# If You Have Long Hair, How Do You Sleep?



## ThreeJane (Nov 5, 2004)

My hair is past my bra strap. heading toward my waist.

I used to wear it in a loose braid when I slept, but my hair started breaking off in front, so I stopped that.

I can't wear it in any kind of ponytail for that reason and if I wind up on my back, I get a headache from the balled-up part against the back of my skull.

Buns are out, same reason.

Wearing it down means that it's on my face or in my ears or - ouch - gets caught under my arm/elbow when I roll it over.

Short of a nightcap - which means I'd be a widow because hubby would laugh himself to death - what do YOU all do to keep long long hair out of the way when you're sleeping? Or do you just deal with it and move along?

(oh for the days when it was a little below shoulder-length and all I had to do was *flip* and it was out of the way. But I wouldn't cut it for anything!)


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

I just dealt with it and went on.  Mine used to be down to my fanny. Cut it a number of years ago and when through all the perms and haircuts. Stopped cutting again about two years ago.

It's down past my shoulders now, and just beginning to be 'in the way' if I wear it down, so I do french braids most days, but let it down at night.


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## MoonShine (Mar 17, 2003)

How about pulling it back loosely? Take one of those hair elastics and just run your hair through it loosely at the back of your neck and don't tighten up the elastic,just let it sort of hold your hair back. That way there isn't a ball of hair. That's what I used to do but here lately,I sleep with it down and just let it go.


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## TC (Jun 22, 2005)

I can almost sit on mine. I wear it down at night. Sometimes I'll fall asleep in my "bun" no bobby pins, my hair is so long and thick I can literally tie it in a knot and it stays by itself. I try not to sleep with it up because as you said, it will break at my neck line. Wearing it down is best for me, but I have woke up and almost strangled myself...lol


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## prairiecomforts (May 28, 2006)

Mine is to the middle of my back and I always pull it back in a pony before bed. If I didn't - there would be mo way I could Even brush through it in the morning if I wouldn't. My dd who is five has hair that is actually a little longer than mine and I always pull her hair back in a loose braid. I haven't noticed any breakage. It is what works for us!


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## DenverGirlie (Dec 22, 2005)

I just cut off 6 inches last Saturday, it was approaching my waist, but now in firmly mid back.

I wear mine in a pony tail. Pull it through all the way once and then twist and pull it through halfway. It's loose enough that it doesn't pull on my fociles, loose enough that I don't have a huge knot to deal with in the back of my head thus upsetting the pillow, but tight enough that it's not all around my face and neck.

I also sometimes do a very loose braid, but it looks crazy come morning as half of it has fallen out.


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## TC (Jun 22, 2005)

Another idea, I used to tie a bandana into a triangle and wear it at night. I can't describe it, but like if you are painting or something. Not sure why I stopped doing that, it was comfortable. I might try it again.


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## tallpines (Apr 9, 2003)

I toss a lot while sleeping and when the hair is loose, it really gets tangled and snarled up.....so I always make one big, loose braid before bedtime.


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## Jaclynne (May 14, 2002)

I've just cut my hair a couple of months ago, but for years it was waist length. 
I toss and turn a lot, and can't stand for my hair to be loose and around my neck or under my arms, etc. I always flip my head down and braid a loose braid from the top of my head. It gives you a very loose, baggy braid that isn't like sleeping on a knot, etc. 

Halo


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## crafty2002 (Aug 23, 2006)

My 16 year ols DD has hers down to here waste and used to wake up with the worst rats nest you ever saw. 
She won't let me cut it, she would if I put my foot down, but hey, it's her hair.
I brush it for her most nights and then put a hair tie as moonshine said, down about to her bra strap. Like a real loose pony tail and when she gets up in the morning she can brush it out in a few minutes before school. 
Only way I could figure out to teach her how to take care of it but it works good.
She used to wake up yelling in the middle of the night because some way or another she would have some of it in front and some in the back and it would get tied in knots under her arm. She looks good with the long hair and I know she loves it long, but I sure did want to cut it until we came up with this idea. 
Just tie it up real tight so it doesn't get loose at night but do it maybe just above the bra strap. An in or two and it will leave it loose on your head and sense I started doing this, I don't think it has woke her up yet.
Heres is to a good mornings sleep, which I am geaded for right now.
Dennis


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## rootsandwings (Apr 20, 2004)

I wear mine loose, but dd puts hers in two braids behind her ears.


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## trixiwick (Jun 9, 2004)

I second the two-braids thing. My hair is too straight to stay in a single braid, but if I make a braid on either side of my head, they will stay more or less intact even without any elastics securing them. You do look a bit like Marianne on Gilligan's Island, but I think DH kinda likes it, actually.


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## bubbba (Jul 6, 2004)

I am a hairy dude , hair halfway down my back. I usually have it in a ponytail but a loose one otherwise it ends up digging into my head. I dont like a ponytail too tight or i get headaches n sometimes get em anyways in which case ill wear it down for awhile. Gf cant decide if i look more like a hippy or a biker . Im pretty freakin mellow so hopefully more hippy 

Peace


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## PineRidge (May 2, 2006)

I let my hair loose, in the winter I pull it to the front over my neck to keep it out of the way (and my neck warm). The worst is when it gets under dh somehow, then he rolls over and my head follows him, lol.


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## ailsaek (Feb 7, 2007)

Back when my hair was long, I braided it before bed. If I hadn't, it would have been a solid mass of knots that no comb would ever tame.


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## melina (May 10, 2002)

Another vote for two braids here. Mine is just past brastrap length and I hate waking with it in my mouth, eyes, etc. Two loose braids gives me freedom and quite nice waves the next day.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Two braids for me, too. If yours is breaking, 3J, how about applying a little conditioner to it before you braid? "A little dab 'll do ya." 

I leave mine down when we're feeling amorous, though, so I often wake up with a tangled mess. Then I apply conditioner FIRST in the shower, and comb through with a wide pick, starting at the bottom. 

Pony!


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## ThreeJane (Nov 5, 2004)

I think I'll have to go back to the loose braid thing. It was actually breaking off at the front of my hairline, above my forehead, so I don't know if conditioner would help. But last night I somehow got a chunk of it under my elbow, went to turn over and *S T A R S* pulled several of them out at once! yeow!
\
The two braids idea is a good one too. Wonder how all those Victorian women with hair down to their knees managed? :baby04:


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## montanabound (Jul 19, 2005)

The longest my hair has been is to my waist and I would sleep with it up on my pillow, unbraided. I get headaches a lot and braiding or a ponytail would give me one. Never noticed anything happening at night with it down, except once in a while rolling over and my elbow being on it...OUCH!!
Loree in ID


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## Guest (Mar 1, 2007)

My hair is only just down to my shoulders now, but it's so thick that I find it very difficult to braid it at all, never mind at bedtime. I bought a few of those soft, fabric-covered pony tail holder things and they work very well..just tight enough to keep my hair "up" but not so tight that they're uncomfortable to lie on ..it's so irksome to turn over in bed and be constantly trying to get all of that thick hair out of your face..  

In olden days, most women wore night caps..when those went out of fashion, they usually either wore two braids at night, or gathered up their hair in the back and secured it loosely with a strip of material.


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## hisenthlay (Feb 23, 2005)

My hair is down past my elbows, and maybe I don't toss and turn too much, but I wear it loose. When I lay down to go to sleep, I put all my hair up above my head on the pillow, so that nobody is laying on it. I always sleep on my side, and I may turn from one side to the other a couple times in the night, but it doesn't mess up my hair, even though my hair is very fine and DOES tangle easily. I don't think I could sleep in braids or a ponytail--whenever I accidentally fall asleep that way, I wake up with the ponytail half pulled out and off to the side, and my hair all tangled. :shrug:


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## dnw826 (Jan 9, 2007)

I just picked up a habit from when I had a perm way back when. I just bundle it under my head like a pillow, or pull it up over my head-and over my pillow.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

I was actually looking at nightcap patterns, trying to figure a way to keep my hair under control! 

Mine's very curly, braiding is next to impossible. When it really bugs me, I do the bandanna thing (like a previous poster said, the ol' kercheif over the head look), most nights I flip it up over the pillow.

I still am considering a snood, though ... at least for nights when I am sleeping by myself.


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## annethcz (Sep 25, 2004)

Mine is shorter now, but when it was that length I always slept with my hair free. Like another poster suggested, sometimes I would pull my hair up so it went up and over my pillow, over my head. But usually I just left it down.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

I trim my armpits when they start peeking out under my T-shirt.


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## Songbird (Apr 2, 2006)

I cut mine back to shoulder length. I just can't stand dealing with the really long hair anymore.


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## PyroDon (Jul 30, 2006)

My hairs well past my shoulder blades and my wife and daughters hair is about down to mid thigh we all sleep with our hair down .
now the beater bar on the vac and the shower drains require constant hair removal


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

Buck nekkid.


(well, you asked!)


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## Spotted Crow (Sep 21, 2004)

Mine's in a ponytail all day, so it's down at night.
I've done the over the pillow thing too. I've also used the huge barrete and clip it up ontop of my head.


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## catmar (Nov 25, 2006)

Down at night. Up most days.


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## fostermomma (Feb 26, 2007)

I keep mine down at night. I found a new hair clip type of thing at walmart that I really love for during the day. I am not sure on the name but I think it was called octopus? Anyway it keeps my hair up like a bun but it isn't tight and has helped with breakage and headaches.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Mine's so long I do sit on it. I used to try to sleep with it braided but ended up with monstrous knots right at the back of my neck. And dh would get caught up in the braid requiring me to give him an elbow to the ribs so I could get my hair back. Now I just pull the whole mass up over the top of the pillow and let it hang off the side of the bed.

Sleeping is the easy part of dealing with long hair. The bad part is when you bend over to pick something up and the ends of your hair end up landing in something nasty. I have to be very careful when caring for the ducks.


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## Jerngen (May 22, 2006)

My wife folds hers up one third, then another third to the nape of her neck, then loosely puts a hairtie around it. It MUST be loosely done because she can't stand having a knot on the back of her head while she's sleeping. Thats the best I can describe it.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

I put mine up in a loose pony tail on top my head, like Pebbles Flintstone, then let it hang off the top of the pillow. Sometimes I don't pull the hair all the way through the band and it makes a loop instead of a ponytail. That shortens it by half so it doesn't get caught under me when I roll over. I toss and turn a lot, it's not fun to wake up being tied up in my own hair.


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## perennial (Aug 23, 2004)

I either sleep with mine "up" on the pillow or take a large scrunchie and put it around the hear mid-way down by back. It keeps in in place well without the big lump and it does eventually fall out at night, but by that time i'm almost up for the morning.


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