Full Diaper When Your Baby is Asleep? – What Matters When Changing Diapers at Night

Photo by Minnie Zhou on Unsplash

Diaper manufacturers promise 12 hours of dryness. Special night diapers prevent leaks and make nighttime diaper changes unnecessary. But is that really true? Can a diaper last the entire night without leaking? And what happens if there is stool in the diaper or the baby becomes restless?

Do I need to change my baby at night? A suitable diaper can stay leak-proof throughout the night. However, newborns especially need regular diaper changes during the night. As a rule: if there is stool in the diaper, you should change it.

In this article, you'll learn whether and when you need to change your baby at night. We also provide tips on how to make nighttime diaper changes as pleasant as possible for you and your baby.

How often does a baby need a fresh diaper?

How often you need to change your baby's diaper depends entirely on their elimination behavior. During the day, the diaper should be checked every two to three hours and changed if necessary. While newborns still need 8 to 10 diapers within 24 hours, a one-year-old child only needs about 5 to 8 diaper changes. For more details, see our article on the frequency of daily diaper changes.

To avoid skin irritation, you should change your baby's diaper as soon as it is wet. Newborns, in particular, often make themselves noticed when they feel wet, as they naturally don't want to lie in their own excretions.

For stool, the rule is: always change the diaper as soon as you notice it is full. Prolonged contact with stool can lead to skin irritation or even infections like diaper dermatitis.

Regular diaper changes can also have a positive impact on later potty training, as the child learns that an action follows after wetting themselves. Conversely, wearing a wet diaper for a longer time can negatively impact the potty training process. In fact, our study shows that children using cloth diapers become potty-trained almost a year earlier (Study link).

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The Diaper is Full and the Child is Sleeping: How to Change Diapers at Night Properly

You might be familiar with the situation: your child is just falling asleep, and you hear them fill the diaper once more before closing their eyes. Perhaps your child also has restless phases at night, and you wonder: How often should I change diapers at night?

Opinions vary here. Between diapers that provide protection throughout the night and the importance of sleep, there is the question of whether constant skin contact with excretions is really acceptable.

We are also convinced that sleep is important not only for the baby but also for the parents. With the right timing, good preparation, and of course, the right diapers, nothing stands in the way of restful nights. Diapers are designed to absorb a lot of liquid and remain securely leak-proof. So you certainly do not have to change your baby every time urine gets in the diaper. If you regularly breastfeed your child at night or give them a bottle, that's the best time to take a quick look at the diaper and change it if necessary. How to perform the changing process so that your baby can continue to sleep undisturbed will be shown later. Generally, children tend to fall back asleep quickly after the following feeding.

If the diaper is dry or contains only a little urine, you do not need to change it compulsorily. However, if you notice that there is stool in the diaper, you should certainly freshen your child up. With especially careful handling, your baby may not wake up at all, or only partially, and can continue sleeping afterward. Once your baby's digestive system matures, which happens at around two to three months old, nighttime stool should become extremely rare. In these first months, however, you will need to change them at every meal.

Do older children still need to be changed at night?

The older your child gets, the more likely it is that you can forego nighttime diaper changes. On one hand, the bladder of growing toddlers has a larger capacity, and on the other hand, the antidiuretic hormone (ADH) ensures that the body produces less urine at night. Your child's sleep is less often disturbed by the urge to urinate, and the amount of urine can be well absorbed by the diaper. Often, the diaper remains dry until morning.

If your child sleeps through the night, you do not need to wake them to change the diaper. Here too, we recommend checking the diaper once more before you go to sleep yourself. If your child still wakes up regularly at night, this is a good time for a check and possible diaper change.

Using Cloth Diapers at Night – For Peaceful Nights and Healthy Skin

Cloth diapers can provide special protection at night because they often absorb moisture better and faster than disposable diapers. Additionally, you avoid a lot of waste and chemicals on your child's skin. In a separate article, we have discussed the eco-balance and the chemical composition of disposable diapers.

At Judes, we make it especially easy for you because we have developed a cloth diaper that is just as easy to use as a disposable diaper. Many parents are enthusiastic about our diapers and find them even easier than disposables.

To make changing with Judes as easy as possible, they consist of only two parts. Our inner diaper made of 100% organic cotton provides a pleasantly soft wearing experience. It is super absorbent without taking up too much space. Thanks to the special weave, the inner diaper remains leak-proof for up to 12 hours and can absorb a large amount of liquid. At the same time, the fabric is breathable and ensures a healthy diaper climate. It is put on just like a disposable diaper. With flexible leg cuffs and the well-thought-out Velcro fastener, you can perfectly adjust it to your child's body shape. Leaking is thus excluded.

Over the inner diaper, you place a diaper cover as a moisture barrier, which is also worn like a disposable diaper. This ensures that all liquids remain inside the diaper.

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How to Change Judes?

Changing cloth diapers is just as quick and easy as with disposable diapers. In fact, using Judes can even save time. Here you can find surprising details about the effort involved in using cloth diapers. You open the Velcro fasteners, put the inner diaper into the laundry, and hang up the cover to air out. You can use the cover until it comes into contact with stool or a large amount of urine; only then should you wash it. Learn more about how to wash your cloth diapers gently and hygienically here.

You see: Judes are well-designed and simple. They also ensure restful nights, as they absorb large amounts of liquid in a short time. For even more protection, you can add an additional booster insert to the diaper.

However, the rule also applies here: As soon as there is stool in the diaper, you should change it to avoid unnecessary irritation to your baby's skin.

My child reacts strongly to wet diapers, what can I do?

Some children react particularly strongly to wet diapers or already show significant restlessness beforehand. There are two possibilities here: A so-called stay-dry layer ensures a dry skin feeling, even when the diaper is wet. The thin liner passes the liquid on to the absorbent material and protects your child's skin from moisture.

If you notice restlessness in your baby at night, you can also help by holding them. Children are not able to relieve themselves during deep sleep. However, if you undress your baby and gently hold them over the toilet or a potty, they can relieve themselves in a light sleep and then continue sleeping. Especially babies naturally do not want to soil themselves, their caregiver, or their sleeping place, which is why relieving themselves at night often becomes a struggle. If you learn to interpret your baby's signals, you not only make the nights more pleasant for them, but you also lay the foundation for later potty training at a young age. For those who want to know exactly, we have gathered all the information about potty training.

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Changing Diapers Correctly at Night: 4 Tips for Relaxed Nights

Especially with small babies, nighttime diaper changes are unavoidable. Below, we have summarized the most important tips for changing diapers. The best time for a diaper change is usually when your child wakes up on their own. However, even if the diaper is full and your child is sleeping, the following hints can help:

1. As Little Light as Possible

To ensure your baby doesn't wake up or falls back asleep quickly after a diaper change, you should avoid bright lights. Especially with very young babies, you might otherwise quickly awaken their natural curiosity, which can lead to problems with their sleep rhythm. Portable nursing lights or similar lamps that can be dimmed significantly are particularly recommended. They provide you with enough light for changing, without disturbing your child.

2. Quick and Uncomplicated

Especially at night, you should make the diaper-changing process as uncomplicated as possible. Avoid carrying your baby around and gathering diaper supplies at night, so you can both fall back asleep quickly. It's best to place everything you need for changing near the bed and change your child on the spot. Remember to have:

• Sufficient spare diapers
• Wet wipes or washcloths
• A changing pad (a towel is usually sufficient)
• Spare clothing for emergencies
• A wet bag for used diapers or wet clothes (this is understood as a type of waterproof laundry bag specifically for cloth diapers)

3. The Right Sleepwear

The choice of the right sleepwear can also help keep the diaper-changing process as short as possible. Sleeping bags and sleepwear that can be opened from the bottom allow for quick diaper changes without completely undressing your child. This way, there's no risk of your child getting cold and waking up during changing. For very temperature-sensitive babies, a portable heater can also provide relief.

4. Calmness

While daytime diaper changes might involve playful antics and lots of talking, this is off-limits at night. You should always verbally explain what you're doing with your child, but at night, use a calm and quiet voice. You should also avoid frantic movements and convey calmness to your child through lots of physical contact.

What other tips do you have to make nighttime diaper changes pleasant? Feel free to share them in the comments!