If you are changing sheets more often than you are changing diapers, the diaper is almost certainly the wrong size or the wrong way round — not short on absorbency.
Check these, in this order
- The leg cuffs. The ruffled edge around each leg should sit outside, standing up against the skin. Tucked inward — which happens easily during a sleepy change — it channels liquid straight out. This is the single most common cause, and the quickest to fix.
- The size. A diaper that is too big leaves gaps at the thigh. Counter-intuitively, most night leaks come from a diaper that is too loose, not too small.
- The back gap. For back sleepers, check the waistband at the back is pulled up level with the front. A dip at the back is where overnight leaks escape.
- One size up for nights only. Twelve hours is a long stretch. Many babies do best in their daytime size by day and the next size up at night.
- A change right before your own bedtime. A dream change two or three hours in resets the clock on the longest stretch of the night.
- Point it down. For boys, making sure everything is pointing downward when you fasten the diaper solves a surprising share of leaks at the waistband.
What is usually not the problem
Absorbency is rarely the limit on a modern diaper — the core will hold considerably more than a night’s worth. If a diaper comes off heavy but the bed is wet, liquid escaped before it reached the core, which points back to fit every time.
Similarly, a diaper that feels dry on the outside but leaked is not defective. It is a fit issue.
If the leaks are sudden
A diaper that worked for months and now leaks most nights usually means your baby has grown into the next size. Check for red marks at the thighs after a change — if they are there, that is your answer.
If leaks are sudden, frequent and paired with much wetter diapers than usual during the day too, that is worth mentioning to your doctor rather than solving with a bigger pack.