My daughter tangles her hair while she sleeps! What do I do?

Annamarie - posted on 07/14/2010

I put my daughters hair in a bun on top of her head every night almost...Also a satin pillow case may help.

Alison - posted on 07/13/2010

I put a little conditioner mixed with water in a spray bottle to detangly my daughter's hair. Maybe that would work.

I also tell my daughter that if she gets too many tangles in her hair, it will turn into a birds nest. If I see her getting too concerned, I do tell her I am kidding.

Maria - posted on 07/11/2010

listen, my niece was in braids and then when we went to take them out to shower, there were some huge effin knots!!!
what u should do is get a "hair detangler" at a rite aid or cvs and every nite put some on and brush out her hair and it can maintain it without knots, if needed do it again in the mornin...good luck!

Diana - posted on 07/06/2010

I agree with the first post about finding a substitute for her--maybe let her pick out a doll with hair like hers? It definitely sounds like an unconscious comfort habit, especially paired with the thumb sucking. Almost all kids have some kind of comfort habit (my daughter rubs her belly button when she's upset and has since she was about 6 months old). Braiding and cutting will only try to solve the result of the habit, not address the habit itself. It's not even that there's anything wrong with her doing it (in my opinion), but that she's damaging her hair in the process! Substitution would be my first move :-). Good luck!

Cristine - posted on 07/05/2010

What about a lovie or blankie? My oldest is addicted to her little blankie that she's had since she was 6 months old. We have three of them in case one gets lost. They're about 12x12 and have satin on one side. She might like to have something soft in her hand since she likes playing with her soft hair. Just a thought...

Kellie - posted on 06/30/2010

Silk pillowcase? I read that one somewhere---texture helps keep tangling of the rest of the hair down, but it would also be silky and smooth. Maybe she would just take to rubbing her pillow? Couldn't hurt to try.

Yvonda - posted on 06/30/2010

my son used to grind his teeth and roll his earlobe in his sleep, his doctor said it was anxiety and wanted to give him medicine, but that wasn't something I was comfortable with but he eventually out grew it

Stephanie - posted on 06/28/2010

She is mostly doing it subconsiously when she sucks her thumb, she wraps it around her finger untill it is all tangeled up. If I put it in a braid, she just wraps the very end around her finger... She deosn't want to cut her hair 90% of the time but thinks it might be fun to have shorter hair like mommy 10% of the time . (Mine is about shoulder length and hers would have to go even shorter than that to be unaccessable.) She only feels ashamed about doing it (trys to hide it) but isn't concerned about what it is doing to her hair. Being that her hair is curley, you can't tell when I cut it here and there like you would be able to if it were straight. Thanks for the insight!

Cristal - posted on 06/28/2010

try a flat braid. my daughter has very long hair and it gets so tangled when she sleeps. I brush it really good, then do a low, flat braid before bed and take it out in the morning. it seems to work great for her.

Rebekah - posted on 06/28/2010

Have you tried braids? I had long hair too as a kid and often went to sleep that way....just one braid on either side of my head. Are you thinking she's doing it a comfort thing? I'm assuming she probably has lots of stuffed animals, but maybe finding one with a texture she really likes might help her gravitate towards that instead. I also wonder if putting some kind of leave-in conditioner before bed (not alot, so she doesn't end up with a wet pillow) might help minimize the knots. Is she actually awake or asleep while she's doing it? Is she concerned at all with getting the knots cut out, or the prospect of short hair?
Hope it works out!