How often should you change a newborns diaper at night?

Newborn baby child swaddled in fabric sleeping and holding bunny toy. Sweet infant kid napping on fur

Night times with a newborn are exhausting with a new mom in desparate need of sleep. Your newborn will definitely need tons of diaper changes, but how often do you need to change a newborn’s diaper at night?

The amount of times you need to change your newborn’s diaper at night depends on their age, feeding schedule, the type of diaper you are using, how badly they need changing, and personal preference.

I’ve had 3 babies and each one was a totally different experience.

We will go into the amount of times you should change your newborn in more detail as well as tips to keep your baby dry longer during the night.

This post may contain affiliate links. All content and opinions are my own.

Should I change my newborn’s diaper at night?

If you are in the first few months of your newborn’s life then you are probably waking them every 3-4 hours for feedings.

During nighttime feedings it’s up to you to decide if your baby needs a change if they have a major blowout, poop everywhere or if you are treating a diaper rash, then of course do a diaper change, if it’s not bad don’t worry.

If they are crying or fussing your baby may be uncomfortable with their wet diaper and have a hard time sleeping because of it.

However, you don’t need to worry if your baby is calmly going back to sleep or in between their feeding hours about them having a little moisture in their diaper. A high quality sleeping diaper is going to absorb any wetness and keep them dry for the night.

According to Pampers their night time diapers should keep your baby dry for 12 hours.

Make sure to sign up for free baby sample boxes to sample different diapers and see what brand works best for you and baby.

Can a newborn go all night without a diaper change?

You should take care when letting your newborn go a whole night without a diaper change.

Checking a newborn’s diaper during their feeding times or if they are crying or fussy during the night is a good way to prevent a diaper rash.

The Clevland Clinic advises to keep your baby’s skin clean and dry especially if they have a diaper rash.

Make sure you are changing your infant if they are crying, have wet soiled clothing, a heavy diaper, or a poop.

If your baby has a diaper rash it’s good to change them as frequently as possible to keep it from worsening.

Is it OK to not change wet diaper at night?

As your baby gets past the 3 month stage and begins to sleep for longer stretches at night you may not have to change them during the night if they are sleeping comfortably.

You should still check their diaper if they are experiencing a diaper rash or are crying/fussy. A crying baby always needs or wants something and it’s usually comfort, a clean diaper, or a feeding.

Do babies need to be wiped after pee?

Dr. Laura A. Jana, M.D advises that new moms don’t always need to worry about wiping after a pee since urine doesn’t usually irritate skin and diapers absorb any nighttime urination anyways, so the pee won’t come in contact with your baby’s skin.

If your baby has a pee at night you most likely won’t need to change them and if you do a quick diaper s

Best Tips for Nighttime Diaper Changes

As a mom who’s raised 3 babies I have plenty of experience in nighttime diaper changing.

Here are some things that help:

Keep your baby close to you in a bassinet or crib in the first months. This gives you quick access for a diaper change at night and also helps your baby sleep longer. Out of my 3 babies the one who slept in a crib in my room slept well as a baby and still has the best sleep habits out of all my kids to this day.
Have a changing station in your room as well so you don’t have to scramble to find things. If it’s quick and easy everyone can get back to sleep more quickly. You can even change them right in their bassinet if you are using one.
Purchase high quality night time diapers that have high absorbancy. These Pampers were always my favorite. They have less chance of leakage and will keep your baby dry for longer stretches.
Give your baby time without a diaper and frequent diaper changes during the day to prevent diaper rash. Preventing rashes is key, if your baby gets a rash then nighttime diaper changes are a must.
Don’t sweat nighttime diaper changes if your baby is getting older and sleeping comfortably. If they have a good absorbant diaper and don’t have a rash they will be just fine going without a diaper change at night.
Check out these other baby sleep hacks to train your baby to sleep for longer stretches so you aren’t having to check the diaper as often.