Night Time Potty Training!!

Updated on January 01, 2009
J.R. asks from Bellevue, NE
11 answers

We have an almost 3 year old (2mnt away). She has been pretty much potty trained. She goes all day without any incident, and does well through her naps. We are still struggling with the overnight. She still wears a diaper to bed, and is still filling it every night. We have cut off liquids after 6pm, she usually goes to the bathroom twice before going to bed. Any suggestions as to the best way to address this.

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L.G.

answers from Minneapolis on

I agree with the previous posts about not to worry and wait - but I'd switch to pull-ups or easy-ups - they are easier than diapers for middle of the night bathroom runs and easy ups are more comfortable...

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J.G.

answers from Milwaukee on

My best advice is to not make a big deal of it.

It took our son up until he was a little over 4-1/2 years old to stop going at night. It'll happen. Just have to have patience. :+}

I know it's tough. I was calling my mom all the time back then. Thought I was doing something wrong. But God makes all our children different. Each child develops at their own pace. She'll be potty trained when she's ready.

God Bless!

J.

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H.A.

answers from Waterloo on

It sounds like her body is just not mature enough to make it thru the night. I think you're pretty much doing all you can with cutting off her liquids and having her go potty a couple of times before bed. Just give her body time, but remember: it may take a couple of years for her to make it dry thru the night.

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D.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

I think it's pretty normal for kids to still be wet at night long after they're dry during the day! My pediatrician and my ECFE and preschool teachers told me that many kids are still having regular "accidents" at night until age 6-7, just like Shellie and Holly mentioned. My daughter needed a diaper overnight for a good 18 months past when she was totally dry during the day. We waited until she had had a bunch of dry nights, then put her in underwear for a couple of weeks and had her help us change the wet sheets when they happened, and that seemed to mostly do the trick. Still, it was mostly just that her body needed to be ready first, so hang in there!
Sara

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K.R.

answers from Minneapolis on

This was just recently addressed here on Mamasource. A two year old is not physically ready to be dry at night. A three year old won't be either. Give her night-time diapers or pullups and don't worry about it (and don't talk about it with her, or she'll worry and think something is wrong with her). She'll be ready when she's ready -- there is nothing anyone can do to hurry it along. It'll probably happen no sooner than four or five.

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S.K.

answers from Minneapolis on

J.,

Night time potty training is different. It sounds like your daughter is either a heavy sleeper or has a weak / small bladder and just isn't ready. Doctors don't consider it an issue until age 6-7. I would just wait it out.

Good luck,
S.

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N.K.

answers from Minneapolis on

Just give her time. Her body is not matured enough to stay dry at night if you are stopping drinks, ect. My daughter took a lot longer for night training and she eventually just stopped or gets up at night if she needs to. Good luck and just be patient. :)

N.

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K.R.

answers from Des Moines on

"they say" that night time training is a whole different ball game because it is a brain developement phase that until the brain can "tell" the bladder we are sleeping and don't go, it won't happen. The things you are doing are good habits to help, but she will not be able to sence that trigger until her brain delvelops more. And it is just a growing thing, nothing you can to do "teach" her brain that. Typically somewhere between 3-5 this happens and every kid is just genetically different. My daughter just turned four and still wears a pullup to bed. She does have dry nights, but not consistently, and an occational accident at nap if she is sleeping really hard. I talked to our DR about this at her 4yr wellness check, and this is what I was told. Our DR has been our family physician for 15 yrs, so I totally trust her, plus she has three gilrs of her own 9,7,5, so she is living it now. Anyway, good luck, but don't worry about it too much. We all figure it out eventually! :)

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S.S.

answers from Minneapolis on

My daughter turned 3 in November. She's very independent and was "playing" games with us and her daycare provider - wanting to put on jammies and a pull up hours before bed to not have to use the potty.

About 2 weeks before her birthday, we told her 3 yr olds don't wear diapers or pull ups to bed and that the store was all out. It happened that we had exactly enough to coinside with her birthday and then throw out the package.

The first 10 days were the worst. Since then she's done great! We've had a couple accidents with the holiday excitement - she's just been too tired and isn't waking up to go.

We don't cut off her liquids (we have allergies and it's too dry) she even drinks water before bed after she brushes her teeth (bed time is 8pm) and she gets up around 7 am.

She's even started napping and sleeping better - I'm not sure why or hos it's related but we'll take it!

I say try it and see what happens. My daughter was waking up dry only about half the time but she's really caught on.

Good luck!

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C.L.

answers from Minneapolis on

Time and pull ups are the best way to address it. Both of my kids had pull ups at night until age 6, which can be very normal as a couple of other people have noted. Since she potty trained fairly early she will probably also stay dry at night before age 6, but it is common to not be able to stay dry at night until long after they are potty trained during the day. It's a developmental thing.

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L.P.

answers from Omaha on

Hi! My name is L.,bramnd new member as of today!First I want to commend you on how far you've come.You and your daughter are doing great! And you're almost there!I too, have an almost 3 little girl.What worked for us was to just be rid of the diapers and pull-ups alltogether.Once we did this and she wet on herself a few times it corrected itself. She knew she didn't want to feel that way.Also,we only used encouraging words during this difficult trasitional time.It's always okay to have an accident.Just give her nothing but positive reinforcement and she will want no more than to please you and make herself proud as well! It just takes confidence!

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