Curly hair

I have 3a hair on the bottom, 3b hair in the middle and 3c hair on top but keeping my curls is so hard! When it's wet I scrunch with gel, plop while I sleep, wake up and pin it up while it finishes drying, then for the following days scrunch a cream/oil concoction in it so it's not crunchy. But after i sleep, my curls fall out or get lopsided etc. I've trying tying it up loosely, nightcap, t shirt, nothing. It's annoying having to mess with it all the time. Also when I plop I have a hard time sleeping with a chunky shirt on my head and my hair is still wet in the am.