Night Nappies - different types of night time cloth & tips to help you get the hang of using cloth at night
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We’ve been using cloth nappies at night right from newborn days, because I thought to myself if I’m going to commit to this cloth nappy thing I might as well go the full hog and not do things by half measure. I know a lot of moms are scared of night time cloth, when in fact it’s MUCH easier than it looks.
A few things to keep in mind:
Once your baby stops pooping at night, you won’t have to change their cloth nappy during the night.
There are loads of great nappies that are designed to last 12+ hours, just like a disposable (and to be honest, I get just as many, if not more leaks when I use disposables at night!).
The trick with night time cloth is absorbency & fit.
You really can’t beat a hemp flat for night time (it’s trim, thirsty and easy to boost!) and I keep coming back to them, no matter how many other ‘easy’ nappies I try.
If flats seem a bit too out there for you and you just can’t get the hang of folding, there are also pre-folds (my favourite night time nappy) and fitteds.
How much absorbency your baby/toddler needs at night will change. Their output changes, as well their body shape. How they sleep also makes a difference, as tummy sleepers will need more absorbency in the front, and back sleepers need more absorbency in the middle. The same is true for girls and boys.
Don’t give up! You will need to troubleshoot. I still get leaks and have to adjust my fold/how much I boost, the type of boosting and the fit and I’ve been using cloth nappies for nearly 3 years and on 2 little ones.
Leaks are very frustrating, but don’t let them get the better of you. There are LOADS of options to try before giving up altogether. And there is no shame in using a mix of disposables and cloth while you get the hang of it. If Everly ever uses a disposable at night, I still put a hemp insert & cloth nappy cover over her disposable because they always leak anyway. Cloth saves the day every time!
Use fleece liners for a stay-dry feeling on baby’s bum. Fleece liners are the absolute BEST thing (you can literally cut up an old fleece blanket/piece of fabric into rectangles to use) to use as liners (don’t even bother with those fancy bamboo liners which are actually just a pain to use). Just use fleece, trust me!
Have fun experimenting!
And just keep in mind, because you need a nappy to be lasting the whole night, it’s going to be much bulkier than a day nappy which just needs to last a few hours. This means a bigger bum, and this means your choice of pj’s might have to adjust too. Nighties for girls are great because anything can fit under there, but for colder night if your little one is wearing tops and pants, the pants can be VERY tight over that nappy…this is actually the cause of a lot of leaks. If you’re using a fleece cover, you can’t have anything tight, like a vest, over the fleece as it will pull the moisture making everything wet. So, if you’re using a fleece cover, a looser fitting onesie is best, and then for an older baby/toddler, fleece longies are perfect with a long sleeve top & socks. In Summer, Aaron sleeps with just a t-shirt and his nappy with a fleece cover over and Everly sleeps in a nightie with her nappy & PUL cover over.
My current night time cloth nappies:
Aaron (14 months): bamboo fitted with padfolded newborn sized hemp flat in the wetzone, hemp/bamboo booster, fleece liner & fleece cover. Alternatively a medium sized hemp flat folded in origami, with a newborn sized hemp flat in the wetzone, a hemp/bamboo booster, fleece liner & fleece cover/fleece pants.
Everly (2.5 years): hemp pre-fold with a large padfolded hemp flat with a hemp booster and a PUL cover. Alternatively, two hemp flats folded together in Origami with a hemp booster, fleece liner & a PUL cover.
My favourite night time cloth nappies & covers
Pokkelokkie Hemp Sleepy Dust (click here for a full review)
Pokkelokkie Hemp Flats & Pre-folds:
I still use the small Pokkelokkie flats I bought when Everly was a newborn to boost her nappies now, and I use them all the time for Aaron. Pictured here is a large sized Pokkelokkie hemp flat and below that is a Large Hemp Pre-fold.
Pokkelokkie Fleece Longies:
Fleece longies are fleece pants that are used over a night time nappy as a cover. They are water resistant, not waterproof, but as long as your nappy underneath is well boosted and secure, they work like a bomb. Super soft and comfy, perfect for Winter.
Pokkelokkie Fleece Covers:
Sloomb Snapless Fitted:
I bought these overseas and had family bring them over when they visited. These need a cover…we use either a Blueberry Capri or a Fleece cover). Everly used to use these until they were no longer absorbent enough for her (around 18 months). Aaron now uses them.
Blueberry One Size Capri Nappy Cover
These are our absolute favourite PUL covers. They are soft and stretchy, and have fitted over a 3 month old and still fit Everly now at 2.5 years old. They are GREAT! You can buy them here in South Africa through TinyHiney.
And now for some tips from the pro…Kerryn is the owner of Pokkelokkie (and is just the loveliest lady, she has helped me troubleshoot nappies right from the very beginning, and I still contact her today when I’m having trouble):
Use only a fully absorbent nappy for night time.
The nappy must be made of a good quality fabric. How to be sure of this? Opt for a locally made night nappy.
Two hemp flats is a very affordable and very reliable night nappy solution if you are on a tight budget.
Avoid PUL covers at night. A good quality fleece cover or fleece longies is 100% reliable.
Do your research. Buy well, buy once. Buying cheap nappies often does not end well.
Nightime cloth really doesn’t have to be scary, and is as simple as just giving it a try. And if you do get leaks, don’t give up! I still get leaks now and again, and have to re-adjust what I’m using (especially on Everly as she’s bigger and often the nappies I’m using don’t fit properly under the cover because they are so bulky…and this is because she has a lot of output and needs a nappy to last 12+ hours). But, as flats have proved to me time and time again, you really just CAN’t go wrong with a good hemp flat. And even though Everly is daytime potty trained, I am going to be purchasing a few more flats and pre-folds because they just work SO well.
Do you use cloth at night? if not, what’s stopping you? Leave me a comment below and I can help troubleshoot any issues you may be having.
Yours in cloth,
Roxy
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Disclosure: some of the above nappies were sent to me as a gift to try & in exchange for photographs, but all thoughts and views are honest, and my own.
