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When our son started peeing through his diaper at night, we tried everything including double diapering. That didn’t work. At all. So desperate were we that we almost tried a friend’s suggestion to use adult diapers 😊.
It can be frustrating when baby pees through their diaper at night, especially because it interferes with their comfort and their sleep. Luckily, peeing through diapers at night is often a short-lived episode that disappears as quickly as it arrives (OK, for most parents).
That said, a baby who pees though their diaper at night causes quite a bit of stress because your baby’s discomfort interferes with their sleep patterns and with yours as well. The good news is that several simple strategies can help you navigate this episode with more confidence.
In this article, we will look at why your baby pees through their diaper at night, what you can do to make their nights (and yours) more comfortable, and when you should consult.
So, let’s get started.
Why baby pees through diaper at night
Babies peeing through diapers at night is more common than you think, and it happens for various reasons:
1) Diaper issues
Diaper issues are among the common reasons why babies pee through diapers at night. These issues include:
- Insufficient diaper absorbency – Different types of diapers have varying levels of absorbency depending on brands.
- Diapers that are too big or too small – having the wrong fit could lead to baby peeing through their diaper at night.
- The type of material used in the diaper – some diapers use synthetic materials, others use more absorbent materials such as cotton or other natural fibers. The type of material used in your baby’s diapers can therefore have an impact on leaks.
- Diaper design – a diaper’s design can influence absorbency.
- The age of the diaper – diapers that have expired or are almost expiring are more likely to be poor absorbers (although there are very varying views about whether diapers actually expire!).
2) Overhydration could explain why your baby pees through their diaper at night
Taking too many fluids, especially before bedtime, could lead your baby to pee through their diaper at night.
Babies are also more likely to pee through their diapers as they grow because they require more milk than before.
3) Medical conditions
While medical conditions causing excessive urine production are rare in babies, conditions such as diabetes can explain why your baby pees through their diaper at night.
4) Restlessness
If you have one of those babies who move around a lot in their sleep, there are high chances that you will experience overnight diaper leaking. Also, babies who sleep on their tummies are more likely to pee through their diaper at night.
How to make a baby who pees through their diaper at night more comfortable
It can be frustrating when baby pees through diapers at night, but all is not bleak: these episodes are usually short-lived, and several strategies can help ensure that your baby stays dry and comfortable throughout the night.
Remember though that different strategies will work for different babies, so try out some of the ones listed below before choosing what works best for you.
Here are five things that can help:
1) Check your baby’s diaper. Ill-fitting or poor quality diapers are a common culprit that can help explain why your baby is peeing through their diaper at night.
So basically, if your baby is going through this, you need to check that their diapers are okay – are they expired, are they the right fit for their size and shape, is the diaper too tight or not tight enough?
Remember that your baby is growing and changing, and they may therefore need larger size diapers or even more absorbent diapers than what you have been using.
If your baby is peeing through their diaper at night, you might also want to try a different brand. Huggies overnight diapers and Pampers pure protection disposable diapers are among many parents’ favorites.
Overnight diapers are particularly effective because they are designed to be more absorbent and to keep babies dry for a really long time (12+ hours). Obviously, there’s a downside: these diapers are more costly than regular diapers, but most get the job done.
You can also try cloth diapers which are made of cotton and are therefore more absorbent than disposable diapers.
2) Change your baby’s diaper at night. Okay, obviously, this can only work if your baby is not yet sleeping through the night – most babies are NOT HAPPY when you wake them up at night, and others are so happy when you wake them up that they decide not to go back to sleep.
That said, night wakings, for whatever reason, are a great opportunity to change your baby’s diaper and prevent leaks.
3) Limit the number of liquids your child drinks right before you put them to bed, but don’t starve them and make them miserable.
This is a bit tricky because if you feed your baby too early, you’ll interfere with their sleep patterns when they wake up hungry at night. But you can always cut out any unnecessary drinks in the evenings (such as juices) if your baby is peeing through their diaper at night.
4) Try diaper booster pads. Diaper booster pads, which are a slim pad with secure adhesive that can be added onto your baby’s diaper, are a great option for adding extra absorbency if your baby pees through their diaper at night.
They use the slim-dry technology to make diapers more absorbent, but without the bulk. Diaper booster pads are also great for long road trips. These ones have rave reviews.
If you use cloth diapers, you might want to check out these cloth diaper double booster pads which can help increase absorbency and prevent leaks.
5) Always change your baby’s diaper immediately before you put them to bed.
Overnight diaper leaking: Final thoughts
When our son started peeing through his diaper at night, and double diapering was a really terrible strategy that simply wasn’t working, someone suggested that we change the diaper brand. We did. It didn’t work.
A friend going through the same issue reported that her daughter stopped peeing through her diaper at night from THE FIRST NIGHT that she changed brands. What worked for us was overnight diapers right before putting our son to sleep and booster pads.
The lesson is that while having a baby pee through their diaper at night is rather common, the solution to this problem is not.
In other words, the same solution will not necessarily work for two kids, and sometimes, finding what works can feel like walking on a slippery path.
If this is you, remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel: overnight diaper leaking is often short-lived, BUT, fair warning, some babies can pee through their diapers at night for what seems like a very long time (months, or even up to a year – yikes!)
Baby pees through diaper at night? The best thing that you can do is to keep trying different strategies to find what works best for you.
Have you struggled with overnight diaper leaking? Share with us your most ridiculous attempts to stop overnight diaper leaking and let us know what worked for you!
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