Potty training at night: simple tips for getting through the night

Nightly potty training is crucial to the entire process and this is not something that is achieved overnight because it is not only a learned skill, it is part of your child’s physiological development. Did you know that babies urinate all day and when he reaches 18 months (average), he will transition from urinating all day to only during waking hours? For us adults, having to urinate at night is not a problem because once the bladder is full at night, a signal is sent from the bladder to the brain and we are awakened with the need to urinate. For children, this mechanism comes with age. Most doctors say that bedwetting shouldn’t be a problem unless your child is 5 years old or older.

Dealing with potty training during the day and at night are totally different from each other. Why? Because at night, your child cannot control it because somehow he is not capable of the signals to go, at least not yet. When cleaning, don’t make your child feel like they did something really wrong. This is not easy for the child either. He doesn’t want it any more than you want it. Just go ahead, clean up, and then move on. You do not need to blame your child because it affects his self-esteem. You may want to have some protection on the mattress to make cleaning a breeze.

If your child gets wet often 2-4 times a week, I do not suggest using a disposable pull-up simply because this will cause confusion for the child. Disposable pull-ups will not make your child feel the wetness. On the other hand, if your child wets the bed 2 or 3 times a month only, you may consider purchasing a cloth training pants for the night. You can find many products available online and in stores.

It will also help with your nightly potty training if you avoid giving your child fluids an hour before going to bed. Just be patient when it comes to training your child because, as we said earlier, this is a physiological development. It can take months or sometimes even years. You can always get help by reading a book or buying products that can help you empower your child. Don’t worry, you will get it sooner or later!