If anyone else struggles with sleeping on long hair

[shootingstar]

Have had short hair for past 3 decades. But I did have long hair past my armpits.

I never knew that naturally curly hair had these problems!

Several sisters who have had thick long straight hair, longer than myself , occasionally put their hair up in 1 large loose pony tail...I mean it was super loose pony tail often with a hair band covered with cloth outer liner so that hair didn't get caught in thin elastic band while sleeping on hair.

[Cataboo]

Somehow I think my hair would be an oily mess if I went without shampoo.. it usually is within 24 hours. But I suppose I'd have to train it after years of shampooing almost every day.

I think my hair is tangly because of the fine-ness in combination with the slight natural curl (not that you could tell because my hair's heavy enough to pull what curls I have out)... My Mom & sister have thicker coarser straight hair - neither of them have any problems with knotting, even when they had long hair... My bf also comments that a former gf of his that had long straight hair, never had knots, and couldn't manage to make her hair do anything, put it in a bun or whatever, because it would just fall down straight.

My sister's daughter has hair that's more similar to mine - she ends up with a lot of knots as well.

I generally have the beginnings of a mat/knot at the base of my neck, I try to undo it every day or so, but it always comes back.

[Miranda]

For the perimenopause, the hair does certainly change. There are special conditioning txs you can get at the salon that help. The washing every other day is said to help. I read in a mag that one woman used to put "Shower to Shower" powder on her scalp on the off washing day to absorb oil. I've never tried it. Maybe she was a blonde too?

Any heat tools will make the hair dry. Gray hair has a different texture than non. Even if colored. Even at a good salon and product, the chemicals can be so harsh. I am going today to get a chunk of my hair hacked off to get rid of the coloring dry mess. It's gotten pretty long too. I have a few grays. But, I have resolved I think I will just let mine come on in.

For any thinning, try Nixon shampoo and conditioner. When I went to every other day washing, my hair got thinner. I realized it was lack of the Nixon shampoo drug. So, I started back daily and it's thickening up. A very wide tooth comb too helps with getting out the bed time tangles. In the car, I side sweep mine to not lean on it. I think that makes less tangles overall. Buffs are great too for a restraint that's no breakage.

[Pedal Wench]

I twist mine into a bun on top of my head, just as I'm laying down. If it unrolls at night, the hair just ends up on top of the pillow. hate the feeling of it around my neck.

[Flur]

My bf also comments that a former gf of his that had long straight hair, never had knots, and couldn't manage to make her hair do anything, put it in a bun or whatever, because it would just fall down straight.

This is me. I really don't get knots, but I can't style it either. Put in curlers? Hair is straight again within 30 minutes of taking them out, even with heat and styling products. Give it a little body? Not a chance. I've tried everything - if I don't wash it for a day to get extra body it still hangs flat, but looks greasy and stringy. If I use products, nada.

I've always been jealous of people who don't have to wash and condition their hair every day. I have dry hair and an oily scalp. If I don't wash it every day it looks really greasy and stringy and if I don't condition it every day it feels like straw. I suppose the grass is always greener...

I used to get tangles at the base of my head by my neck, but a little extra conditioner there has taken care of that. For sleeping, I usually just throw it up over the pillow to keep it out of the way. That way I'm not rolling around on it while I sleep.

[denny]

When my hair was very long (in the middle of my back) I always slept with it in a bun or braid. I could never sleep with it loose as it would be too hot and messy. Almost 10 years ago, I sacrificed length for a practical bob after it became a hassle to try and cover the grey as it was easier to blend short grey vs long grey. Finally last week I admitted defeat and chopped off my hair after almost 20 years of trying to hide my prematurely greying hair! This, after having to color almost every 2.5 weeks. Now it's super funky short and white!! Trying to get used to the new look. White hair on a young face. Strangely the guys are digging it!!

[GLC1968]

When my hair was very long (in the middle of my back) I always slept with it in a bun or braid. I could never sleep with it loose as it would be too hot and messy. Almost 10 years ago, I sacrificed length for a practical bob after it became a hassle to try and cover the grey as it was easier to blend short grey vs long grey. Finally last week I admitted defeat and chopped off my hair after almost 20 years of trying to hide my prematurely greying hair! This, after having to color almost every 2.5 weeks. Now it's super funky short and white!! Trying to get used to the new look. White hair on a young face. Strangely the guys are digging it!!

I soooo want to do this myself! May I ask...how old are you?

I'm afraid I'm too old for it to look 'novel' and too young for it to look 'hip'. I think I'll just look lazy if I let it go all grey.

[badger]

I have hair about 3" past my shoulder, and I can't stand to sleep with my hair loose. So I just put a ponytail at the top of my head. I find that if my hair's loose, I end up breaking out on my face.

[redrhodie]

I've been growing my hair out for so long that yesterday when I got it cut, I found out my stylist had another baby since my last haircut. I didn't even know she was pregnant! I had about an inch taken off, and the longest layers just about touch my bra.

I leave it down at night. My cat likes to sleep on it. Talk about bedhead.

[denny]

I soooo want to do this myself! May I ask...how old are you?

I'm afraid I'm too old for it to look 'novel' and too young for it to look 'hip'. I think I'll just look lazy if I let it go all grey.

I turned 41 in November. I have to say it's been interesting. Some mornings I wake up and freak out at the white; then I walk out the door grinning because I didn't have to make sure "my poverty line" was showing in the midst of the dark stuff. Better yet, I didn't have to worry about washing out the dye after shampooing. I went to the mall for lunch and I had to laugh a few times. I had on my workout gear for the gym and a bunch of young guys looked at me a bit puzzled at first when they saw it was obviously a young face with the hair; then they started turning their heads to watch me walk away. I was wondering if they thought I was a pretty hot granny or a crazy woman who was completely unconcerned.

Next stop Target. The security guard who must have been 65 or 70 almost fell off his chair trying to take a look. Hmmm. Did he just meet the granny of his dreams? Older men are now following me around (more than usual). Strange thing is you do become sort of invisible with your own age group. Females have complimented me on the look. The male friends I have think "It's rockin". I'm sure it's lowered the pool of men who may give me a second glance, but the way I look at is, if Mr.Right didn't come along with long dark flowing hair what do I have to lose with this?

It's sad that guys can just go grey and be called distinguished. ALA CNN's Anderson Cooper and Phil Donahue (although he needs to lower that shag on his head.) Women get judged a lot more harshly for doing the same thing.
Maybe I ought to give Oprah a call and issue a challenge for us chicks who just want to be free of dyes and stains and still be considered "Rocking anyway"

BTW_ this could all change as I'm job hunting. You know how youth obsessed this country is and I don't want to diminish my chances for not looking "energetic" enough against non-pigment follicular challenged people.

[arielmoon]

I twist mine into a bun on top of my head, just as I'm laying down. If it unrolls at night, the hair just ends up on top of the pillow. hate the feeling of it around my neck.

Same for me.

Mine is to my bra strap, thick, fine and curly.

[tulip]

Denny, you sound fabulous with that hair and cut. I have a short bob, but only two or three strands of grey (I'm also 41). Your post and some other women I know who are wonderful in their silver hair has me thinking that I'll just let it be when it does decide to turn. If I was in my twenties or thirties, I'd probably dye it, but now I like being older and wiser. Thanks for the post.

[OakLeaf]

When I was 27 I had hair down to my butt. Never had any trouble sleeping on it. Then I got my first grey hair and I was d*mned if they were going to be three feet long. I had it chin length for several years (enormous PITA) and then cut it short, where it's been for over 15 years now.

I'm trying to work up the nerve for a buzz cut.

[lph]

Denny, I'm trying to build courage to go your way, thanks for the story. I'd prefer to be happily grey (turning 40 and 60% grey I guess) instead of the kinda complicated semi-dye semi-natural curly mess I have at the moment, but I'm not quite there yet. Weaning myself off dye