Potty Training at Night – Tips For Success

As a parent, it can be frustrating to see your child struggling with bedwetting even though they’ve been potty trained during the day. Luckily, there are expert-approved tips for helping with potty training at night to help you and your child get a good night’s sleep.

There are a lot of parents who believe that being dry during the day should automatically translate over to being dry during the night, but anyone who has been through the process of toilet training knows that this does not always happen simultaneously.

Because of their underdeveloped bladders and generally good sleeping patterns, it is not unusual for youngsters to have accidents in bed until they reach the age of seven. We consulted professionals to find out why nighttime potty training typically takes longer, as well as recommendations for how parents might introduce this milestone to their children.

Why Does It Take So Much Longer to Potty Train During the Night?

Teaching a child to hold their urine overnight may take more time than toilet training during the day. Roughly 15% of children who are healthy at the age of 5 are not dry at night, and 10% of children who are healthy at 6 still require protection overnight. Your child’s brain must be mature enough to wake them when they feel the need to go for them to have success sleeping through the night. Alternatively, their bladder must be large enough to hold all of the urine that they generate throughout the night. After months or perhaps years of daylight training, one may reach one of these milestones.

It is also essential to point out that although a delay in toilet training throughout the night is quite average, older children may require additional assistance. When a child is seven years old and is still incontinent throughout the night, it is reasonable to recommend that they have a medical evaluation. It is best to acquire a trained expert’s opinion before beginning overnight toilet training with your child because there is a good chance that they are not yet developmentally ready for the task.

Is It Time to Begin Nighttime Potty Training with My Child?

When is it appropriate to discontinue changing a child’s diaper before bed? It all boils down to a child’s own level of developmental preparedness, which occurs at a unique moment for each child (although males generally wet the bed longer than females). One encouraging indication that preparation is complete is as follows: Your child has been dry for several nights in a row after successfully using the potty on a consistent basis during the day. Alternately, kids can maintain their dryness throughout nap time and may show interest in wearing underwear during the night.

In addition, you will want your child to be able to use the restroom on their own, so make sure that they have graduated from their crib into a big kid’s bed by this stage. According to Wendy Sue Swanson, M.D., a pediatrician at Seattle Children’s Hospital, “Kids need to have access to a potty at all times if they are going through the process of potty training so that they can reach it on their own when they need to.” Keep your baby in diapers for a while longer if you feel like he or she is not ready for a big-kid bed (or, let’s be honest, if you are not ready).

Success Strategies for Toilet Training During the Night

Do you want to improve your odds of successfully potty training your child during the night? Make use of the hints and suggestions that are provided below.

• If you want to make it easier to change your child’s sheet in the event that they have an accident, you may either buy disposable sheet protectors or stack many fitted sheets.
• Drinks should be limited in the hour leading up to your child’s bedtime.
• Help them use the restroom twice before bedtime, the first time, half an hour beforehand.
• Raise your child so they can use the potty before you turn in for the night.
• Instruct them to get up and use the restroom if they wake up in the middle of the night.
• Your youngster will feel more secure and at ease going to the bathroom in the middle of the night if you keep the path well-lit.

Setting the alarm for yourself and getting up to take your child to the bathroom in the middle of the night during the first stages of teaching them to use the potty at night may be another beneficial strategy. Although you shouldn’t make this a permanent practice, doing so might make it easier for both of you to readjust to the new time in the morning.

Remember that your child may not always be able to control whether or not they wet the bed. Therefore it is essential to maintain a good attitude. Your child will have a much easier time successfully toilet training during the night if you exercise patience and come prepared.

Meaningful articles you might like: Common Potty Training Issues and How to Solve Them, Preparation for Potty Training, Useful Strategies For A Smooth Potty-Training Process