www.incontinentsupport.org

I have not been reliably dry at night since I experienced a surgical misadventure when I was 14 years old; and I've had enough daytime problems that I've been wearing a diaper 24/7 for the past 30 years or so. For many years, I wet unconsciously while asleep. However, 15 years or so ago, I began waking up more and more often whenever my bladder needed relief (typically 3 or 4 times a night). For a while, I tried to get up and go to the bathroom when I woke up with a full bladder, but my urge incontinence would kick in almost as soon as I started to get out of bed. So I took to releasing my bladder into my diaper when I awakened needing to urinate. Now, for the past few weeks, I've begun sometimes to wet while asleep once again. The problem with that is that I often sleep on my side and have experienced some diaper leaks.

To avoid having to wash my sheets several times a week, I've been experimenting with absorbent underpads that lie on top of the bottom sheet. This experimentation led me to try GoodNites bed mats. The product has sticky corners that adhere to the bottom sheet, and the claim is that one of the bed mats will absorb as much moisture as a large-size pair of GoodNites sleep pants. I've found that the product works pretty much as advertised. A big problem with the other disposable and reusable underpads that I tried is that they slide around when I toss and turn. The sticky corners on the GoodNites bed mats solve that problem.

I wonder what other people's experience with GoodNites bed mats and other kinds of underpads has been.

I love them, love them, love them!!! I find surface bed pads to be very convenient, and I've been using GoodNites pads since they came on the market. I've always wondered why it took Kimberly-Clark so long to realize that GoodNites pull-ups don't fit huskier-built kids (although K-C claims they fit to a weight of 125 lbs.), and that bedwetting teens and young adults often balk at wearing protection. I'm also surprised that K-C didn't tap the market beyond bedwetting kids. I know for a fact that there are in-home caregivers who use them for their patients, and they are also very good for keeping the bed clean and dry during intimacy.

There are a couple of drawbacks, though: I've heard complaints (from a few moms) that residue from the adhesive sticks to the sheet and is difficult or impossible to remove. K-C claims that it only happens with polyester sheets. I use 100% cotton sheets and I haven't experienced the problem. It's possible that the problem has been rectified. The other issue is that the bed pads are so pricey (even with a printable coupon) that I usually just use them for traveling.

Rite-Aid carries a washable bed pad ("Snoozy's") that I'm partial to for home use. Although it's marketed for children, the surface is plain white - no graphics of any kind.

W.

@Inconinmiss and @Wetters,

Thanks for that information, I'll look into since I also sleep on my side. Thanks!

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When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.

Marcus Aurelius

I don't have any experience with the GoodNites mats, but I just got a pack of Attends mats and hopefully they'll work. I've had a few leaks sleeping on my side, but not that many, so hopefully it'll take some time before I know if they're up for the task or not I've been sleeping on the couch lately (no, my gf isn't mad at me, it's an anxiety thing. Yes it's weird, I know), and I really really don't want to leak while doing so. Haven't done so yet, but better safe than sorry, right?

A double or triple washable diaper plus a waterproof overpant can make bedpads unnecessary. Good luck.

Patrick is correct about double or triple diapers probably making bed pads unnecessary, but with both you will sleep better without worrying about a leak!

--John

I have always used washable ones, it is second nature to me now, I don't leave home without at least a couple for any trips out of town! Yes, I do seem to flop around a lot in my sleep, but never moved them right out from under my butt! Puffy

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Puffy
BC, Canada
Fighting the "Bladder Battle" since 1995

I use the reusable bed pads as well. 99% of the time they are not necessary even with my using disposables while sleeping on my side, but that 1% they do come in very handy. Of course I also sleep like a rock so I don't have to worry about them moving around on me either.

Even though I wear thick cloth diapers at night I still sleep on a washable bed pad.
I also have them on a couple chairs.

Schoppy

After I change to cloth and plastic pants at night I no longer have had to use a bed pad. But when I travel I always sleep on one just in case.