Hair and Sleeping

[WaitingSoLong]

What do you all do with your hair at bedtime? My hair keeps me awake! I am forever laying on it and then immobilizing myself, or DH lays on it. I have tried braiding but my braid is long enough now I lay on it, too. I want to protect the ends also. Advice?

Oh, also, what is the best oil and where do I get it? How do I apply it? I saw one post where someone had a mix that sounded good (now I can't find the post, I have read so much I have lost track), and then the scented coconut oil, I would love a website and a fragrance recommended. There are too many articles/posts to read all of them. Online is OK but is there a place I can go, an actual store or something?

WaitingSoLong

[florenonite]

For sleeping you could try braiding all the way to the end - Spidermom had a technique involving ribbon so that the plait goes all the way to the end. Some members also wear silk/satin sleep caps or a bun atop their heads.

There are two main ways in which oil is used: as a leave-in and as a hot oil treatment. For a leave-in, take a small amount (a drop or two of a liquid oil or a fingernail-full of a solid), rub it between your hands, and rub it along the length of your hair, concentrating on the ends. You can do this on wash-day on damp hair or, if you wash infrequently and feel like your hair needs more moisture, you can either do it on damp hair or you can mist your hair (fill a spray bottle with water and conditioning agents, there's a thread on them somewhere) and then apply it.

I've never done a hot oil treatment, so I'm afraid I can't explain how to do those, though hopefully someone will come along soon who does know.

As far as which oil is concerned, there's no "best" oil. Coconut and jojoba are two favourites for leave-ins, and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is popular for hot oil treatments. I buy my coconut oil at a health food store, and EVOO can be found in supermarkets.

HTH!

[Cindi Eponabri]

I braid my hair into two braids, one on each side of my head. It's keeps the braids more to the front than at the back.

[JamieLeigh]

I sleep with mine loose too. But I've never had any problems with it. I know a few others who sleep with it loose just toss it up over their heads and let it drift off of the pillow and the head of the bed. And I use EVOO and am loving it! :)

[starla_zero]

I side-braid mine :)

[spidermom]

I make a top-of-head ponytail with a silky scrunchie and direct it over the top of my pillow.

[Rohele]

I sleep with mine loose, but its not very long right now. When it was longer I would often sleep with it doubled through a scrunchie - not sure about the damage factor (as that was pre-LHC) but I found it more comfortable than a braid.

As far as oils go, my favourites are jojoba (I use it on my ends daily) and EVOO (for heavier pre-wash oiliings. I buy my jojoba oil at a health supplement store, but I've also seen it in the organic beauty supply section of the grocery store I go to. I've been scenting the jojoba oil with essential oils (I just picked fragrances I liked, I wasn't to very concerned about the various therapeutic properties of the EOs when I made my choices).

[nueinsel]

I flip my hair up over the pillow so it's above my head and arms and out of both my and my boyfriend's face. It pretty much stays there all night, despite all my tossing and turning. I only braid it when I'm really frustrated with it. Sometimes I flip the braid up over the pillow too.

I haven't had much luck oiling my hair. It makes my hair feel nice and soft but takes numerous washes to remove, and honestly the oils my scalp produces seem to work just as well. I do love to use coconut oil on my skin, though. Around here, you can get it at a regular grocery store, and barring that at a natural foods store. It comes in a jar and can be found with the other cooking oils.

[Forever_Sophie]

1 braid in the back that I have to throw to the side every time I turn my head. As for oils, I like Coconut best, bought it in NYC at Ray's Beauty Supply. I apply tons at least an hr before I shampoo. HTH! :)

[Gypsygirl]

I wear mine in five loose braids. I kind of like braid waves, and my husband claims that my hair attacks him during the night if I leave it down. ;)

[Arctic_Mama]

I try to sleep in a French braid, as my layers aren't long enough to be English braid friendly. But I admit some nights it really annoys me, so I wear it loose and flopped over my pillow.

[AmandaPanda]

I typically wear mine loose, and I use a silk pillowcase from dharmatrading.com. I either place my hair over the top of the pillow, or off to the side.

As for oils: I like camellia, but I rarely oil my hair anymore. coconut & evoo are good too. There is no one "best oil"... everyone's hair reacts differently