I strongly recommend the menstrual cups, after renouncing to pads (horrible discomfort) and using tampons(almost same but a necessary evil as I didn't know of other options)for most of my life with heavy periods I came across them, they are the best solution I've found so far, made out of surgical silicone and allergy free I feel I've suffered unnecessarily for decades, they hold heavy periods up to 12hours, insertion and removal it's easy once you get familiar with it, I highly recommend it. Best of lucks.
Peace

Have you tried depends? They say they work well for heavy periods.

I keep on my mattress a waterproof liner. My mattress isn't that old, so bleeding all over it kept me up at night. The waterproof liner has terry-cloth on one side and a plastic-like material on the other. It doesn't crinkle or make any funny noises, in fact I barely notice it's there. It definitely has done a lot to give me peace of mind as far as sleeping is concerned. I also did try those period panties that are so supposed to catch the flow, and those have helped a lot too.

I switched to a cup about 5 months ago and love it. I used to have the same problems as you. Since wearing the cup I don't have stomach cramps like I used to, I don't have issues with towels leaking or shifting and I find it much more hygienic. It's really hard to get the hang of at first and I do occasionally spot but I wear an ultra thin daily panty liner to catch the odd smudge and it's revolutionised my life. Seriously, I can't recommend it enough. I even leave it in overnight without it overflowing and will empty it between 1 and 3 times during the day depending on how heavy my flow is. At the moment (period day 3) I empty it in the morning and before I go to bed and that's it. I just forget about it the rest of the day. It's amazing.

Again, they are totally awkward at first and you may have to try a couple before you find the ideal one. I have a favourite and a second favourite (which doesn't always open up properly) and then one that I only use in emergencies (it packs flat so I can keep it in my handbag but it's a bit too soft to open up fully so I get more leaks with it). I am considering buying a couple more to test different brands. There are some great videos online and loads of handy hints about it. In the long run they work out cheaper than pads and better for the environment if those things are of interest to you. But yeah...they've definitely helped with my stomach cramps. Before, it was so bad I had to go home from work sometimes. Now I get the odd twinge here and there and that's it.

I use a menstrual cup and as a back up at night, a medical absorbent pad on my bed. The pad can be tossed in the laundry and is designed for incontinent patients socit is quite absorbent. I love the menstrual cup, but when I'm having an especially heavy cycle I have to empty it frequently and use a maxi pad for extra protection.