At What Age Should a Child Be "Night Potty" Trainned

I took my kids out of diapers at night after a week straight of waking up in the morning with a completely dry diaper.

I was very lucky and my now 5 year old son was potty trained at 28 months - day time trained in one day and night time trained within 3 weeks. Like I said - I was very lucky. I'm hoping my 2 year old is as easy to train! That said, most kids I know (or am around) take several months to become fully (day & night) potty trained.

Dear Lynn,

Here is my experience, and I did some research on nighttime dryness because I was concerned about my daughter.

I know I stayed dry at night at young age, but it most likely was due to the fact that my mother kept me slightly dehydrated. Of course, there were no pull-ups at that time. Now we know better.

Since I'm not going to dehydrate my daughter (she drinks what she needs), she didn't achieve nighttime dryness until she was 4 1/4. She had one dry night when she was 3 1/2 and I was hoping that was the beginning, but it was nine months later before she was consistent.

I was getting worried, so I looked it up. Yes, some children are very sound sleepers and don't realize when they need to relieve themselves at night. Researchers at a sleep lab put earphones on sleeping kids. At some point during the sleep cycle, the researchers sent a very loud noise through the headphones and the kids did not wake up.

Also, your body needs to start making something called anti-diuretic hormone. Some kids start producing it when they achieve daytime control. But most kids take much longer; doctors won't even talk to you about nighttime dryness until the child is 6 years old. Also, supplementing ADH is only successful 30% of the time. But when the hormone kicks in, it can really kick in.

Be wary of people who say that pull-ups encourage kids to wet themselves. The pull-ups don't; the kids just don't have bladder size, anti-diuretic hormone and bladder fullness recognition all lined up yet. Also, you need to decide how you want to handle this situation. Changing a wet pull-up in the morning or stripping the bed every morning (with a possibly hysterical child crying because they disappointed you).

In my daughter's case, to help her out I would take her potty before I went to bed, and her dad took he when he got her up in the morning (I've left a training potty in her room). In September of 2007 she started staying dry all night with our help. By November 2007 she asked to wear her big girl panties to bed. Also in that month we took a trip to visit my dad. She was sleeping with my sister, so I didn't take her potty before I went to bed. She got her aunt up at 2am to go potty. Thinking about it, I realized her urine production was very low at 11pm (when I had been taking her potty), so I started getting up at 2am to take her potty. She slept through every potty foray, only half waking up. When I noticed the 2am production was getting low, I stopped taking her potty at night. So, since March she has been on her own. She can get up at night and use her chamber pot and she has done so on several occasions. She' only had one accident, but it was a blessing in disguise because it convinced her she didn't need the bed rail anymore. I also restrict fluids after dinner, but she can drink all she wants during the day.

I hope this long story helps. Don't worry about her daughter and just be glad we have pull-ups so you don't have to strip the bed everyday.

A.

My daughter will be 4 in August . She was a little backwards in that she stayed dry at night at about 2 1/2, but wasn't day trained until a little after her 3rd birthday. Every child is different. Her muscles may not be strong enough to hold it all night or she may just sleep so sound that she doesn't wake up. Some kids have accidents until their 6 or 7, so I wouldn't be concerned. I would try a reward system like the previous poster said, but if that doesn't work I wouldn't push her. She'll get the hang of it sooner or later.

I have a 4 year old son who still wears pull ups at night even though he's been fully potty trained for over a year now. He sometimes wakes up dry, but most often a little wet. His sister is 3 and trained for day right after her 3rd b-day(Nov. 07), but she still wears pull ups at night and is usually VERY wet. I've tried the limiting drink thing and other stuff, but I just think they sleep so heavily it wouldn't matter. I think the sleep is more important for them than not wearing a pull up. When she starts having dry pull ups for more than a week, on her own without "trying", that's the time to stop using them. Everyone is different. Many children "wet the bed" well into first grade so you're better off not having nighttime accidents which make a child feel bad about themselves.

Hey Lynn, relax...everyone is different for a reason! She'll let you know when she's ready! Shoulda, coulda, woulda...create havic in ones life! Just watch the fluid intake before bedtime and when you get up in the night to go, take her with you.

First let me say, relax. Lots of kids are not night trained until older. Here is my experience. My first (boy) was night trained long before he was day trained. My second (girl) day trained at 2 1/2 but was not night trained until around 5. My doctor said not to worry until age 6. She was just a very heavy sleeper. I tried no diaper at night thinking eventually she would learn to get up, but she would sleep through the wetness - she was that heavy of a sleeper. Eventually she began staying dry on her own. My third (girl) day trained at 3 and was night trained around 3 1/2. I had her in pull-ups until she stayed dry through one pack of pull-ups, then I didn't buy anymore. Her cousins were still in pullups at night at 4 1/2. I'm getting ready to potty train my 4th (boy). I care more about the day training, but the night training will come when they are physically ready. With all training I haven't found bribes/incentives/rewards helpful. All kids are different.

Hi - My daughter turned 4 this month. She potty-trained day and night within a month of her third birthday - Only one night accident ever - I am very lucky. Most of my friends potty trained for day around age 3 and it took 3-6 months longer to train for night. You have to remember that there is a huge difference between 3 and 3 1/2 in terms of self-motivation and desire, as well as physical maturity. So don't put pressure on her or yourself, especially if she seems stressed out about it.

Most of the success stories I've heard, came from moms whose daughters ASKED to wear underwear at night, including my daughter. I would drop it for now, and just tell her big girls don't need pull-ups at night and tell her she will be ready soon. Wait awhile and I'll bet she'll ask to do it.

I am not really a fan of offering food as a reward, but in this one case we did. At 3, my daughter had almost never had candy in her life. We gave her a cup of M&Ms (about 10-15) and said that she could have one piece each morning before breakfast if she woke up dry. When the cup was empty, we could go shopping for new underwear (but you could do bedsheets or pajamas or something else tied to nighttime and dry sleep).

Hi Lynn,

Here are some resources for you to check you and then you can make an informed decision.

http://www.parentingtoddlers.com/pottytraining.html

http://www.thediaperfreebaby.com/

http://potty-training.suite101.com/article.cfm/elimination

Hope these help. Good luck. D.

This is so embarrassing for me to even say, but my 6 1/2 year old daughter stills has to wear a pullup at night. She's been day trained since she was 2 1/2,and has NEVER had an accident during the day, but she is such a heavy sleeper. Just like in someone else's response, she can wet the bed and sleep right through it. We've tried EVERYTHING except medication (if there is such a thing) My pediatrician says not to worry until she is 7, but that is fast approaching, so you can imagine my anxiety about the whole thing. Anyway, you have several years before you should worry! Good luck :)

Hi Lynn,

My daughter of 4 is still in her pull up at night and my oldest son was in his until 6. Now my middle son was fully potty trained day and night at 2 1/2. So you never know. You will know when she is ready, she will just stop one day and not want the pull up and then you're done. Don't rush her and good luck.

S.

I have 4 kids and NONE were potty trained at all until 3 1/2 years old.

As for night training, 3 of mine were night trained before they were trained during the day, purely by accident. They just didn't have to go at night. But ones that do wet the bed tend to do it for a long time. It's a different process entirely and it happens for different reasons. You can't rush it. Let her have the pullup if she needs it at night so she can sleep.

I don't think there is a certain time. It depends a lot on the child. I have a daughter that quit wetting at night before she was potty train, she refused to go on a potty till we moved in with a friend that had a inside bathroom.
Then I had a daughter that continued to wet the bed till she was about 7 or 8. I moved from a violent lifestyle with this daughter; and she soon stopped when she was no longer violence in the home.
Then I had a third daughter, I went to stay with a friend. My friend's little girl was in potty training; my daughter tagged with her for a couple of months and was potty trained by 18 months and by 2yrs was completely trained. So try and have patiences.

Sleeping through the night without wetting is not a matter of "training". It's a growth and development thing that has it's own timetable. I have two boys: one was dry through the night at four; the other still had occasional accidents through the age of seven. As a kid I wet the bed, on occasion, until I was twelve! Please don't pressure your daughter at her tender age to do something her body is not capable of doing.

I do not know what to tell you as my almost 6 year old daughter can not stay dry at night. We limit her fluids at night to milk at 6PM. Nothing else after. Bathroom before bed and then again around 12Am and she still wakes up damp. I consulted her doctors and they said this is normal, but it is hard. Her 3 year old cousin can stay completely dry but her sister wore a pull up till she was 51/2. I would say at that age it will come do not be to over the top, believe me I know the pull ups are expensive, I was hoping she would be out of them as I have a new baby.
The doctor also said it tends to run in families but both myself and my husband were potty trained at 21/2 and 3 respectfully and never had a night accident. On the plus side since being potty trained she has NEVER had a day accident at home or school except once when she was running a very high fever.
I felt very helped by speaking to K's doctor about it and she made both of us (K and me) feel better. However, since she will be 6 in August we are going to revisit it with the doctor this summer. She was born 3 months early and has no visible problems but I can not help but want to be reassured that everything is okay with her bladder and kidneys.
H.
Mom to two great august redheads

Hi Lynn;
I agree with the ladies who are advising you not to be too concerned. I have a 4-1/2yr old boy and he's potty trained, but he won't wake up in middle of the night if he has to go to the bathroom. I wake up at least one time in middle of the night and take him to the bathroom. He remains partially asleep even while he goes to the bathroom. Just recently he has begun calling me to let me know he needs to go to the bathroom. Relax. She'll get there.

everyone seems to be right on target. Children potty train during the day way sooner than they do at night. The day time is different they are aware they have to go but at night they are sleeping and it urge doesn't wake children. So i wouldn't rush it. But i also wouldn't put her in training pants either. When my daughter was trained during the day completely for 1yr i stopped putting her in training pants at night. I just treated her like a child who wet the bed. I got a mattress cover and kept sheets handy It gives her the change to teach herself. You can't TRAIN them at night. Waking them up to go to the bathroom doesn't nothing for them just you. The same thing with taking water away at night. You have to let her body take over and wake her. The way to help that along is to actually give her LOTS of water at night. So her bladder is full and it will wake her up. If you keep it empty it doesn't give her enough to feel so she will wake up. My daughter was completely trains during the day at about the same age yours was but wasn't completely trained at night until about 4 1/2. She's not 5 1/2 and is going great. good luck to you and your daughter. Oh yea! don't tell her she's doing a bad job because she's peeing at night and there is no need to reward for it either. Having dry sheets is enough of a reward. She'll be thrilled.

as others have siad just relax and let it happen...it will eventuall. no one is still wearing pull ups at 10 years old!

My daughter wet the bed until afer she was married at age 17. The doctor said she was a heavy sleeper and just didn't wake up. I have a grandson that is 8 and will be 9 next month that still wets occasionally. It is just something that happens. Not all kids are the same. Some break the night wetting as they are potty broke during the day and some don't. It is just somehting you can predict. I know it is frustrating but there really isn't anything you personally can do other than take away the drinks to help unless there is something medically wrong. Because I know a little girl that had problems during the day and she had a kidney problem.

Ok I have 4 kids 3 of which are daughters. By 3 1/2 3 out of the 4 were done with pampers during the day and night. If I went out to run errands and I knew there wouldn't be bathroom nearby I would put them in pullups. While at home it was panties or underwear. Take her to the store and bring her to the panty section for little girls. There she will see Disney Princesses etc.. When you get home it's every 15 minutes (it stinks at first but this is what I did) Every 15 minutes ask her do you need to go to the bathroom and do "peepee" if ashe says no you say let's go try anyway just in case you wouldn't want an accident to happen in your brand new pretty panties. It's a constant until she gets the hang of it. She definately should be completely trained before she goes to preschool in the fall. So make July your goal for her to be completely potty trained especially during the day. Good Luck.

Annie R

Lynn, Children are all so different. I have 3 girls ages 4, 7, 8. The 4 yo has been potty trained (day and night) since she was 3 and has had maybe 4 accidents in a year. My 7 yo has been trained since she was 2 and never had an accident day or night. My 8 yo is another story. She has been trained since she was 3 but her father passed away when she was 5. She started having daily day and night accidents. Now she is 8 and does not have day accidents anymore (but only since about a year ago) but she does pee in the bed EVERY SINGLE night. It is very frustrating. I have taken her to the doctor and they say she will grow out of it. I dont use diapers or pullups because I think it lessens her responsibility for her actions and sort of lets her see that its ok. It would sure make it easier but we wash her sheets once a week, so if she pees she knows she has to sleep in it the rest of the week. We were doing a calendar that seemed to help (smileys on days she was dry, etc). We are probably going to go back to that. I think its something they do subconciously and need to train their bodies to either wake up at night or hold it. Its something we cant rush. Every child is different.