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In the past, care givers have adhered to the usual night time incontinence routine: Check and change every 2 hours. And, in the past, it was considered poor care to allow an absorbent product to be worn after a urinary void.

At night, care givers are still responsible for turning patients and making sure they are clean and dry. But what about their sleep habits? Many times patients request care givers to stop waking them for this routine care. Hence the dilemma: How can we provide appropriate care while allowing people to sleep?

The literature tells us that sleep has a powerful restorative purpose, and that lack of sleep disrupts many daytime functions. Studies also indicate that lack of proper REM and non-REM sleep leads to a disruption of both mental and physical recovery.

Today’s absorbent products for urinary incontinence contain polymer, a substance that absorbs urine, taking it out of the liquid state. Briefs are available specifically for night time use contain polymer sufficient to withstand numerous voids for a 6-8 hour period. Even for those whose urinary output is high, night time briefs will continue to absorb void after void.

To promote healthy sleep, try standing quietly near the bed to assess if your patient is asleep and breathing quietly. For those who need turning, do so gently. Don’t turn the lights on. For those who are heavily incontinent, choose a regular or night time brief. Allow the brief to stay in place 6-8 hours unless there has been a stool. If a BM occurs, change the brief and perform peri care.

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