Night Time Potty Training - Avon Lake, OH

The first thing you should try (along with the cutting back of liquids before bed) is to make it routine to go to the bathroom right before he goes to bed and then again first thing in the morning. Make it a habit - even if he says that he doesn't need to go tell him to humor you and to just try. 9 times out of 10 he'll need to go at least a little bit.

Second buy a good waterproof mattress protector if you don't have one already.

Third, pay attention to how wet his diaper is each morning - if he goes a few days with a dry diaper just get rid of the pull-ups all together. If he has a few accidents after that it's OK - he needs to get used to the sensation of peeing at night and having it wake him up. If he doesn't have a diaper on and he pees the bed he won't like the feeling - no one like to sleep in wet underwear or a wet bed - this will help him learn about waking up and the timing needed to get to the bathroom after he doesn't wake up. When he does have an accident get up with him teach him how to clean himself up ( I just put my kid into the bathtub) then stripe the bed with him and show him what needs done with the linens. That may in itself get him to learn what the sensation of peeing at night feels like, but as long as you have pull-ups on him at night he doesn't have to worry about getting up - it's too easy to wake up and say "oh well I've got a diaper on, I've got time"

Also please remember some kids pee the bed at night - for some kids their bladders don't grows as fast as the rest of their bodies - it's just important that when he does pee the bed you show him how to take care of it and that it's OK it happens.

I hope this helps

-M. (mother of 2)

R.,
I am in the EXACT same situation! My son turned 4 one month ago and has been day trained for over 6 months now (I thought that was late but it was only going to happen when HE was ready...very stubborn personality) but still needs pull ups at night. I have tried not putting them on him (advice of grandmothers:-) but then I just have to wash the bedding every morning. I make him go before bedtime and we have reduced drinks as well, but he just doesn't wake up! He is a very heavy sleeper, so I am assuming that has something to do with it, but I am not sure what to do about it. I can't wait to see what others have to say about it. I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone.
J.

Hi R.,

My son was potty trained during the day at 32 months. He was about 40 months before he was dry every night. He is now 4 1/2 and has not had any setbacks. He does have 2 friends that are boys and the same age and they are both still in pull ups at night. I think every child is different and his bladder still my be maturing. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned.

Good luck.

This is a developmental issue. Just keep wearing the pull ups till he can wake up on his own. Sleep is too important to mess up with waking him in the middle of the night. You can stop fluids like at 7 pm and then have him go potty before bed but that is about it. Pray!

Good thing it is only one pull up a night!

M.- Mother of 4

I was talking with a Pre-school teacher of 7 years, who just recently got a 1st grade classroom, and her suggestion was to put them in underwear and buy some pads for on top of the sheets and under. In two weeks he will learn to get up and go when he has to. My son is 3 and we are just now getting the days conqured. We have had one accident in 6 days :). But nights he soaks himself. I found that if he wakes up in middle of the night, to take him in even if he says he doesn't have to go because he normally does and then he stays dry. If you leave them in pull up or diapers they are going to think they don't have to get up and it's ok to have accidents in these, so they go pee in bed...I don't know if this helped...

Hi! my stepson potty trained so easily at 3 years old. During the day that is. He's 7 now and we still occasionally have nighttime accidents. We always make sure he goes before bed. But he sleeps so sound that nothing, and Imean nothing can wake that boy up. As he's gotten older it's gotten better. But we just have a waterproof cover for his mattress just in case. It's hard not to get frustrated especially as you head to the washing machine AGAIN!, but just keep encouraging him during the day. Potty training is a child's first big accomplishment on their own. And I don't think that nighttime is always in their control. At least not with my big guy. Hang in there.

Dear R.
Nighttime potty training has absolutely nothing to do with a child's will, desire, or effort. It is about their body being ready. My oldest son, who will be 7 on Saturday, still has accidents at night. My middle son, who is 5, has only ever had one accident since he was about 3.
Is your son a heavy sleeper? He may simply be so dead to the world that his body can't signal loud enough for his body to wake up.
On the other hand, my nephew went from soaking wet pullups to dry overnight one day when he spent the night and we forgot to put one on him. His body knew that he could go in a pullup but not in his underwear.
My advice is be patient. Do not blame him for this problem. Try him without the pullup for a night or two. Try and wake him up before you go to bed. But most of all, be patient. Eventually his body will become aware of signals and he'll be able to wake himself. If it continues past his 8th or 9th birthday, (I know that sounds like forever) then perhaps it's a more serious problem. But, having just discussed my son with the pediatrician, it's not likely to be a major problem at 4, just an immature body - brain connection that nobody can fix except his body.
I know that may not be what others would say but as I work through this with my son...it's the best I have to offer.

About 6 mos ago I was exactly where you are. Then one night I forgot to put the pull-up on and found out that he didn't need it - since then we haven't used a single diaper/pull-up, and he's only had a handful of accidents. I would recommend going in for the first month or so and taking him to the bathroom just before you go to bed (we usually don't hit the sack until around 11), and continue to limit drinks after dinnner. My son was using the pull-up because he could. I had planned on waiting for it to stay dry and I don't know if that ever would have happened!

R.,

What we do for my 3 1/2 year old, every night she stops drinking all beverages before 7pm. We had a bad accident at Grandma & Papa's when she had a few sips of pop before bed. She ended up getting out of bed to go to the bathroom but didn't make it in time. So, she doesn't drink pop at all anymore. Then we moved into her bedroom right next to her bed, her potty with a roll of TP and a container of hand wipes to wash her hands if she needed to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. That way, she didn't have to worry about not making it in time to the bathroom. Plus, before she goes to bed at night, we make her physically sit on the toilet and make her try to go before we take her to bed. Plus, we really encouraged her telling her that she needed to be fully potty trained by the time she started preschool this fall. So, far so good. Hopefully this will help you out also!

Good Luck!

Kim

R.
My son is 7 now and I tell you I think I woke him every night until he was nearly 6. I am not sure that he really stop wetting at night because I was waking him or because his body was just ready. One thing I can tell you is just be me waking him once at night I had to do less sheets and no pull ups. I hope this helps

R.,

I have the same dilemma. My son has been fully potty trained during the day for a year and a half. He does not want to wear the pull up when we put him to bed, but he rarely makes it through the night w/o wetting the bed. With my daughter, who is 6, we took away the pull up at 4 and she wet the bed a few times and then stopped. She hasn't had an accident since. My son will sleep right through....even after wetting himself. I'm anxious to see if you get any good advice on this. Good luck!

S.

I am still working on this issue with my 4 yr old son, who has not mastered it but has improved tremendously. First of all go to Target and buy a waterproof matress pad it is big enough for you to cut it in half, put half under his sheets to protect the matress and the other half on top of his sheets to protect the sheets directly under him. Even if he pee at least you won't have to wash the sheets every time. Secondly, which was the hardest thing for me to do is cut his drinks off at least two hours before going to bed. It was hard for me because i felt like, i'm not going two hours without something to drink, so why should he? Then reality kicks in and says "i don't pee in the bed" so i got over that. Then, right before he falls asleep take him to the bathroom and make sure he pee even when he says he doesn't have too. And last but not least yes i get him up atleast once through the night. If i know i won't be up i set my alarm clock four hours after he falls asleep. I don't know how your son sleeps but if he be in a coma like mine he won't even know you woke him up. I literaly pick my baby up, carry him to the toilet ,stand him up and pull his pants down all while holding him up (cause he he will fall over if i don't) after he pee pull his pants up, pick him back up, carry him to his room and lay him down all without him missing a z. Hopefully one day he will be able to hold it through the night or wake up on his own whatever the case time will bring about a change. Good Luck
E.