Let's Talk About Sleeping Through The Night

If there is one topic that can put a tired mom in tears as she stresses out about her babe vs others in the first 18  months it's sleep.  Mom's don't get sleep, Dad's don't get sleep, but often get more then Mom, and baby's sleep is the topic of debate (and this will tie into night time diapering - briefly). 

There is the CIO mom, the co-sleeping breastfeeding in her sleep Mom, the get up nurse and rock baby to sleep Mom and the my baby just falls asleep on her own like an angel Mom and everyone is up in arms about "am I doing this right".

Well I'm gonna let you in in a secret.  For the first 18months sleeping through the night is technically 5 hours.  Yep, 5.  Monkey goes to bed at 8, wakes at midnight, 5 am then up at 7 (that is all "ish", its not clockwork and some nights are "better" then others.. Other nights are "worse").  So Monkey (10.5 months as I write this)  "sleeps through the night".  I am not sleeping through the night cuz I'm changing a diaper, nursing and rocking and laying Monkey back down and trying to fall back to sleep.  Yes I change the diaper when he wakes its part of how I get that 5 hour stretch.  I could just sit and brag that Monkey sleeps all night (despite the circles under my eyes telling you that isn't quite true), but I'd rather explain that statement to you. 

So is your monkey getting a stretch close to 5 hours?  Congrats.  Your Monkey has achieved that magic goal and you don't feel any less tired lol. At least you can stop stressing.  If your Monkey isn't change the diaper, that might do it depending on age, bladder and digestive system.  If not, change it anyways because very soon that diaper change will help you achieve those precious 5 hours (of which you likely sleep 3.5)

Oh but your SIL or friend or that snot in your baby and me class has a baby who sleeps 8-10 hours and yours only sleeps 4 hours 45 min to 5hours?  Its ok.  Actually its Awesome! I know you don't believe me as you drink coffee #6 and worry about your new caffeine addiction, but it is. 

Let's jump forward in time a bit.  Before you know it you'll be potty training your Monkey and so will all the other Moms you know.  And very soon after that will be night time potty training.  Guess what?  No ones Monkey is going to go 8-10 hours with out peeing!  So your Monkey had a baby system that max's out at the average 5 hours and was accustomed to a dry bum?  Your Monkey is going to be waking up to pee in the potty and not in bed.  You might want to help this at first by encouraging your Monkey up about 15 min before the usual wake time, but they will do this naturally pretty quick (relatively speaking).  That 8-10 hour sleeper?  Yeah either they are peeing the bed every night or Mom looks like she needs an IV of Timmie's dark roast cuz she isn't used to this up twice a night crap.

You?  Your rocking it, you wonder why you ever needed 8 hours sleep in a row....which you'll be getting just another very small jump into the future.

Night time CD solutions and how often to change cloth.

First lets talk about when to change a diaper -daytime use.
People wonder how often do I need to change a cloth diaper.  The answer varies a little. 

A newborn needs changing about every 1.5-2 hours on average.  An older baby about every 2-4 hours.  Or whenever baby poops.

The answer is in part how absorbent a cloth diaper is and how often baby pees. 

Cloth diapers are not designed to hold 6 pees or more like disposables are.  This is a good thing.  It is healthy for baby to be changed and not sitting in their own urine.  Personally when I see disposables advertise "good for 12 hours" I just think that's sad. 

You could in theory make a cloth diaper that lasted that long but why? Also it would have ammonia issues. 
What about at night?
Well a newborn is gonna need to eat throughout the night. There bodies require that.  Consequently they pee and poop more and need more diaper changes. An added soaker will give you that extra hour of sleep if your newborns system will allow it.  As your baby gets older they will pee less often, eat less ofte. and wake less at night.  So yes you might need a long haul diaper for nights.  Especially if you co-sleep (and so likely nurse throughout the night with you and baby barely aware).  Its a good way to get sleep for some families.  Depends on mom and baby. 

Regardless you want that nighttime long haul absorbency
So we do have 6 pee diapers....but that's for night.  You let all diapers get that full of urine all the time and you will have issues.

Having a specific night time diaper is a popular option.  Some company's even make nighttime specific diapers.
•sloomb overnight diaper
•mother ease Sandy's diaper

You can also make your own nightime diaper.  Fitteds and HF's tend to be the best night time performers as are wool covers.  You can use any absorbent fabric of your choice.  I use flannel.  But the big performers here are hemp or bamboo-rayon fleece and hemp or bamboo-rayon terry.  I do not recommend zorb or MF.  Its no secret I'm not a fan if these fabrics but their compression leak problems are a big night time issue.  If you don't usually use a stay dry layer you might want to for a night time specific diaper.  It is optional, I haven't yet. 

Night time attachments.
Another alternative is to make boosters or doublers for nights.  This is a soaker but references this specific use.  A high absorbency fabric soaker often with a staydry layer.  You can also makes an HF shell (water resistant fleece cover).  With these options you lay your booster into your regular diaper  and put the fleece shell over it.   With a pocket you can make a set of night time soakers with your bottom most layer being a water resistant fleece.  It's not as effective as the fitted adjustments but it will help.

And lastly a wool cover.  It really is the night time bullet proof answer. 

Why are Fitted's popular at night?  They just work great and are more versitile for adding fleece, wool, and a booster.  With a pocket or aio you can really only add the booster although you could make  wool longies (pants that double as diaper covers) to use as pajama pants over your pocket or aio with the added booster inside. 

Fit
With the added booster (night soaker), you need to make sure you haven't made your diaper to tight.  A diaper that is to tight will add to leaks. 

Throughout the night
If your baby wakes and that diaper needs changing, change it.  Just cuz baby has a night time diaper that will make it through the night doesn't mean it always should.  For this reason I recommend 3-4 night time diapers for a 2 day laundry routine.

When Morning Comes
Come morning if baby slept through the night you are going to have a very urine soaked diaper.  Rinse it and rinse it well.  Now I recommend rinsing every diaper.  But if you don't, please do with the night time diaper come morning.  And not a little run under the tap or sprayer.  Fully soak under tap, wring and repeat, and then again.  It's common to hear "I have ammonia but only in my nighttime diapers".  Yeah well that's cuz they got peed in all night and then the ammonia from urine built up till laundry time.  This also is why we don't make cloth diapers that last 8 hours....except for nighttime diapers.