip my hair up and over the pillow and into the little space that I've created. I realize this method might not work for everyone, as I'm a very still sleeper. :o

Thankyou. :D Yea I have to tie it in a high ponytail first, otherwise the side hair ends up underneath me when I turn over. I thrash about in bed sometimes. But that is working pretty well so thats good.


Too bad that your hair dreds when you twist it tightly and tie it. When I braid my hair, I don't tie the end, because the braid tends to fuzz up more if it hasn't got a bit of slack, and also because it doesn't need to tie. The tassle forms a bunch of curls that wrap around each other and sort of hold the end of the braid together. Maybe you'd have better luck, too, if you didn't braid too tightly or tie the end?

That tubular ringlet thing does work for me, but I get my *best* ringlets if I go dancing with my hair loose and sweat on it and toss it around. For me, it's all about humidity, which is not the same as spritzing water on it from a spray bottle or getting it wet in the shower. My hair loves *fog*, and I live in a place where there's usually a lot of cold, foggy nights and winter days. If the humidity is high enough, I can sleep with my hair any way, or do anything to it (even brush it), and if it's left to its own devices for an hour or two the curls all come back. In a dry place, though, my hair almost invariably looks horrible, is unmanageable, tangles up in evil fairy knots, and sleeping on it, braiding it, putting it up at all, or looking at it too hard makes the curl turn into a bunch of nasty straight frizz. A humidifier can help some, though. Maybe that would help your hair, too?

Hmm im someone whos hair frizzes in humidity, I used to steam my hair which does give really curly locks but also much frizz. :) I will try the braid again but looser, without tying the ends.
Thankyou for your lovely comment and advice.