It depends on the underlying cause of the incontinence. Age plays a role, too. My incontinence is of the urge variety, but I have noticed that I'm leaking more. I don't feel the leakage episodes when they happen, but I know I'm leaking once the diaper starts feeling wet. I don't think that it is the result of wearing diapers, as I still use the restroom whenever I can, but I suspect that the leakage is being caused by something different than what caused the urge incontinence. (My urge incontinence is due to sphincter damage caused by passing too many kidney stones. I suspect the leakage is a combination of nerve damage plus OAB. I tried the OAB drugs, but I couldn't tolerate the side effects plus they don't do anything to fix the original cause.) The result is that more of my urine ends up in the diaper rather the toilet than in the past.
At night, an "urge" always used to wake me up and I could usually make it to the toilet in time. (I still wear a heavy cloth diaper and PUL cover as a backup.) It is not unusual for me to be up 2-3 times per night. Due to my work schedule and long commute, I get only 5-6 hours of sleep on weeknights, and the "urge" awakenings shorten that even further. However, several months ago, I woke up in the morning with a wet diaper, so it appears that I am no longer always waking up with each "urge," or I am now experiencing more continuous leakage that I can't feel. I don't attribute it to wearing the diapers, as my conscious mindset is to still make every effort to make it to the toilet when I can. That being said, not waking up with each "urge" is a blessing in disguise as I wake up in the morning more well-rested and much less tired. And, I have to wash the diapers anyway, so it's no extra work from the standpoint of doing laundry.
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