Potty training your toddler is one of the most important jobs you have as a parent. Figuring out how to make it through the day accident free is a huge milestone for parents. But what happens when your kids go to sleep and have to make it through the night without wetting the bed? These useful tips will help you transition to potty training at night, while promoting restorative sleep for parents and children alike.
Potty Training at Night
Believe it or not, being potty trained at night can come months (or even years!) after your child is keeping their underwear dry all day long. In fact, some pediatricians recommend waiting until your child is five years old before starting to wear underwear to bed.
1. Are they ready?
Potty training during the day and potty training at night are two completely different ballgames. Just because your sweet toddler is a pro at using the potty all day long does not mean she is ready to make it through the night accident-free.
A good indicator that they are ready to take the leap is if they are already waking up dry in the morning (and keep it up for several weeks.) You can use this development as the go-ahead for facilitating nighttime potty training.
2. Establish a Routine.
A nighttime potty training routine is simple. Make sure your child goes to the bathroom right before hopping into bed at night. Make sure they try, even if they say they don’t have to go.
Be sure to let your child know that they need to listen to their bodies even when they’re sleeping. And if they have to go potty, they need to get out of bed and walk to the bathroom.
Install nightlights in the hallway and in the nearest bathroom, and let them practice getting out of bed to go potty. You might even purchase a special nighttime flashlight that they can use to light their way.
4. Should you wake them up?
Some parents approach nighttime potty training by setting alarms and waking kids up at the same time each night to train their bodies to wake up and use the potty. Some parents wake their child up just before they head to bed themselves. And some parents never wake their kids up at all.
If you really feel like your child is ready to stay dry all night long, see what happens the first few nights. If there are frequent accidents, you can either start waking them up throughout the night to use the potty – or just wait to tackle nighttime potty training until they’re really ready.
5. Should you stop liquids at night?
Some parents swear by cutting off all liquids after dinner, barely allowing their child a sip of water with their bedtime snack. Other parents send their kids to bed with water bottles. Which solution will have your child staying dry all night long?
According to WebMD, there’s no need to restrict water and other fluids excessively, but tapering your child’s consumption of fluids during and after dinner might be worth trying if bedwetting is an issue.
Just keep in mind that wetting the bed is not caused by your child having a full bladder at night. It’s caused by your child not waking up to use the potty.
6. Bedwetting Hack
No one wants to spend time, in the middle of the night, putting clean sheets on a bed when you could be sleeping! When you’re first starting out with potty training at night, do yourself a favor and invest in one (or two) plastic sheets. HINT: A plastic tablecloth will work too.
One plastic sheet goes on top of the mattress, followed by a set of sheets (fitted and flat.) THEN, put on another plastic sheet, followed by a set of sheets.
If your child has a middle-of-the-night accident, all you need to do is strip off the top layer of sheets and plastic sheet, and you have a fresh set all ready to go. (Which means you are both back in your beds and on your way to dreamland even faster.)
7. Set your expectations.
It can be defeating to face a freshly peed set of sheets each morning and a child who has no recollection of what happened. Spare your potty-trainer the resentment and disappointment, and remember that this is not forever. YOU no longer pee the bed, and they won’t be peeing it forever either. Your patience and grace are crucial for this nighttime transition because you do not want to send your child to bed with the fear of doing something wrong. Or worse, disappointing you.
This is also the time to really decide if your child is ready for potty training at night. Did you start nighttime potty training because your child is begging to ditch the diaper at night? Is it because YOU feel like they should be wearing underwear? Is it because they’re heading off to college next week and it’s time?
Those can all be good reasons, but be sure to go back and read #1 to make sure your child is really ready before everyone is stressed out and exhausted.
Additionally, don’t hesitate to reach out to your pediatrician if bedwetting becomes an ongoing issue.
Potty Training Doesn’t Have to Stink!
If you’re potty training your child, Kandoo is here to help. Follow the three steps below to receive all of the potty training support we have to offer.
1. Get Potty Training Resources
Visit Kandookids.com/PottyTraining for hacks and support on your potty training journey. From the very basics to how to handle potty training regressions, poop problems and wiping, we’ve got answers to your questions.
2. Sign up for our Potty Training Program
Need a little more help and support? Sign up for our FREE potty program. It’s full of step-by-step advice to walk you through the entire potty training process – from the first time you introduce the potty to how to throw a potty training party to celebrate your success at the end.
Sign up, and you’ll receive the most effective hacks on potty training including a step-by-step plan of action on when to start, supplies to buy, how to keep it silly, how to handle set backs and more! Click here to join now.
3. Stock up on Supplies – like Kandoo Flushable Wipes
Kandoo Flushable Cleansing Wipes clean up to 30% better than toilet paper. The wipes pop up with the push of a button, making them perfect for little hands. Added bonus? No more using too much (or too little) toilet paper.
Help your little one get a clean wipe every time with the Kandoo Potty Time Pack. From Kandoo Flushable Wipes to Kandoo BRIGHTFOAM® Hand soap – and even a potty training superhero cape – the Potty Time Pack has everything you need for potty training success.
If your child likes to be independent, the Kandoo Potty Time Pack can help. Click here to purchase it now with free shipping!
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