Finding a nighttime solution that works for your baby can be extremely stressful. No parent wants to change a diaper in the middle of the night and the last thing any parent wants to do is change sheets!
Whether your child is a light-wetter or super-soaker it doesn’t matter; 12 hours or more in one cloth diaper is a long time.
I’ve compiled a list of successful nighttime cloth diaper combinations for you. You may have to experiment once or twice but most on this list will work great for any child.
- Double stuffed Fuzzi Bunz pocket. Flip inserts are excellent.
- Sbish Bamboo fitted (the Magic diaper) w/ Thirsties cover or Sbish wool (*our #1 system)
- Flip w/ 2 inserts
- Rumparooz w/ 6r insert + Goodmama goodfront doubler (I’ve used it w/ and w/o the doubler) This works great for baby’s sleeping in any position.
- A Goodmama Goodnights diaper with fleece liner and a SMJAE hemp doubler inside and a Happy Heinys large insert on the outside of it. Then, I put it all in a bulletproof Disana wool soaker. This recommendation came from a mom who’s daughter is an extreme wetter and does a lot of acrobatics in bed at night.
- Happy Hempys for night time (fleece lined) stuffed with 1 or 2 Thirsties hemp inserts and a Thirsties cover
- Under the nile fitted and a UTN doubler with a Thirsties cover or Motherease airflow cover
- Clover Organic velour fitted with the insert that comes with it and a t bone doubler from them with a Lana wool soaker
- Bububebe fitted with Aristocrat wool soaker (I’ve seen huge raves for this combo!)
- Holden’s Landing Bedbug fitteds with a Stacinator So Simple cover (I’ve seen mixed reviews on these covers)
- “I use VBBN from blue lake diapers and get the extra soakers but have them made quick dry style. I use a stacinator so simple cover over it and have never had a leak.”
- Goodmama with two Zorb/bamboo doublers and a fleece soaker
Here are some sleeping position tips:
Tummy sleepers: pack the front, especially if you have a boy. All doublers should be folded and placed in the very front/top of the diaper. Don’t use pockets. They tend to leak more w/ tummy sleepers. A nice tight fitted with a wool cover or Thirsties has always worked for us. Paisley was a tummy sleeper and always the back was dry and front was soaked. I love bamboo doubler because they can be folded up and not add a ton of bulk.
Side sleepers/marathon nursers 
: If I’ve had a leak it’s because I didn’t get a nice tight fit at the legs and most likely didn’t pay attention to the placement of his parts. I like the security of longies and anything with gussets (Rumparooz, Thirsties) Over stuffing a pocket can create a problem as well. The pee can come out faster than the fabric can absorb and leak right out the leg.
What about covers and breathability?
Wool breathes best. Heat built up from the urine and tight fit can pass through the pores of the wool. Motherease airflow covers also allow heat to flow out. PUL covers allow air flow less than the natural wool fibers will. Avoid plastic pants! The heat is trapped and in addition to being uncomfortable for your child can also cause rashes.
There is a nighttime solution for your child.
If you get frustrated don’t resort to disposables! From what I hear if your child pees through one of these combos you’re sure to have leaks in a disposable. I’ve always been more afraid to use a sposie at night, I trust my cloth diapers more.
There’s no doubt that you have a hundred other nighttime solutions. Be sure and let us all know your success combo in the comments!
Check out the links at the top right of my blog for shopping resources. Other suggestions include:
{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
ur tips are really help ful
I have never had a problem with leaking at night, but I’ve always had a problem with nighttime rash. My daughter has extremely sensitive skin and being up against wet cloth all night just makes her bottom red as a beet. I’ve tried fuzzi-bunz, prefolds with wool covers, all sorts of boosters and liners, and inserts. She is just always red unless I use a disposable. I’ve stripped and stripped and use a water softener and charlie’s soap. She can’t go longer than an hour and half during the day, so 12 hours is just too long. I’ve tried everything I can think of and still nothing works that long. Even using disposables she’s still a little pink in the morning. If you have any ideas, I’m open to trying them.
Looks like some good suggestions….I’ll have to try some of these with my next baby….I did resort to disposables for a while, but my daughter was leaking out of those too so I kept trying to find something that would work. After a few weeks of trying other things, she suddenly stopped peeing so much at night. Now I just use a fitted with a softbums soaker and a sugar pees fleece cover. Or a double-stuffed pocket.
We love Disana wool soakers for our toddler and use the Sbish magic diaper, Baby Beehinds hemp fitted, or a BSRB overnight underneath with no leaks. Also, we have success with a super-do insert stuffed in a Drybees fleece pocket.
Hey, Autumn – thanks for the recommendation! I notice the Stork Wearhouse link above doesn’t seem to be working. Here’s a link directly to our nighttime diapering recommendations: http://www.thestorkwearhouse.com/Night-Cloth-Diapers-s/206.htm
Thanks for your awesome, informative blog.
Hi Autumn,
We use flat diapers with two Zorb soaker and breathable nylon pants for my daugther, not a bad mix for now …
I recommend one piece pajamas at night time when using cloth diapers. When ever we have a leak it is almost always caused by a two piece pajama set. Usually it is the elastic at the waist or the shirt some how gets down into the diaper.
I use a Fuzzi Buns stuffed with a Super-Doo and cover it with a Dancing Bears night weight cover.
I have just gone back to cloth at night bc my son also always had a rash at night. The solution? A Fuzzi Bunz stuffed with 2 microfiber inserts. To combat the rash, I’ve started bleaching my inserts only with a capful of bleach (I primarily use mf) and it has helped tremendously. Great tips Autumn!! Also to avoid leaks with a tummy sleeper in pockets, I don’t stuff all the way to the front seam, I keep just a little gap so it doesn’t leak out.
I absolutely love my nighttime solution and have never had a single leak with it ever after trying tons of other combinations that all leaked.
We use a happy hempy (without the fleece) stuffed with a bumgenius onesize microfiber insert and a swaddlebees one-size hemp doubler, and then a sugarpeas fleece cover over it.
It breathes wonderfully and even helps her feel better if she looked like she might be developing a diaper-rash from using pul all day.
Jillian’s Drawers actually offers it as a package deal. It’s a bit expensive for one diaper, but believe me it’s worth it!
Thanks for all the great recommendations. We have used either SBish fitteds with a Thirsties cover or BG 3.0 double stuffed with a bamboo prefold & microfiber insert. I do have a tummy sleeper, but haven’t had issues with leaks with this combination.
Hi Autumn…I have tried many different and expensive cloth diapers before I ever read your blog and on your recommendations I went ahead and bought the flip diapering system. It works GREAT! finally something practical and affordable that doesn’t leak for my big guy. There’s no leaks day or night. Even with yucky teething diapers, no leaks. I use the flip cover with 2 stay dry inserts at night. Awesome, awesome, AWESOME. Truly a breakthrough.
Autumn,
We used FB’s with our older sons, they were ok, we switched to wool at night and that did the trick. A good hemp diaper and then a wool pull on cover (recycled wool of course). We currently are doing combination of things at night with our current son, the only part that is on your list is the Thirsties cover.
I LOVE my Little Smudgeez OBV fitteds w/ the cuddle fleece outside. They are SO absorbent that sometimes I can’t feel the moisture on the outside! They are simply amazing. They also have the best fit out of ANY fitted I’ve tried (and I’ve tried alot!). I like my Winkydinks fleece soaker over it or my Blueberry PUL cover. If these are all dirty I use my Flip cover w/ a trifolded OBV prefold.
The one that works best for us – is actually not on your list. I used a GAD semi-fitted stuffed with a “playttime” insert from Greenhorn on HC, and a Joey Bunz Premium insert. I cover it all with a Thirsties Duo wrap.
We use a Drybees Gone Natural fitted with a dancing bears night weight fleece soaker. We have never had a leak with this combination – even for 13 hours!
I love the dancing bears nightweight fleece cover! i have never had a leak with it. I use a toddler size prefold folded to fit with an infant pf as a doubler inside with a fleece liner. works awesome, and pretty cheap. I also use the pf combo with some longies i made from a thick wool sweater. this is really cheap and also never leaks!
I have tried overstuffing both pockets and fitteds (with wool) but have found the best solution (so far) to be a Thirsties stuffable AIO. The AIO covers as well as a fitted (vs a pocket), but I don’t have to stuff as many extra layers as with a pocket, the gussets are great, and the PUL is waterproof, and the velcro gives me a good fit on my slender LO. DD is a tummy sleeper for the most part and we rarely have a leak.
I use the Rumparooz and love them but I can’t use them at night. My son leaks through them even with two hemp liners and the 6r. I use Seventh Generation disposables and have no problems with leaks. I wish I could find a cloth solution for night time. Thanks for the tips!
I have always had leaks using pockets at night. I have to use prefolds in my fuzzi buns in the day because the inserts just don’t absorb enough, she will ‘hold it’ for 2 hours then let it all go.
The best nighttime combination I have come up with so far is an AMP hemp fitted with a zorb/bamboo insert (2 layers of bamboo, 2 of zorb) and a hemp doubler with a thirsties cover. But it’s dripping wet and stinks from the heat buildup in the night. We’ve never had any leaks if I change her the minute we get up and she doesn’t sleep more than 10 hours.
She is also getting a super red bum in the mornings so I think the next thing is to super-lanolize the longies and give them a try overnight, maybe with another doubler as well.
Wish me no leaks!
Michelle- i had the same problem with my daugher, our current night time system is going great and we have no rash or redness! a s’bish diaper with a s’bish double layer wool cover over time. We ALWAYS sprinkle corn startch on her parts at nightime, I think it keeps the wetness off of her. It has worked wonders. Havent had a rash since!
We use BG 3.0 with the microfiber insert a swaddlebees bamboo insert and a grobaby booster and it is the secret that has stopped the leaks with our super heavy wetter! We also use prefolds with a swaddlebee bamboo insert and a hemp baby hemp flat that we fold in half and use a wool cover. So far these are our bulletproof leak free solutions.
I’ve had great success with a double stuffed BumGenius 3.0 one size pocket – and that’s for a tummy sleeping boy! Our backup that has also never failed is a double stuffed Happy Heiny pocket with snaps.
totally going to try some of these combos on baby number 4! with baby number 3 i used home made rrp diapers (with no pockets) and an totally bullet proof PUL cover with leg gussets i bought from a wahmmie on etsy, with a pre fold folded up inside, it was a LOT of bulk, but we never had even ONE leak! and he’s a super soaker!
thanks for the tips autumn!
We have never had a leaking problem while using good quality Chinese prefolds, a hemp and microfiber liner, and a Little Beetle wool soaker (we prefer the shorts style). My son has skinny thighs, and the fit has always worked. We’ve also used a hemp and microfiber stuffed BG 3.0, and had no problems.
Thank you for the extensive list. I have been searching for a night time solution for my daughter and one of these will definitely work. Cheers!
At the beginning I was changing my son every time he woke up to eat, but since about two months old (he is almost six months now) he consistently sleeps through the night, and if he does wake up to eat, I usually don’t have the energy to change him too!
So at first, I had these home made fitteds that I would just double up under a Thirsties cover (they were really thin), and that worked, until the Velcro wouldn’t reach anymore, lol. So now, I just use a prefold with any insert outside, and then a cover. I’ve been using a Blueberry one size coverall, but I find any larger cover works. The one size ones are usually good, because even at their smallest setting, they are huge. I have a bunch of microfibre inserts that I bought used, and two Thirsties hemp inserts that they sent me. I usually like to save the hemp for long outings because they are slimmer.
So in conclusion, a prefold and microfibre insert work great for my 10-12 hour sleeper!
We use BG AIO organics with a softbums fleece topped bamboo insert payed inside and then for extra protection and side sleeping I put a dancing bears cover over that! Never had a leak once!
I haven’t seen anyone mention my absolute favorite nighttime cover-kiwi pie fleece cover! It’s got extra layers in the wet zone and no saturated diaper has gotten through. I tried wool, but couldn’t keep up-this gets washed with the diapers every other day. I use a solid organic bamboo velour goodmama with a super doubler and a good front. Or I double with a happy heiny hemp insert and that is trim and absorbent. It has worked through 2 kids!
I use a toddler-size Chinese prefold, a hemp/cotton doubler, and a fleece liner with a Disana wool soaker. The Disana is wonderful for skinny babies because of the long leg cuffs.
I didn’t see a mention of my favorite combo – Drybees Night Time Fleece Diaper stuffed with a Knickernappies SuperDo insert. These is a seriously bulky, but unstoppable duo! My son is a giant and a super soaker so I’m sure that this could hold up to anyone.
TIPS: I always use a BG fleece diaper liner against his skin to keep his bottom dry. I think that for kids prone to rashes that can make the biggest difference, even more than the amount of absorbancy. ALSO, having your babe wear a fleece one piece pajama helps. Fleece-to wick away moisture- and a one piece- to prevent compression leaking from waistbands, which someone else mentioned.
Option #2 ROCKS! We’ve never had a leak when using the sbish magic diaper with the sbish double layer wool cover ~ Bulletproof!
The super-do insert in a blueberry diaper works the best for us but I think the super-do would work great in any diaper it absorbs A LOT!
Oh yeah, I forgot about the micro fleece liner, that makes such a difference. And I always make sure to put some cream or something on his bum. I used to use plain ol’ white petroleum jelly, but I got the Magic Stick which I haven’t had a rash with yet! (I’ve forgotten it a couple of times while visiting my parents, and he got a rash then).
I use regular cotton prefolds with a Joey Bunz 6-layer hemp doubler, inside a Wonder Wrap or Polar Bummis. Before that, I used the prefold with a microfiber insert and a Kissaluvs supersoaker. Both worked great for me. Always soaked in the morning, but never a leak with the Wonder Wraps. She’s a tummy-sleeper, and she’s a year old now.
We currently double stuff a FB pocket diaper for night but it’s not working too well for us anymore. Our 13 month old daughter doesn’t completely soak through to the sheets but she’s usually a little damp in the morning (after 12-13 hours of sleep). So we need to find a new night option and I’m debating between the Baby Behinds One-Size Bamboo Fitted and the Sbish that you recommended above. I have heard the Baby Behinds is also a good nighttime diaper, but I have read some mixed reviews regarding the sizing – some say their babies have outgrown them before they are even a year old? I like the idea of a one size dipe that Baby Behinds offers but I’m concerned it’s not a true ‘one-size’ after reading the reviews. But I’m confused on the sizing for the Sbish dipes – how do you know what size to buy? Our daughter is approx 20 lbs and is a little over 30 inches long. Just not sure which route to go and these dips are a bit on the pricey side so I don’t want to make the wrong decision!! : )
Also, do you use the Thirsties Duo wrap or the older verision?
I have a super soaking 11 month old 22# baby boy. The ONLY thing I have found that works is a BG3.0 with both inserts wrapped in a premium unbleached Indian PF. It makes for a HUGE bubble butt, but it’s bullet proof. I have to unsnap the BG all the way to account for all the stuffing and make sure all his ‘parts’ are pointed DOWN but since figuring out this routine 6 months ago we have been totally leak free at night!