Leaking at night on your period is a pain. There’s nothing worse than feeling that trickle of blood or waking up in a puddle of blood… As people with periods, these are things we’re all too familiar with – it happens. Your time of the month can be difficult enough with cramps, bloating and fatigue. We’ve compiled top tips for you to sleep soundly without worrying about leaking, as well as how to manage any period leaks that might happen.

What causes heavy menstrual bleeding at night?

Having a heavier flow on your period for the first couple of days is completely normal, but if you find that it lasts throughout your period and/or is unmanageable, there might be other causes. Read more about heavy periods here.

If you’re noticing other changes like color, consistency, texture or smell, take a look at what your period blood might be telling you about your health.

No matter how many periods you’ve had in your life, leaking can happen and is completely normal. There might be a few culprits causing this:

• Sleeping in the wrong positions
• Your period product is at maximum absorption
• Wrong absorbency period products
• Your pad, tampon, or cup is not positioned correctly

How to stop period leaking at night

Choose the right pair of pants

Your time of the month is the best time to channel your inner Bridget Jones. Firstly, you’ll want to wear your comfiest underwear – think Granny style – large enough to cover any area that could see leaking – added bonus if they’re frilly!

Secondly, make sure they fit you properly. If they’re too big, you allow for too much movement in your underwear and leaks are likely!

Thirdly, and trust us on this, wear another pair over the first. Not only will the outer pair hold the first pair in place, but this will provide an extra layer that’ll absorb any blood before it gets to your sheets.

And lastly, your pyjama bottoms make all the difference. We recommend wearing PJ bottoms on the snug side for minimal underwear movement and maximum security.

Choose the right period products

There are plenty of nighttime period products to choose from. Natracare Maxi pads are soft and absorbent, and unlike tampons, will keep you comfortable through the whole night. To put your mind at ease, or if your period is especially heavy this month, try covering the entire area of your pants by using two pads instead.

Still leaking? We hear you, it happens to the best of us. If you’re down with the idea, reusables might solve all your problems. You won’t even realise you’re menstruating with a cup, and reusable underwear like WUKAs or cloth pads like Period aisle can absorb all without bleeding through.

Positioning

We come bearing bad news. There’s no position that’ll guarantee you won’t leak during your period. However, sleeping on your side like you’re back in the womb helps take pressure off your abdominal muscles and helps to relieve cramps, too. Sleeping on your front can squeeze and cause blood to move around. Just bear this in mind next time you take a snooze!

Preparation and planning

Tracking your period can completely revolutionize your cycle! Knowing when your next period is due will help you prepare what pants to wear, what products you’ll use, and to put in place any extra precautions for peace of mind, like mattress protectors or dark towels on your sheets. Check out our favourite period tracker apps here.

How to handle period leaks

No matter how hard you try, sometimes leaking is going to happen. If after all this time your period still seeps through, it’s always good to know how to remove blood stains! Here are a few methods we’ve tried and tested to naturally get stains out:

• White vinegar: if you’ve got some hiding in the kitchen cupboards, use white vinegar on the patch before it dries up. Leave it to soak for 5 – 10 mins while blotting until it’s lifted and wash in cold water
• Salt and water: Using more kitchen staples, creating a paste with salt and water can be effective when applied onto the blood
• Baking soda and water: If the stain has dried up, baking soda and water can be used to remove blood stains too. Apply the paste for at least half an hour until it has disappeared

If you’ve tried all possible solutions and the stain is still being stubborn, not all hope is lost! Why not save stained underwear for when you’re next on your period? Leaking might happen again and is underwear ruined if it already has been before?

Why period leaks are more common at night

There’s definitely an art to stopping period leaks at night, and here’s why:

When you’re asleep, naturally, you’re not checking and changing your period products as often. Usually throughout the day, you’d be able to put a stop to any leaks (hopefully) before they happen, but this is impossible when you’re catching some ZZZs.

It’s easier to avoid leaks in the day time because gravity does its job and catches period blood on your pad, tampon or whatever products you’re using. But when you’re asleep, blood can fall to the side or at least not where you want it to fall, causing leaks.

This, combined with shuffling around from one position to another when you’re sleeping, means your pants are likely to move or bunch, which is a recipe for disaster if you’re trying to prevent period leaks.

Do you have any tips to stop period leaks? Let us know in the comments!

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