My routine has been really simple for a number of years.  I just sleep on a satin pillowcase.  I generally sleep on my back so I just fan the hair out to the side on the case and go to sleep.  But the other day I noticed it hangs down the side of the bed on the flannel sheets which I find 'Not OK!'

So how do you girls with very long hair deal with it at bedtime? 

I have tried single braiding my hair, but I hate sleeping on the lump.   My hair is very fine and slippery and likes to slither out of braids in the daytime when I am not lying on them.  So by morning the back of my head where the braid starts looks like a complete mess.

There is another downfall for me sleeping on the braid.  Since my hair is already wavy and tends to frizzy, when I take the braids out in the morning it is HUGE.    It also is much more tangled, very difficult to comb out and put in a bun for work.

I have considered trying two braids, which may be easier to sleep on.  But I am afraid that two braids will just make my hair bigger in the morning.  When I put in a lot of braids for SCA my hair is gigantic when they finally come out. 

The other thought I had was to just get a piece of satin or silk, hem the edges all around and lay it on the bed under the pillows.  Sort of like a table runner for the top of the bed.  I could let that fall down the side of the bed for my hair to rest on without having to go buy satin sheets and risk sliding out of the bed and whacking my head on the nightstand. 

So what do you do?  What have you tried?  What worked and what turned into a horror show?

Invest in a set of quality satin sheets!! That's my suggestion. They're even on sale right now at Bed, Bath & Beyond. 

Flannel sheets are MURDER on hair, especially long or fine hair!!! They sap the moisture out of it and tangle it hopelessly. Flannel also generates insane amounts of dust.

All of my boyfriend's bedding was flannel when I met him. Even the pillowcases!    More than enough mornings of waking up with an utter rat's nest on my head convinced me to rush out & buy some satin pillowcases. But not before those infernal sheets took their toll on my hair.  Between the moisture loss and trying to brush out the impossible tangles, my hair suffered a TON of breakage.  Did I mention that I hate flannel sheets?   

Anyway, yeah...quality sheets. I sleep with my hair down also, so I feel your pain more than you know. 

So far, I have managed to sleep fairly comfortably with my hair French or Dutch braided. But lately, the braid has started to develop awareness or something, it gets caught under my back and *yank*, or curls into a lump at my neck.
   I ordered a silk sleeping cap from Tenderheaded a while ago, and am hoping that confining my hair in there keeps it happy and out of my way.
   If that fails, I need to start experimenting with new styles for sleep.

I'll admit it - I LOVE flannel sheets.  I sleep on them year around.  BUT, I use a satin pillowcase.  I like the coolness of the satin on my face, but love the cuddly feeling of the flannel on the rest of me.

I won't give up my flannel sheets - nope - no way.

The satin is cool when you first lie down, but it warms up quickly.  Since most satin is woven of man-made fibers, it does not breathe like cotton or silk.  Therefore, it holds the heat in once it gets warm, and most heat escapes from your head. 

Yet another reason I want to keep sleeping with my cozy flannel sheets.  I don't like to sweat in my sleep!
If you do switch to a satin pillowcase you will notice the very first night that your hair isn't such a bird's nest.  I was  completely amazed when I switched.  My hair is a lot less frizzy now.

I am going to try the 'bed runner' though and some of the other ideas here.  I was thinking of making a 'sock' out of satin scraps for my braid instead of using an actual sock.

My vote is for silk sheets and pillow cases.  I have very dry skin and even on super soft high thread count cotton sheets my skin would get sore.

I have not had one uncomfortable night sleeping on my silk, I can even sleep w/my hair loose and wake up virtually tangle free-with wavy hair!

Check out Dream Sacks website, they sometimes have sales.  I consider them an investment in my hair and skin care, but also my basic comfort level has really benefited.

http://www.dreamsacks.com/