Overnight side sleepers

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Archives1

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Just posted a couple of pictures of how I deal with the annoying nightime leaks for side sleepers. You need a good overlap of diaper material and by using two pins on each side I get pretty good side coverage. I use changing times gauze prefolds with 3 baby diaper prefolds for stuffers. Plastic pants need to fit snug around legs and waist and all edges need to be tucked in. I’m a fairly heavy multiple wetter and any diaper can be overloaded. I always have a plastic mattress protector under my sheets for those nights.
 
Fetware.com has an excellent selection of pull-on cloth diapers for overnight and side sleepers. They haven't had them in stock for awhile due to the pandemic. I have used these for years with excellent results.
 
So having had this problem my whole life, for a large number of years I just dealt with the laundry. But the idea of using cloth seems like it would give me that cold feeling against my skin like my regular clothes would feel like vs a disposable that honestly, some mornings I don't even know that I had wet.
Is using cloth something you all just get used to or are they somehow made different that you don't have that wetness right against your skin?
 
Cloth diapers are expensive at first, but over the long hall, are much cheaper. My initial outlay, was about $300.00 for six diapers. This was nearly four years ago. Most are in great shape. I wash 3 at a time, line dry for two days, then a quick time in the dryer. You can also hang the diapers outside in the sun, which helps sanitize them. NEVER put plastic in the sun. Always hand wash and line dry.
 
JC, my problem is I have great success with disposables during the day, but not at night. If I happen to sleep face down or on my back when I wet it’s ok but I primarily sleep on my side and leak badly with any disposables. I’ve tried all my great daytime diapers but cloth is the only thing that works well for me overnight.
 
One thing that works well
for me is pulling up a pair or two of boxer briefs over my disposable before I put on plastic pants and my outer clothing. The boxer briefs catch and hold any leaks from finding their way out of the plastic pants and when fully saturated feel no different than the disposable since the majority of the moisture is in contact with the disposable's outer shell via the boxer briefs. I do roll up/fold up the legs of the boxer briefs to form an extra layer of protection around the disposable's leg openings and this has served me well. You can toss, turn, sleep on your side, and any leaks are contained and wicked into the boxer briefs. The number of pairs to use will be trial and error based on how heavy each person wets in a night. One to two pairs work for me.... anything to cut down on bulk.

This idea is similar to and derived from AGM batteries used in power sports applications to avoid lead acid battery spills common in jet skis, snowmobiles, and four wheelers where extreme angles can tip a battery causing a spill. In AGM batteries, the moisture is contained in fiberglass mats between cells. Hence, (Absorbed Glass Mat) or AGM style cell design.
 
One thing I have noticed is that the longer the wings on a disposable overlap, the less leaks there are for us side sleepers. The trick is the diaper has to fit snug enough to make a good seal around the legs, waist and has to be tall enough, not those slimmed down versions the companies are trying to push into the market. And also a good, snug fitting diaper cover works excellent. I tried cloth a long time ago. Recently they have started selling pull ups with a cloth diaper built in, don't know how absorbent those are.
 
Fortunately I have no issues with the cloth diaper being wet. Maybe because Ive worn them at night my whole life and am just used to how they feel in the morning.
 
JC1471 said:
You wrote:
"But the idea of using cloth seems like it would give me that cold feeling against my skin"

Since I wear cloth diapers all the time at night, (Except when traveling...) I have a couple thoughts on this...

Regarding a cold wet feeling with cloth diapers - I guess it depends on how you sleep. I always have a blanket covering me, even in the summer. Wearing cloth diapers with properly fitting plastic pants, under a blanket, the diapers pretty much stay body temperature when wet. Most mornings I don't even know I've wet until I reach down and check my diaper under the waistband of the plastic pants. Now if you sleep with nothing covering you, then perhaps a cloth diaper might cool enough that you would notice it.

Also, plastic pants have a part in it too. If you splash water on your pants, part of the wetness you feel is the cooling of the water as it evaporates. The same way our bodies cool by sweat evaporating. Have you ever had a diaper leak while you were sitting down, and you didn't notice until you stood up? That's because the wet spot was kept at body temp, then you stood up, it started cooling, and you felt it. With plastic pants over the diaper, it stops the evaporation and stays warm longer. Note: I have used snap-on plastic pants a few times, and my diaper seemed to cool down faster, given the gaps around the snaps.
Click to expand...
 
I agree with what MikeD9876 says. This is how I feel when waking up in the morning. My plastic pants keep the warmers in.
 
donny4 said:
Fortunately I have no issues with the cloth diaper being wet. Maybe because Ive worn them at night my whole life and am just used to how they feel in the morning.
Click to expand...
I think those of us who wet most nights eventually just get used to the wet feeling and it no longer bothers us. It is certainly the case for me. I always sleep though until morning no matter how wet I am.
 
I sometimes wake up during the night to see if I am already wet.
Don't know what time it is. Sometimes I am wet, sometimes dry. I have in the past wet within one hour of going to bed and/or Been dry after 8 hours. Can't narrow down the times I wet. Oh well.
 
I prefer cloth diapers a thousand times over. Yes, you do have wet fabric against skin. But a cloth diaper will wick. My cloth diaper is very thick and never reaches maximum saturation. The diaper soaks up urine and distributes it through the fabric. So in a few minutes the wet spot has dissipated. A disposable diaper wicks much less.

The downside is that the cloth diaper needs to be very thick. So I am limited to wearing them only at home. I can wet my cloth diaper for many hours and I’m still very comfortable. I don’t have any issues with being wet. I like wearing diapers.

I grew up in cloth diapers and I’m sure that has everything to do with it.
 
In all my years of incontinence as long as my "junk" is pointing down when I go to bed it doesn't matter position I sleep I usually wont leak, however if I get hard during my sleep I leak everywhere.
 
I find that a lot depends on the diaper as well. You have to find a disposable that fits right and is absorbent to handle your night needs. If the fit is wrong you will have leaks. If you are leaking a little try to check fit, and then try a more absorbent diaper. A lot is probably the fit. I also use fixing pants to hold them in place. I will sleep on my side for the most part, and have not had any leaks for years, even when i wake up drenched.
 
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