To ask, how do you handle your period at night?

[IconicKitty]

I used to be so blessed. I would change tampon at about 10:30, sleep until 6:30 and change. There would rarely be a leak at night.

Since I entered my 30s, I bleed heavier at night, and I also find I need more sleep when I'm bleeding. I want to sleep at around 9-9:30. But I wake up at 1am ish leaking. So it seems I can't leave protection for more than 3 hours, even at night time. I'm knackered in the morning as I can't get back to sleep easily.

I hate sanitary towels, I wake up in the night and have to change those due to the heavy bleeding and also have the additional mess to clean up too.

Am I resigned to getting up every 3-4 hours on my heaviest days? Do other women do this, is this just an accepted part of life if you have heavy periods? I don't know how it's possible to sleep through the night without changing now. It makes me dread those days even more so.

While I think its normal for flow to change over the course of a lifetime if you're periods have become that much heavier I think first port of all call is the gp to check everything's OK.

i used to use: liletts max strength tampon, night time pads with wings, period pants and put a towel on the bed (well sometimes 2, 1 to lie on and 1 beneath the sheet in case the other one moved)

@MischiefTheChicken yes, I find reusable pads fairly absorbent, but I only have some Amazon ones I purchased a few years ago so they probably aren't the best! They're just annoying at night time when I feel they slip around a little.

I had to use a disposable pad the other day as my flow began while I was at work, gosh it was awful. So plasticky and rough!!

I've started listening to a podcast on BBC Sounds called '28ish days later'. It's fascinating and a great listen! It starts at day one and goes all the way through a cycle.

I used to get awful stomach cramps that I took ibuprofen for.
The cramps were always associated with heavy bleeding, I suppose as your womb is cramping up to expel.
So for me, ibuprofen = lighter flow.

It used to slow mine right down.

I put on a fresh pad directly before I go to sleep and I normally wake at some point in the night to pee anyway so I change my pad again. I'd set an alarm if I never woke up. If I go all night I bleed through pjs and onto the mattress on the first 3 days of my period.

Super plus tampon + night time sanitary towel+ period pants on heaviest night

Mooncup and period pants. Or mooncup and pad. My moon cup can't last the entire first night but it only leaks a few hours before I get up. Period pants are a game changer. I only have 3 pairs at that's enough.

Used to just have to set alarms to change super plus tampons. On year 4 of Mirena coil and my periods are almost non existent. Few hours of cramps and a daily liner and done!

Can I ask about the WUKA pants do they wick away the blood I don’t want to wake up a bloody mess. I have like blood literally flowing out of me on my heavy days. Then it suddenly stops but I can’t sit for long periods etc and at night get up twice to chance pads and have always leaked.

Period pants are my new best friends, I’m peri menopausal and am on HRT patches but I’m still getting very heavy periods. Tampon, sanitary towel plus period pants.

@LancashireSquirrel I know right? They’re so uncomfortable! I couldn’t ever change back from washables now. Podcast sounds really interesting, I’m looking it up now!

I have got heavier with age and go for a tampon plus period pants

Lucky you! My periods have been regular as clockwork on the mini pill for years - including after baby breaks

Oh how annoying! I think 50% of people are period-free within a year, with others generally having lighter bleeding.

Extra long night sanitary towels. And a mattress protector 😂

If it’s appropriate for you - Mirena IUS. Game and life changer! No more waddling to bed with pads, tampons in situ, towels on the bed and umpteen trips in the night to change all of the above.

I just use those incontinence pants for during the night. I've always had heavy periods with my PCOS but they've gotten even heavier after 5 miscarriages. At a push I can double up on a sanitary towel but I toss and turn that much during the night that they end up moving and I end up leaking all over the bed.

Also have a menstrual cup as PP mentioned.

I have endo and have always had heavy periods and would sleep on a towel at night with a tampon in and a night time pad and I'd still walk but the cup has changed my life!

Although I'm 25 weeks pregnant so don't have to use it at the mo which is lovely!

Period pants have changed my life.

phenomenal wicking, dry and black so you can’t see anything. It’s like witchcraft!

the m&s heavy flow ones do me. But if they didn’t I’d go expensive moodibody or wuka they have some that promise to take a huge amount of blood but they are £££.

Do you have a coil? I went like this when my coil slipped out unbeknownst to me

I used to have very heavy periods and found that although not for periods the Tena lady huge night time pads really helped and a washable mattress cover

Honour your flow reusable pads, never ever leaked

I think you need to try contraception with known side effects being that they lessen your periods. I suffered major heavy periods when I hit my 30’s. It was not manageable. So the doctor tried me on the mirena coil, my life has changed! I cannot sing its praises loud enough. But there are pills that have the same effect if the coil isn’t for you.

Cup and cheeky pants - cost £5 and £50 for 4 pairs 1 year ago when I stopped taking the pill and never bought any san pro since. Total game changer - no more not wanting to go on days out or taking a bag into the toilets at work, and no more getting up at night or lying awkwardly to prevent leaks. Don’t need the pants really as cup hardly ever leaks but good for insurance! I also find it puts into perspective how much you’re losing and when as tampons tend to leak for me when they’re not even at full absorption.

I love WUKA, they are leak proof, but they irritate me sadly