Sleep braid demolished

[Jessibear2854]

I'm getting ready for bed soon and trying to decide what to do with my hair (LOL-never before in my life have I fixed my hair before bed). I've been braiding it lately to try to protect it from getting rolled over on by my SO and co-sleeping preschooler, but every morning when I wake up, the braid is demolished. It makes me wonder if maybe braiding it is causing damage in its own way, since my hair gets more tangled than it does if I just leave it loose.

My hair is really "slippery" and even if I braid during the day, it starts falling apart after a couple of hours and I have to keep re-doing it. Is this bad for my hair too?

I love braids but they are frustrating me right now!

[RapunzelKat]

Do you have layers, Jessibear2854 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/member.php?u=42113)? My hair used to fall out of EVERYTHING when I had layers. (Come to think of it, it still falls out of a lot of things :p) Also, do you tie your braid off? My hair is very slippery too, and it won't stay braided unless I secure it with something.

I know some people bun their hair for sleeping - I have never tried it but maybe that would work for you?

Oh, and you will get used to that feeling of doing your hair before bed :D I remember how weird it was the first few times I slept with a braid in :D

[Nuin]

I've just started braiding befroe bed, too, and have the same concerns :) Considering getting one of those fancy silk pillowcases to reduce the yanking.

The biggest problem for me so far with this has been spotting the braid out of the corner of my eye and feeling my heart rate soar before remembering that, no, it's not an enormous spider in bed with me :rolleyes:

[Kelikea]

I french or dutch braid mine and fasten with a nylon hairband, then sleep with a slumber cap. I've been able to go to work in my slept-in hair. Spritzing the braid with water also helps it hold.

[Madora]

I'm getting ready for bed soon and trying to decide what to do with my hair (LOL-never before in my life have I fixed my hair before bed). I've been braiding it lately to try to protect it from getting rolled over on by my SO and co-sleeping preschooler, but every morning when I wake up, the braid is demolished. It makes me wonder if maybe braiding it is causing damage in its own way, since my hair gets more tangled than it does if I just leave it loose.

My hair is really "slippery" and even if I braid during the day, it starts falling apart after a couple of hours and I have to keep re-doing it. Is this bad for my hair too?

I love braids but they are frustrating me right now!

Jessibear2854, what do you mean by "demolished"? Do you mean that the braid has completely undone? Partially undone?

Perhaps your method of securing the tassle needs to be changed. Do you braid all the way to the ends? Perhaps try braiding 3/4ths of the way down then securing with a hair friendly band.

Or, you might try braiding with a scarf, then securing with an elastic band.

If your hair is long enough, you might like to experiment with braiding it loosely and coiling it on top of your head (bend at the waist, bring all hair in front of you, detangle gently, then braid loosely, coil, and use your favorite hair fastener to secure the coil to the top of your head.) I've read that some people use a scrunchie to secure the braided bun but I have no idea how secure that would be.

It is much better for your hair to be confined - in some fashion - than having to deal with tangles (and resulting damage) the next day.

One other thought..maybe a snood might help, if you're looking for an alternative method of containing your hair at night.

[Jessibear2854]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I do have layers, so that is problematic, but I have just accepted that my braids are not going to be pretty and neat at this point. When I say "demolished," I mean that it is almost completely undone. Sometimes the elastic slips off even.

Last night I ended up putting all my hair on top of my head and making a ponytail with a soft scrunchie, leaving the ends tucked in (so it was a loop on top of my head). That stayed in very well all night, but it looks kind of dorky!

[gogirlanime]

As I'm growing my hair out virgin for the first time in about 10 years I'm noticing that my hair is getting very "slippery" too. I find that buns work the best. I do a standard bun but I tilt my head forward and brush my back forward so that I roll my hair where my bangs are. Kind of like boys from India do it where the bun sits in the front. It looks stupid (my boyfriend hates it haha) but seldom does it fall apart because I don't sleep on it at all.

[spidermom]

When I'm not too tired, I do a top-of-head braid (starting by laying across the bed on my back, letting my hair dangle over the edge; braid as far down as I can reach, then sit up and finish braiding in front of my face) This stays in pretty well even though I'm a champion tosser/turner.

When I'm tired, I just push my hair into the space above my pillow. I wedge a second pillow between the bed frame and the mattress so that my hair can't slip over the edge and hang.

Good luck! Whatever is comfortable for you is good enough.

[Miss Catrina]

You could try making a ponytail with multiple ties down the length of your hair (kind of like in this unfortunate example, lol http://www.gliders.com.au/images/Sports-Bands-Ponytail-Holders-6pc.jpg). If you can use them pretty loosely it wouldn't be very damaging and would keep tangles away.

[ladonna]

If I do 2 french or dutch braids, like little girl's do along both sides of my head, they stay put better.

[delsh]

You might want to try a different kind of braid. My hair turns into a wild mess if I go to bed with a french braid, but for some reason a dutch braid keeps things much neater. Worth a try at least!

[Miss Catrina]

You might want to try a different kind of braid. My hair turns into a wild mess if I go to bed with a french braid, but for some reason a dutch braid keeps things much neater. Worth a try at least!

It seems like a fishtail would hold up, too. I know they take forever to take out when you want to undo them, so I'd imagine it would withstand sleep pretty well.

[WaterMusic]

I do a cinnabun on the veeery top of my head, and secure with spin pins. It holds really well and it gives me lovely waves in the morning. Either that or it doesn't screw up my normal waves, it's hard to tell. Sometimes I need a bobby pin in the back to hold up that little layer of shorter hair at my nape.