Nighttime Potty Training

[LaSoulta]

I told you all I had a lot of questions! Anyway, I somehow missed the boat on nighttime potty training and am trying to work my girls into learning (I was hoping they would just do it themselves). They have been completely day trained for almost 2 years but are never dry at night. We're still using pull-ups!! Maddie gets a rash frequently b/c of the pull-ups, but they just don't seem interested in losing them no matter what (even bribes - good ones!)

Any suggestions on getting started? Just take the pull-ups off and deal with it? Wake them up during the night to go? Start one at a time? I don't want to pressure them, but this has got to stop!

Thanks!

[ourtwinmom]

We are right behind you. Although we potty trained late. DD has been asking to not wear pullups to bed. From asking around and reading the potty training forum others suggest limiting the last drink to at least one hour before bed. Having them pee just before getting in bed and then waking them at 10:00-10:30 to pee. Apparently having them pee at this time helps to not have accidents. Then they say they eventually do not need to be woken up to pee.

Again - just what I have read. No practical experience yet - coming soon.:snicker:

[Steph211]

Hi,

As I understand it, you can't night train kids. It just happens naturally when their bodies are ready. I once had a student who still wore pull-up type things to bed in third grade. She was such a deep, deep sleeper she didn't wake up when she had to go. My nephew wore them at night until he was 6 for the same reason.

My son was day-trained at about 2 years, 9 mos. I kept him in pull ups at night but after about a month he woke up dry every morning and I just kept him in underwear. He's almost 4 now and has only wet the bed a handful of times. My daughter was day trained at 3 years, 1 mos. She was night trained almost immediately, just kept waking up in dry pull ups. She has only wet the bed once.

I think it's very normal for kids to wear pulls ups at night well into kindergarten and beyond. Certainly talk to your pediatrician if you have concerns, but I don't think there's anything you can do to make it happen. Limiting drinks after bedtime helps and you could do the 10:00 wake up (I would NEVER do that with my kids, they would be up for hours! But my friend does it everynight with her 4 1/2 year old who goes right back to sleep), but I think it's up to their little bodies to make it happen.

Good luck!

[spike]

I have to agree that you can't really night-time train. You can help (limiting liquids before bed, waking them etc.) but it won't happen till they are ready.
I have one of the girls who is dry every morning and the other who is wet.
Also genetics plays a big part (if one parent had a "bedwetting" issue then a child is likely too as well)

Thank goodness for pull-ups!!!

Deanne

[Kaper]

I agree that you can't night train them, especially at that age. Mine were potty trained at a little over three and at basically the same time they were night "trained". I just kept noticing that they were waking up dry, so once they did it for two weeks straight, I pulled the night-time pull-up. (I think they must have just woken up and peed in their pull-up before they were potty trained because they didn't quite grasp that there was another option.) I would wait it out, and their systems will mature.

[jeanie]

Im going to put a potty next to their beds and put a night light in their rooms maybe they will get up and go..Im wishing.

[LG37]

I agree that you can't night train them, especially at that age. Mine were potty trained at a little over three and at basically the same time they were night "trained". I just kept noticing that they were waking up dry, so once they did it for two weeks straight, I pulled the night-time pull-up. (I think they must have just woken up and peed in their pull-up before they were potty trained because they didn't quite grasp that there was another option.) I would wait it out, and their systems will mature.

Ditto. Similar situation here. Everyone told me it would happen when they were ready and it did :shrug:

[LaSoulta]

yes, what everyone is saying makes total sense. i'm just afraid i "missed my window" so to speak as olivia seems not bothered at all by the fact that she is still in pull-ups and wants to make no change whatsoever - she seems to enjoy having her pull up there at night and knows she doesn't need to "hold it" in when it will quite comfortably catch it.

on the other hand, maddie has now been dry (and pull up free!!) for 3 nights in a row. she pees just before bed (7ish) and then I take her to the potty again just before i go to bed (anytime between 10 and 11). i'm going to just focus on maddie now and not push olivia. i'm hoping her sister's success will "plant the seed" so to speak!!

good luck, everyone and thanks so much for your help!