As parents, we all know the common reasons for a baby or toddler waking up in the night . Newborns and young babies often wake up at night from hunger . Most children wake up out of habit, as they have developed sleep associations . And toddlers can wake up in the middle of the night because they've had a nightmare.
Let's add another occasion to wake up at night to our list: diaper leaks. Have you experienced it? Most of you, I would say yes. You wake up to find your little butt soaked, cold and moaning loudly. If so, you know how it goes.
Often, all it takes is one dripping diaper to turn a quiet night's sleep into a nighttime apocalypse!
So how?
How to prevent leaky diapers from waking your baby or toddler at night?
Today we bring you 7 tips that will help you banish leaky diapers and keep your little one calm while they sleep.
1. Before going to bed, do not give him anything to drink (for toddlers).
If you have a baby, ignore this advice; Babies need to breastfeed or take formula regularly, and to avoid diaper leaks, you should never refrain from feeding your child.
However, if you have a toddler, that's a different story. If your child regularly has something to drink just before going to bed, this may be part of the diaper leak problem. Adapt the routine to ensure your child's last drink of the night is an hour (or more) before bedtime .
2. Change the diaper just before the infant or young child's bedtime.
It sounds simple, but this step is not taken by all parents. If a hot, leaky diaper regularly wakes your baby or toddler, be sure to change the diaper just before you put your child down for the night.
3. Change the diaper just before going to bed.
Disclaimer: This will not work for all babies and young children.
If your child is a light sleeper and can wake up completely if you try to change his diaper late at night, then forget it. You'll probably end up creating more problems than you solve!
But if you think your child can sleep with a diaper change late at night (or at least wake up lightly during that time), then consider changing his diaper just before bedtime.
4. Start buying larger diapers.
Leaks will likely start as soon as your baby or toddler reaches the diaper size limit. Consider increasing the diaper size if your little one wakes up frequently from a leaky diaper (at least at night). Some parents find this solves the problem.
5. Invest in good quality nighttime diapers.
If leaks are still present after following the tips above, consider buying separate nighttime diapers . These nighttime diapers are thicker and more absorbent than regular diapers, making them a good option for nighttime. They are also more expensive than normal diapers, but since you only use them at night, they will last longer.
6. Consider using pads for booster layers.
I had never heard of diaper protectors until I discovered them while writing this article, I confess. It turns out some parents swear by them as the answer to their little ones leaking diapers overnight.
These booster pads look a bit like feminine pads, and are inserted into a regular (or night) diaper. The booster pad serves as the first line of defense , absorbing up to 25 cl (about a glass) of liquid. The diaper retains the excess until the pad is full.
For parents who find that even overnight diapers don't do the trick, these diapers can be a good last-resort option. Do you use cloth diapers? They even have pads for inserting into cloth diapers!
7. Keep practicing sleep
Although uncomfortable, if you're doing sleep training, you'll need to clean your baby, change the sheets, go through a mini routine, and get your baby to calm down. You don't want a leaky diaper, for example, to interfere with your training and affect the progress you and your baby have made.
Have you ever had diaper leaking problems with your baby at night? How did you deal with this situation? If you have any tips for adding them to our list, feel free to share them with us below!
I hope this article has answered some of your questions. Feel free to share your experiences with us in the comments.
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