Why a sleep cap?
I got this really good question from a witing adoptive mom the other day, and thought I would post the answer.
“Why will my daughter need a sleep cap? What’s it for?”
Good question!!
Here’s why a sleep cap: You spend hours on braids to make them look good. The enemy of braids is rubbing! And if your daughter is rubbing her head on a pillow, or trampoline (I hate trampolines) or bike helmet, or whatever, it will make the braids fuzzy and not so nice in no time. The close-fitting sleep cap puts a protective (none rubbing) layer between the braids and the scratchy surface.
If she doesn’t have braids in, then she’ll have curly whirly hair. Now, Ethiopians have have loose to super tight curls… the tighter, the more easily matted and tangled they become. So if you send a kid to bed with super curly hair and no sleep cap – ouch! The tangles in the morning will be terrible. And it’s very painful to pick those tangles out. so it’s best to protect their locks of joy from tangling by #1, keeping them in braids, and #2, if not in braids, held in place and not rubbing with a sleep cap.
Get your sleep caps at: AfricaSleeps.com!
Feb. 26th | Posted by Nicky
4 comments
For my 7 yr old son w/locs we use the satin pillowcase because that child cannot keep a cap on at all! But I see the benefit of using one under the bike helmet…..but that would be pretty gross he sweats horribly! (Like was using deodorant at age 4!) I think we might just suffer with the fuzzies and just re-tighten a bit more often!
he he – you gotta do what you gotta do!
The other option is putting it on him after he’s gone to sleep
But now I need the secret to them keeping it on, she will not wear it for the life of me!
Really?
Maybe just show her pictures of many other Ethio kids wearing them to bed at night…