Bed / Sleep friendly hair buns? Ideas needed!

[GourmetChica]

I would love suggestions!

I sleep on my side so I need ideas for sleep friendly high buns, in otherwords top of head buns, that do not look ridiculous!

So far I've been using a sock bun, or a horrid looking makeshift braid, but would love new ideas. Any pictures/videos or just instructions would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

[HintOfMint]

If it's on the top of your head, it's going to look a bit silly, no getting around that. If you put it a bit lower on your head, as in, not right at the top but where you would tie a cheerleader type of ponytail, it should be ok looking depending on your face shape.

At first I wondered why you care about looking silly when you're sleeping, but then I realized that not all of us sleep alone, haha.

Also, if you sleep on your side, wouldn't a low bun or single braid be just as fine?

[GourmetChica]

If it's on the top of your head, it's going to look a bit silly, no getting around that.T If you put it a bit lower on your head, as in, not right at the top but where you would tie a cheerleader type of ponytail, it should be ok looking depending on your face shape.

At first I wondered why you care about looking silly when you're sleeping, but then I realized that not all of us sleep alone, haha.

Also, if you sleep on your side, wouldn't a low bun or single braid be just as fine?

Thanks Hint! I should rephrase that to say that I sleep on both sides with a little back sleeping in between. So the top is just the safest place friction wise.

I may have to just live with looking silly, I look like the little girl from the Grinch :)

[Chetanlaiho]

I'm not of much help since I've been looking for one myself (I don't sleep on my back but occasionally I'll lie on it which makes things much harder).

I ussually just do a braid but lately to prevent lying on it I want to bun it too. Spin pins work as long as you don't lie on your head at all :)

[kidari]

I mostly do a sock bun at night for the curls the next day. Lately I wear my hair up, but the curls really help with updos. If I'm stretching a wash and my hair already has bun curls, I gently put it into a cinnamon twist high on top of my head and clip with 2-3 mini claw clips to maintain the curls and volume. If I have more time and want to wear it down the next day I'll do some form of heat free curls that is relatively comfortable to sleep on, otherwise I won't do it. After a year of going to bed in pink foam rollers, my husband requested that I refrain from that "sexy" look. Haha, so no sleeping caps or rag curls for me. Once In a while I still do pin curls and rag curls and deep waving with a sock or bandana.

[Pierre]

When I make a bun, I make one on each side, just above the ear. It's small enough not to bother me when sleeping. When I make a single bun, it's too big to sleep.

[Fairlight63]

I also will be watching this thread for ideas. I usually sleep with it in a low braid & no hair tie. I have been wanting to do a high bun on top of my head but wondering what to use to hold it that won't cause hair damage. The mini clips sound like a good idea, do they get tangled in your hair & hard to get out in the morning?

[Dorothy]

A braid at the top back of your crown will fall backwards when you are sitting up for viewing :) and end up above your head when you are laying down. I think the sock bun idea is a good one, I first use a slice of tights as a hair tie to tie my hair at the top back of my head, then a rolled up section of large tights to roll my hair on, and then I twist the rest around the base (the rolled up hair only covers about 1/2 of the rolled section of tights. I think due to all the extra tight material, this bun is held away from my head some, which makes it flop back in a turned up pony tail style when I sit up for viewing :) and lays above my head while sleeping.

[svehex]

I either do a high folded pony, at cheerleader height, or two low braids. I'll admit to using elastics (w.o. metal), but only when I don't use a headband as one.

[Madora]

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6554&pictureid=104112

Here's my night braided bun

Made bybending at the waist and drawing all hair in front of me (like a curtain) and then detangling with a widetooth comb
Then separate hair in 3 sections and loosely braid. Coil bun on top of head, using 9 3 inch crimped hairpins.

By the way, this braided bun TRUMPS individual braids. Hardly any tangles to deal with! I wore 2 braids for decades and always had tangles. Not anymore with the braided bun on top of my head!

[GourmetChica]

A braid at the top back of your crown will fall backwards when you are sitting up for viewing :) and end up above your head when you are laying down. I think the sock bun idea is a good one, I first use a slice of tights as a hair tie to tie my hair at the top back of my head, then a rolled up section of large tights to roll my hair on, and then I twist the rest around the base (the rolled up hair only covers about 1/2 of the rolled section of tights. I think due to all the extra tight material, this bun is held away from my head some, which makes it flop back in a turned up pony tail style when I sit up for viewing :) and lays above my head while sleeping.

Thanks Everyone!! Dorothy, you had me until the end, the twisting around the base part after rolling into the sock bun, I'm confused? I don't know if you are a picture poster but I would love to see a photo! Just not quite understanding the last part...

[GourmetChica]

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6554&pictureid=104112

Here's my night braided bun

Made bybending at the waist and drawing all hair in front of me (like a curtain) and then detangling with a widetooth comb
Then separate hair in 3 sections and loosely braid. Coil bun on top of head, using 9 3 inch crimped hairpins.

By the way, this braided bun TRUMPS individual braids. Hardly any tangles to deal with! I wore 2 braids for decades and always had tangles. Not anymore with the braided bun on top of my head!

Madora, it's beautiful!!! My hair is just past BSL, maybe it's called mid back, I'm not sure I could do that but I will certainly try. Are you starting the braid close to your hairline? Or more towards the middle?

[mrs.bad85]

I have just gotten my silk sleeping hat so I do two side braids and take off the elastics i put them under the hat crossing each other behind/under my head it's very comfortable

[gthlvrmx]

Here's my night braided bun

Made bybending at the waist and drawing all hair in front of me (like a curtain) and then detangling with a widetooth comb
Then separate hair in 3 sections and loosely braid. Coil bun on top of head, using 9 3 inch crimped hairpins.

By the way, this braided bun TRUMPS individual braids. Hardly any tangles to deal with! I wore 2 braids for decades and always had tangles. Not anymore with the braided bun on top of my head!
Im so trying this!! Wow, it might make thing easier from now on :D
Hopefully, if my snarly curls will cooperate! Will try tonight!

[Madora]

@GourmetChica...

It's kinda hard to explain the braiding process but here goes:

After you've got the hair divided in 3 sections (and are bent at the waist), lift the hair up and keeping it up, bring it back towards your crown (say about 2 to 2-1/2 inches from your hairline).

Braid the strands semi-loosely so you have a bit of "give" in the braid and then you can either tie off with a hair friendly elastic, or just tuck the ends under the braided bun.

Coil on the braid on the top of your head, using crimped hairpins (or Good Days plastic hairpins if you prefer those). I use 9 3 inch crimped metal hairpins and only braid down 3/4ths of the way and tuck in the tassle under the braided bun.

And not to sound like a broken record, but I was amazed the first time I took down the bun on my head. Hardly any tangles at all! For years I'd worn 2 braids, Indian style, to bed, and there were always a few tangles to deal with on both of them.

The difference is like day and night! It used to take me about 5 minutes to detangle my long, thick hair. Now it takes less than 40 seconds!

[Tea Lady]

Madora, thanks for the instructions. I'll give it a try. I would often do a bedtime braid by lying on the bed with the hair draped over the edge, then braiding loosely near the crown (sort of a reverse of what Madora does). I never followed up with a bun though. It's a pretty style!

Tea Lady

[Anje]

I'm an advocate of the sleep bonnet myself.

There are some less-hideous ones out there, but mine's quite ugly, so it might not be an improvement over a Cindy-Loo-Who bun on top of your head. However, I can put my hair inside it loose and wake up without tangles. It also allows my hair follicles to aim downward (they complain if they have to aim up for too long), and it doesn't give me the choice between tension on my roots or a bulky floppy thing on my head. Also, I get to keep my cotton pillowcases, which is great because I hate satin against my face.

The only downside is that sleep bonnets require practice. You can't expect them to stay on the first night -- usually you'll find the thing somewhere on the far side of the room in the morning for the first few days. If you keep at it, you'll learn to keep it on while sleeping, though.

[archel]

Since I'm barely APL, I'm just sleeping in a french or dutch braid, but I thrash around and it's torn down by the time I get up. I almost wonder if people like me aren't better off just sleeping with it loose. :rolleyes:

[archel]

Ya know, I just can't see myself sleeping in a cap around the new boyfriend :-P

[kidari]

I also will be watching this thread for ideas. I usually sleep with it in a low braid & no hair tie. I have been wanting to do a high bun on top of my head but wondering what to use to hold it that won't cause hair damage. The mini clips sound like a good idea, do they get tangled in your hair & hard to get out in the morning?

It's not a problem for me, since I don't move around much in my sleep. A sock bun looks like I just did it when I wake up in the morning. Also, my hair is not thick or heavy and I have lots of layers so the mini claw clips are enough to hold the bun on top of my head. You could also try amish pins maybe instead of the claw clips.

[winona]

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6554&pictureid=104112

Here's my night braided bun

Made bybending at the waist and drawing all hair in front of me (like a curtain) and then detangling with a widetooth comb
Then separate hair in 3 sections and loosely braid. Coil bun on top of head, using 9 3 inch crimped hairpins.

By the way, this braided bun TRUMPS individual braids. Hardly any tangles to deal with! I wore 2 braids for decades and always had tangles. Not anymore with the braided bun on top of my head!

WOW you made this definitely look sexy:)

[Madora]

WOW you made this definitely look sexy:)

Ah, winona, you made me chuckle! Sexy! No way! That braid was just very loosely braided..my hair isn't THAT thick, honest!
It just looks that way. Sometimes I just rebraid it in the morning and pile it back on top again..especially with the warm weather we've been having. Then I don't have to bother taking it down at night and rebraiding it for bed.

[mallorykay13]

A braid at the top back of your crown will fall backwards when you are sitting up for viewing :) and end up above your head when you are laying down. I think the sock bun idea is a good one, I first use a slice of tights as a hair tie to tie my hair at the top back of my head, then a rolled up section of large tights to roll my hair on, and then I twist the rest around the base (the rolled up hair only covers about 1/2 of the rolled section of tights. I think due to all the extra tight material, this bun is held away from my head some, which makes it flop back in a turned up pony tail style when I sit up for viewing :) and lays above my head while sleeping.

TIGHTS. FOR A HAIR TIE. GENIUS.

[gthlvrmx]

Ah, winona, you made me chuckle! Sexy! No way! That braid was just very loosely braided..my hair isn't THAT thick, honest!
It just looks that way. Sometimes I just rebraid it in the morning and pile it back on top again..especially with the warm weather we've been having. Then I don't have to bother taking it down at night and rebraiding it for bed.

This is using your brains, won't have to take this down until wash day!! :D No touching my hair at all!!! Thank you Madora, i've been wondering how you made that braid on the top of your head for a while now :p

[Eirelin]

I have tried several braids and buns and found all of them too uncomfortable. I also move around a lot at night, so that really doesn't help. Also, I have tried a scarf or sleep cap, and they not only don't stay put, but they are just too annoying! So, I found a couple of large silky scarves at an estate sale, and now I have one wrapped around a pillow and tied in the back (it's actually a throw pillow from the sofa, because it is a little smaller). Maybe some day I will get around to a satin pillowcase, but this works just fine since I always sleep with 2 pillows anyway, so the scarf-wrapped smaller pillow is on top and the only thing my hair touches.

Now, as for the hair itself, most of the braids and buns just drive me nuts and often don't stay put. However, last night, I threw up a messy crown braid, way back around the back of my head and secured the tail at the top with 2 bobby pins. It was perfect!

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn245/Eirelin/Hair/08-06-2011_nighttime_sleep_braid.jpg

As a matter of fact, it is now almost 4 in the afternoon, and I haven't even bothered to take it out (of course, I haven't gone anywhere today). It doesn't even really matter right now that you can see the elastic since it is just a sleep braid. Ordinarily when I do a crown braid, it is up on top of the head, neat, and with the elastic hidden, but low down like this was great for sleeping :)

[Madora]

I have tried several braids and buns and found all of them too uncomfortable. I also move around a lot at night, so that really doesn't help. Also, I have tried a scarf or sleep cap, and they not only don't stay put, but they are just too annoying! So, I found a couple of large silky scarves at an estate sale, and now I have one wrapped around a pillow and tied in the back (it's actually a throw pillow from the sofa, because it is a little smaller). Maybe some day I will get around to a satin pillowcase, but this works just fine since I always sleep with 2 pillows anyway, so the scarf-wrapped smaller pillow is on top and the only thing my hair touches.

Now, as for the hair itself, most of the braids and buns just drive me nuts and often don't stay put. However, last night, I threw up a messy crown braid, way back around the back of my head and secured the tail at the top with 2 bobby pins. It was perfect!

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn245/Eirelin/Hair/08-06-2011_nighttime_sleep_braid.jpg

As a matter of fact, it is now almost 4 in the afternoon, and I haven't even bothered to take it out (of course, I haven't gone anywhere today). It doesn't even really matter right now that you can see the elastic since it is just a sleep braid. Ordinarily when I do a crown braid, it is up on top of the head, neat, and with the elastic hidden, but low down like this was great for sleeping :)

That is one drop dead gorgeous crown braid, Eirelin! Such a fantastic color, too!

[Eirelin]

Oh, thank you so much! It really was rather messy, especially after sleeping on it, and after seeing your pretty coiled braid (as well as your avatar), that is a very much appreciated compliment :)

And thanks for the mention of the color. I do use henna now (started in May), but it is very close to my natural color. I just wanted to cover the gray and also deal with the fact that the canopy ends up so much lighter than the roots and underneath. It always looked like I did a poor job of coloring it even when I didn't!

In fact, this is the color before henna: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/205450_217937091552016_100000071796284_996635_4496 594_n.jpg