This is part 3 of the ‘Cloth at night’ series.
To read earlier parts please follow these links:
Cloth at night: an introduction
Part 1: Considering cloth nappies at night-time?
Dedicated night nappies are a relatively new sub-section in the world of modern cloth nappies.
Cloth night nappies are specially designed for babies and toddlers who sleep through the night and have a large volume of fluid output during night sleeps.
There are 2 types of night nappies
1. Night nappies that need a separate cover. The most absorbant night nappies usually fall in this category.
2. Night nappies that do not need a separate cover: all the absorbancy and waterproofing is sewn together, or in a pocket nappy format. Usually this kind of nappy has good quality polarfleece as the outer waterproof layer: it is rare to find wool outer nappies that are all together with the absorbancy.
Personally I think a fitted night nappy and a separate wool cover works the best at night. A fitted night nappy is fully absorbant, and allows superior breathability, especially when coupled with a wool cover.
Facts about dedicated night nappies
Night nappies are:
1. Usually made out of hemp, bamboo and microfibre materials, for maximum absorbency and trimness.
2. Are generally made from medium size onwards to large sizes, as night nappies really come to their own when babies grow bigger and sleep through the night.
3. Are generally bulkier than day time nappies, as the layers start from about 16 layers upwards to 22 layers or more. Guaranteed to induce the ‘cowboy swagger’!
Early dedicated night nappies were extremely bulky and extremely expensive to begin with, with up to 1 metres of cotton, expensive hemp or bamboo fleece in the one absorbant nappy (this is going back only 5 years!). Current designs make use of trim nappy patterns and contoured or customised absorbancy to trim down the overall size of the nappy.
4. Usually covered in wool, fleece or PUL for breathability, far superior to PVC in the old days.
Nappy tips for dealing with heavywetters
1. For best results, ensure the outer layer of the nappy is either wool or a good quality fleece material.
Personally I adore wool for its breathability, and its ability to ‘pull’ moisture out of the nappy to evaporate throughout the night, keeping baby drier for longer, and allowing the nappy to ‘reset’ its absorbancy all night. Malden Mills Fleece (300wt or Windpro) is an excellent outer layer choice if wool is not your cup of tea.
2. If using PUL as an outer layer, consider using extra layers of absorbancy, or change to wool or fleece if leaks continue.
3. How many night nappies? At least 3 to start off with, with the average around 5-6, as some of these very absorbent nappies have many layers and may take a few days to dry.
Night nappy brands in Australia
At Bean Sprout Bubba we carry the Baby Beehinds Nights night nappy, which needs a cover to go over it. These nappies are trim for a night nappy and have the ability to adjust absorbancy where it is needed.
Click here to shop for nappies to use at night time at Bean Sprout Bubba.
Baby Beehinds Nights - a fantastic night nappy in stock at Bean Sprout Bubba (s, M, L)
Other quality and highly regarded Aussie brands of dedicated night nappies to consider:
- Mandy Mac ‘Purple Nights’ (fitted, requires cover)
- Twinkle Lily ‘Supernightz’ (fitted, requires cover)
- Sustainable Hemp Products Nappy Chappies ‘Sandmans’ (fitted, requires cover)
- Keester Kovers (all in one, Fleece outer, no PUL, not currently being made UPDATED 31/7/2010: will be available again very soon!)
- Wild Child ‘Dreamy Nights’ (fitted, requires cover)
- Genesa Forge: various night nappies for heavy wetters up to super heavywetters (all in one)
- Whizz Kidz night nappy (fitted, requires a cover)
- Bubblebubs ‘Good Night Sleep Tight’ (fitted, requires a very generous nappy cover)
Does anyone have any questions? tips? Comment Away!
Please note: Assuredly night nappies are something I didn’t have to deal with, though I did come very very close with my then-nearly-3-year-old right before she night-trained! So please take what you read in Part 3 with a grain of salt, and tell me YOUR experiences with dedicated night nappies.
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Thanks for all the info about night nappies! With the night nappies I use for my son, they are pocket nappies with PUL, and we generally have no problems with leaking. The key is to make sure you have enough absorbency
@Kyra: Yes, with PUL putting in enough absorbancy for the nappy is the key. Usually PUL pocket nappies with a wider crotch and elasticated front and back work very well at night, except in cases where baby is a super heavywetter. This is what I used with my daughter too before she night trained.
For super heavywetters I reckon a bulletproof solution would still be a night time fitted nappy and a cover to go over it, but that’s from reading other people’s experiences
Some night fitted diapers are without snaps or aplix fastenings, so need to be snappi-ed before putting on fleece or wool shorts. I tried them for night and did not like it. The snappi made holes in the beautiful diaper and it’s a heartache. It was also tough to put snappi on if the child is tired and cranky before bedtime. For my boy who rolled all over the bed at night, the snappi could also come unfastened sometimes.
I conclude that these nappies (without fastenings) are more appropriate if you plan to use them with a snug PUL or fleece cover with fastenings, instead of fleece or wool shorts. Hope this helps.
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