Leaking Pull Ups at Night

Updated on April 03, 2008
J.P. asks from Atlanta, GA
35 answers

Does anyone have any tips for leaking pull-ups at night? My son manages to wet his pyjamas and sheets at least 3 nights a week, usually when he has had a lot to drink a couple of hours before and leading up to bed. So other than reducing his liquid intake, are there any other ideas out there? Thanks!

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So What Happened?

Wow, I am absolutely amazed at the outpouring of responses! Thank you so much to everyone of you who took the time to give me your ideas and suggestions. Most people recommended using night time pull-ups, especially the huggies brand. I went out and got some last night and my son slept right through the night, without wetting the bed. Yay! Thanks again everyone.

Featured Answers

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R.D.

answers from Spartanburg on

I'd try vinyl pants, the kind you use over cloth diapers. We've used cloth diapers and the only time we've ever had nighttime leaks is when we've used disposables on travel, so we started using the vinyl pants with them, and they're fine. They're easy enough for a child to get on and off, if they're potty trained, too. You can usually get a 3-pack of them at Kmart or Walmart for just a couple of dollars. You can also find them online, but they're usually a little more expensive on the diapers sites. Good luck!

2 moms found this helpful
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G.D.

answers from Atlanta on

Publix sells a diaper insert. Looks like a large maxi pad. You put it inside the diaper at night. I never had another leak after i started using them for my daughter.

1 mom found this helpful
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T.C.

answers from Atlanta on

I don't know what his bedtime is but try getting him up before you go to bed and have him use the restroom. limit juice and sodas also

1 mom found this helpful

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L.G.

answers from Spartanburg on

My son had the same problem dt he did drink a lot of liquids as well. He does not eat well so I did not deprive him of drinking but did make sure no caffiene, sugar, etc. Also pullups leaked for us as well even if he pottied prior to getting in the bed. The one thing I absolutely loved and will use with my next child was huggies overnight diapers. They held well, did not irritate his skin, did not smell of urine and were comfortable to him. Good luck in finding what works for you.

2 moms found this helpful
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S.M.

answers from Atlanta on

And don't forget to put a waterproof pad *over* the sheet.
I've found some large ones - they are made to go under a baby's crib sheet. Get the ones that feel like cloth on the outside, so they are comfortable enough.

It's easy to find small ones (they call them "lap pads" I think) - harder to find the large ones. Or if you have a couple of soft, thick beach towels, you can try those, just to make cleanup easier.

1 mom found this helpful
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R.H.

answers from Atlanta on

Overnites for boys worked for me. They're at the grocery store and come in sizes. They hold alot more and the absorbancy is up front where it's needed. I had a pee pad (I think I got it from One Step Ahead)tucked in on the middle of my son's bed as well to hopefully catch if anything leaked so you could just change it and not the whole set of sheets. My son used to sleep in some weird positions at times and manage to pucker them and could manage to get the Overnites to leak a little but a whole lot less than you're seeing now. Pull ups just don't cut it at night!!

Make sure he doesn't drink a whole lot and uses the bathroom right before bedtime. Take care, R.

1 mom found this helpful
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E.B.

answers from Atlanta on

Hey J.,

Check out the diaper aisle - there are pads you can insert in to the diapers for extra protection. My sons went through a stage where overnights didn't seem to cut it too.

Li

1 mom found this helpful
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G.C.

answers from Atlanta on

I had to change to goodnights due to the same reason. Also, still have to get my daughter up at night to take her to the bathroom. before I would get her up at night I would put her back in a diaper and pull-ups during the day. then I change to goodnights, and started getting her up. goodluck

1 mom found this helpful
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M.J.

answers from Atlanta on

We had the same problem with our son. Make sure that right before you tuck him in for kisses, tell him to go to the bathroom. Also limit the amount of fluids he takes before bedtime. We give Lawson one glass of milk with dinner which is 1 hr and a half before bedtime. Seems to have made a big difference. Good luck

1 mom found this helpful
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K.R.

answers from Atlanta on

Def don't use off brand, I have mad the mistake and let me tell you, they don't work as well!

There's not much I can suggest that I am sure you're already doing. Make him go pee pee an hour before bed and have him try again right before bed. No cups to sleep, and I wouldn't let him have anything to drink within an hr of bedtime unless it was afew sips of water when you brush his teeth. If that doesn't work, he may just need diapers at night time until he is a bit more potty trained.

Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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M.R.

answers from Atlanta on

What type of pull ups are you using? My suggestion are night time pull ups.

1 mom found this helpful
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C.G.

answers from Atlanta on

I'd wake him up to use the bathroom before you go to bed. If his pull up is already wet, you can change it. I've been waking up my 4 year old for a while, and she always goes right back to sleep.

1 mom found this helpful
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K.B.

answers from Atlanta on

J.,

I sell cloth trainers at www.balterbaby.com if you are interested. These are great for little ones and also keep diapers and pull-ups out of the land fills. Sizes are based on your child's weight and they come in various colors. Thanks!
K. www.balterbaby.com

1 mom found this helpful
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C.S.

answers from Atlanta on

Use Huggies overnights. Also, take him to the potty at night before you go to bed, just wake him and put him on there then let him go back to bed. That way you are training him for night waking to go potty.

1 mom found this helpful
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B.

answers from Augusta on

get some night time diapers, and cut down on his drinking an hr before and get him to go potty just before you put him to bed.

1 mom found this helpful
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R.A.

answers from Sumter on

There is a brand called goodnight's and I believe they start at 2T. They stop the leaking into the bed. Not sure if it will help but it wont hurt to try. I see them at walmart beside the pull-ups all the time.

1 mom found this helpful
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E.B.

answers from Charleston on

i feel your pain - our sheets have been washed more than you can imagine! i had to start going with "Good Nights" for bedtime. they seemed a lot thicker and are the only thing my son won't wet through. i try and discourage a lot of liquids after 7...he can have water, but we don't do juice etc. but that's really hard for me - if a child is thirsty, he's thirsty! good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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T.W.

answers from Atlanta on

Yep- limiting his fluids at night is the smart thing for YOU to do.. You could also try no caffine drinks or Juice after dinner. Also something to look at is if Cole is that thirsty you might want to get his sugar checked. Don't forget your Son's feelings after he wakes up 2 notice his bed is wet. You can only wash a matteress cover so many times. You can use shower curtain liners for mattress protection. Just use the garters to hold it in place. You can buy them at the dollar store for next to nothing. Just remember positive thoughts & words for your little one...... Good luck.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.M.

answers from Charleston on

I switched to "Goodnight underpants for boys" they are pullups but have more absorbency than the regular pullups and are made for bedwetting for kids of all ages. The smallest size they make is S/M & the cheapest place to get them is Walmart. My youngest son has been wearing them since he was 3 (is 5 now)for bedtime. The only time we have had an accident is when he has a too much juice(of any kind) & he doesn't go to the bathroom before bed. Even then its been very few accidents. A LOT LESS than regular pullups. You can also use the underpants again if your son does not wet them. I do. I also had a friend tell me she takes her son to the bathroom even when he is asleep before she goes to bed. That has worked as well. I hope this helps.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.D.

answers from Atlanta on

To tell you the truth, I think it actually has more to do with the pull-ups. I'm going through the same thing with my 2 year old. He sleeps on his stomach, and he has woken up with his clothes soaked four times in the past week. What got to me is that the pull-up itself is barely wet.

By any chance, are you using the Huggies Pull-ups with the cool alert? The leaking pull-ups has only been happening since we switched to those. I never had that problem when we were using the Pampers Easy-Ups (though I did with the Pampers Feel & Learn) or the Kroger brand. And I never have that problem when I find Pull-ups without the cool alert.

We're actually planning to go back to either the Pampers (which I don't like as much, since they don't have the resealable sides) or the Kroger brand after he finishes this last pack.

1 mom found this helpful
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V.A.

answers from Atlanta on

I did notice a difference with the name-brand vs store brand pullups. Name-brand were definitely better. However, limiting liquid intake close to bedtime until he can get up during the night himself may be your best bet. He just may be a heavy sleeper - I am still going through this with my 5 year old, sometimes he gets up and sometimes he sleeps right through. If he is only 2 1/2 you might could go back to diapers just at night. that is young for night time training.

1 mom found this helpful
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T.B.

answers from Atlanta on

Have you tried overnight pull-ups? That would be my first suggestion. Next would be to move to the next size up or a different brand. I've often had to switch back and forth because different brands fit differently and at different stages some work better than others--just my opinion.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.B.

answers from Atlanta on

I think you have to buy the Overnights for nighttime usage. I noticed the same problem with my son whenever he has a long nap. I haven't gotten the Overnights yet, but they're made to address this problem. I don't think the Pull Ups are made with enough absorbancy to handle a lot of pee.

1 mom found this helpful
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D.S.

answers from Myrtle Beach on

I usually only give water to my son after 8, make sure he goes to the bathroom right before he goes to bed at 9 and he wears GoodNights underpants. They are more absorbent and made for nighttime wear. Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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C.C.

answers from Atlanta on

Use the night time pull ups and give him a fresh one right before bed! Good luck.

1 mom found this helpful
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L.C.

answers from Albany on

We tried using pull-ups, but found they didn't help with toilet-training for either of our girls. The pull-ups did tend to leak at night. While we trying pull-ups during potty-training, we switched to diapers at night.

The Overnight pads that another Mom mentioned are helpful. We used those a couple of times with diapers with one of my girls and no leaks. When I told another mom about them, she said she just used Maxi-pads. It probably is the same product, but the cost unit was about the same, so I went with the one marketed for the babies. I used the Albertson's brand (the only store that carried them where I lived in SoCal).

L.

1 mom found this helpful
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L.R.

answers from Savannah on

J.,
I'm not sure if this applies to your son, but with my son we had to go to the Good Nights because the Pull Ups were leaking every night, and we couldn't find the nighttime Pull Ups in his size. He is 3 but big for his age, so the small Good Nights are a little big on him but so far we have had NO accidents with them. They make the kind that are like Pull Ups as well as a boxer-short kind for older kids. We use the Pull Up kind. Hope this helps!
L.

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D.V.

answers from Atlanta on

Good Morning
My daughter was the same way. You need a product called overnights. They come in a blue package and they sell them at Publix next to the diapers. They are basically like a maxi pad that you place inside the diaper or pullup so they can soak up more. We always used them at night and on long trips. They only costs about $3 for a package of 30 or so. Hope this helps...anything is better then changing sheets in the middle of the night. LOL

D.

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A.A.

answers from Atlanta on

J.,
not sure if this will help but in my situation I tried switching brands. I found that my daughter wouldn't leak through pampers or CVS brand, but leaked through huggies -and my nephew, 21/2 (who I am also raising) leaks through pampers but not CVS brand. Also, this is painful but I try to get up to take them to potty during the night - it's hard but better than always changing sheets

1 mom found this helpful
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J.M.

answers from Atlanta on

J. -

We have used Huggies night time pull ups for boys our 3 yo. They are the only ones we have used that don't leak at night.

You can get them for a good price via amazon.com.

Warmly - J.

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C.H.

answers from Augusta on

diapers can be the same ay for babies.You just have to trail and error.Try less fluids,1 size bigger,and different brand.The overnight ones are good also.I recieve a sample from them every once in awhile and all they are made up of paper shorts with a diaper on the inside.

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J.W.

answers from Atlanta on

Depending on his weight, you could try the Huggies night time diapers. They are more absorbent than pull ups. Those always worked for my daughter who pees a ton at night! Good luck.

1 mom found this helpful
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L.K.

answers from Atlanta on

This is a very common problem, one that I've never heard a perfect solution to, especially for boys. We've gone through this too. I would try a larger size of pull-ups and be sure to have a vinyl sheet under the fitted sheet to protect the mattress. (That still leaves a lot of laundry to do. I can relate for sure.) Other than that, I'm not sure there's a lot you can do. Fortunately, your son is quite young still and doesn't even have this issue every night. There are some of us who ask this question when our sons are 9 years old. I wish you luck and will keep my eye out to see if anyone has a good solution.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.S.

answers from Columbia on

i had this problem with one of my daughters, i found that if i bought the night time pull-ups, made her use the bathroom right before bed and took her to the potty around 11 pm or midnight that we did not have any issues with them leaking anymore. i hope this helps and you can cut down on sheet washing!

1 mom found this helpful
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B.C.

answers from Athens on

mabey at night only give hime a little drink of something and then put him to bed and then mabey he wont wet the bed or sheets

1 mom found this helpful
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