Normal disposable diapers are meant to be changed every couple of hours. They are not adequate for protecting baby throughout the night.
Overnight diapers are designed with a larger capacity so they can keep your baby comfortable for closer to 12 hours. That means baby is comfortable and sleeps longer and so do you.
Top 10 Overnight Diapers
1. HUGGIES OverNites Diapers – Extra-Absorbent
These overnight diapers are designed to keep your baby three times drier than most ordinary diapers do. They do this by locking the wetness away from the skin of the baby.
These diapers are designed to be worn for about 12 hours with no leaks, or uncomfortable wetness occurring.
The diapers weigh about 0.19 grams less than other diapers so they are lighter and less bulky. That allows your baby to be more comfortable.
They have typical diaper closures, and a flexible waist-band. They come in a value package of 180 diapers. The size four is suitable for babies that weigh between 22 and 37 pounds.
2. Pampers Baby-Dry Disposable Diaper – Best by Budget
This diaper will help to promote healthy sleeping habits for your infant. It eliminates the need to change the diapers in the middle of the night, and allows the baby to rest comfortably and feel dry through the night.
This diaper is designed to be worn for up to 12 ours. It provides protection from leaks so the baby’s bedding and clothing stay drier.
It is designed to be worn by children who are between 22 and 37 pounds. It has a flexible waist that allows the baby to move without causing discomfort. It closes with typical diaper closure strips that can be opened to check the diaper and then closed again.
3. Sposie Booster Pads Diaper Doubler – Best Diaper Booster Pad
Sposie Booster Pads are made to be used with disposable diapers. The booster pad is placed inside the diaper next to the baby so the diaper can absorb more liquid and the baby can stay drier.
They are hypoallergenic and tested by pediatricians and dermatologist to make sure that they are good for the baby’s skin. They help to alleviate the discomfort of wetness during the night, and they protect the clothing and bedding from leaks that can occur.
These can be used with the majority of diaper brands. They keep the moisture away from the baby and reduce the possibility of diaper rash or redness and irritation.
They can even be used when you are traveling to reduce accidents and discomfort while in the car, or when the baby is taking a long nap.
4. Bambo Nature Eco Friendly Baby Diapers – Best for Sensitive Skin
These overnight diapers are designed to be very comfortable for baby. They have a flexible waist band and latex-free leg cuffs so baby can move through the night and their diaper will stay in position. The baby will also not experience the painful rings around their little legs from wearing the diaper too long because the latex-free leg openings are not as restrictive.
They have a super soft back-sheet that is non-woven. They are even suggested for nap time and bed time.
They fit children who weigh between 15 and 39 pounds. They are designed to provide maximum protection for a period up to 12 hours.
5. Goodnites Bedwetting Underwear for Boys
Goodnights are disposable underwear. They are designed for older toddlers and children who have graduated to wearing underwear, but still experience some nighttime wetness. They provide 40% more protection than the other leading pull-up does at night.
The waist band of these underpants is very stretchy so they are easy to pull on and to remove. They move with the child so matter how active your child is they will stay protected.
They have discreet odor absorption so your child never has to worry that anyone will know that they wet their pants at night. They look and fit like underwear, and they absorb like a high-quality diaper would.
6. The Honest Company Club Box Overnight Baby Diapers
These overnight diapers are designed to keep your baby dry, and to allow your baby to have freedom of movement. They have side panels that are soft and have a lot of stretch to the material. They have an elastic waist band that moves with the child and the leg cuffs fit great without binding. The fastening tabs secure the diaper in place, and they can be readjusted if need be.
The absorbent portion of these diapers is created from fluff pulp and plant derived materials so they are gentler for your baby’s skin. They are made without fragrances, lotions, chlorine bleach, or latex so your baby will have fewer rashes and less exposure to possibly harmful chemical components.
7. Pampers Pure Protection Disposable Baby Diapers
These diapers are recommended for babies who are still under ten pounds of weight. They are designed for newborns and have a wetness indicator that allows you to immediately see if the diaper has been wet in without disturbing the baby.
They are made with premium cotton and other plant-based fibers to be gentle and kind to your baby’s skin. They have no fragrance added, or lotion, parabens or EU 26 allergens. With these diapers your baby will have the greatest amount of protection from wetness, irritation and rashes.
These diapers are designed to provide as many as 12 hours of wetness protection so your little one can rest more comfortably and you can too.
8. Luvs Ultra Leakguards Disposable Baby Diapers
These diapers provide all of the protection and comfort for your baby without the high-price that premium brands come with. Mothers learn quickly that their baby does not need a name on its bottom, they need a diaper that is hypoallergenic, comfortable, and able to withstand the normal movements and actions of a baby.
These diapers fasten at the waist with tabs that can be opened and closed repeatedly. They have leg cuffs that are wide enough for the baby legs but tight enough to stop leaks from happening.
They are lightweight, and they do not contain irritating lotions and perfumes that make your baby have rashes and irritations.
They are designed to fit children who weigh between 16 and 28 pounds.
9. Pampers Under Jams Disposable Bedtime Underwear for Boys
These are made for slightly older children who weigh between 38 and 65 pounds. They are bedtime underwear that provide the leak protection you have come to trust in anything made by Pampers. They use night lock technology that allows wetness to be whisked away from the child’s skin and kept away so there is no irritation, rash, or wet clothing to deal with.
These are designed with a lower waist line than most overnight underwear. This design allows your child to not be embarrassed by their undergarment when they go to sleepovers. Only your child will know that they have under jams on.
The material they are made from is cloth like so they look and feel like real underwear. They allow the skin to breathe, and they do not rustle when the child moves.
10. Seventh Generation Baby Overnight Diapers – Best Eco-Friendly Overnight Diaper
Seventh Generation gives you everything you want in an overnight diaper including protection for the delicate skin of the baby. They are designed to be used by children with sensitive skin. They are also designed with fewer chemical additives, no-fragrances, no-lotions, no-latex, and no big price tags.
These diapers are designed to be more absorbent and capable of holding more so the child can wear them for an average of 12 hours without needing to be changed. The moisture will be locked away from the skin of the baby so they will not get irritated, and they will feel comfortable all night long.
These diapers are designed in a beautifully rich color so it is easy to tell the overnights from the regular diapers at just a glance.
Does My Baby Need Overnight Diapers?
Yes. Your baby is going to wet several times during the night. If they are wearing a regular diaper then after they wet a couple of times the diaper is going to leak and allow their clothing and their bedding to get wet. Their skin is going to be pressing against wet material and will become uncomfortable, or they could scald or develop a rash.
An overnight diaper is designed to hold more urine, and be able to protect the baby, and their surroundings for up to twelve hours. That means the baby is more comfortable and you get to sleep longer.
Type of Overnight Diaper?
Overnight diapers may be a typical diaper that is designed to be thicker and more absorbent, or they could be a pull-up style of undergarment made for older children who have transitioned into underwear during the day-time, or they could be pads that are designed to be used with a regular diaper to increase the holding capacity of the diaper.
Tips of changing diapers
Diaper changes happen every couple of hours until your baby gets old enough to learn to go to the potty. Learning all of the tips can save you time and frustration when facing these changes, especially in the middle of the night.
- Always gather everything you will need before you pick the baby up, or remove the old diaper. This includes a fresh diaper, wipes to clean the baby, diaper rash cream, and dry clothing.
- Have disposal bags, or a sealed container to put the soiled diaper in
- Have a night light in the baby’s room so you do not have to turn on an overhead light while changing a nighttime diaper
- Talk to the baby in a soothing voice while changing the diaper and they are more likely to lie still and cooperate with you
- Always wash your hands thoroughly after every diaper change. Keep hand sanitizer in your diaper bag in case you have to change a diaper in the car, or away from a source of running water.
Final Thoughts
Mothers have been trying to find a way to keep their infants dry and comfortable through the night since the beginning of time. A dry baby sleeps better, and the mother of a dry baby sleeps longer.
Using overnight diapers is a way that you can keep the wetness away from your baby’s skin so they can rest easier and sleep longer. Many mothers use cloth diapers during the day, but switch to overnights at bedtime so their babies can be more comfortable.
Dr. Leah Alexander, M.D., is a board-certified Pediatrician in New Jersey and has been working at Elizabeth Pediatric Group of New Jersey since 2000. Since 2005, Dr. Alexander has worked as an independently contracted pediatrician with Medical Doctors Associates at Pediatricare Associates of New Jersey.
She also has a passion for culinary arts that extends beyond the medical realm. After completing culinary school at the French Culinary Institute, she started Global Palate, LLC, a catering firm, in 2007. She ran her own catering company for six years and served small group parties as an owner and executive chef.