Looks like you got some pretty good answers, but I'll just throw in my little two cents anyway!
My hair is really short and I have this same problem! If I just let it dry, even partially after detangling, It'll tangle right back up!
I prevent this in my daughter's hair, (hers is much longer than mine) by sectioning and braiding after detangling. Because I keep her hair stretched and twisted most of the time, hers rarely gets tangled. What are you using for your WNG's?
Since about three months natural I started using gel gel for mine, and lately I have started adding random finger throughout my hair for added definition.
If I used conditioner for WNG's like I did when my hair was shorter, it would tangle like you wouldn't believe! But using gel seems to keep the tangles at bay.
HTH!