Potty Training and Sleep Troubles

I agree. Put a diaper on him for naps and night time. Tell him that it's OK to wet his diaper. Give him lots of reassurance that he's doing well using the potty during the day but it's to early to have to use it at night.

You can have him go potty but then put on a diaper and in a calm and loving tone tell him training is over until tomorrow or until the afternoon. It may take him awhile to be able to accept this change. Just stick with it for a week or two.

If he's determined to "have to go" after putting him to bed, you have to let him. You're right about him using it as a tactic to stall bedtime, but he knows you have to let him, or he will pee in his bed to make his case. (They also use this tactic when you're out and about to check out bathrooms in restaurants, gas stations, and stores.) I think your best option is to let him handle it by himself---then the novelty will wear off on its own. Go to the toddler bed and put his potty next to it, and wait him out. Yeah, he'll get up a bunch of times, maybe pee, maybe not. He's not getting any interaction from you, which is the reason for all the requests. When he realizes that he's doing it alone and without fuss, he'll go back to sleeping. If he's not wet in the morning, why stress him by using pullups?

My suggestion would be to try cutting out his liquid intake late at night so that way you will know he doesn't have to go the potty. Plus with my daughter we put night time Pullups on her when she sleeps. They hold more if she does wet. Just keep telling him like you are...if you have a accident its ok. We can clean it up and it will be good as new. These two things might help and just stay firm. If he says he has to potty then let him go to the closest potty. Let him sit there no more than ten minutes and then back to bed. No more one stuffed animal then no animals. One animal and that is that.. just stand you ground.

As for the bed situation it seems like a good idea so he can get up by himself to go to the potty. However I think that might cause more problems. He may want to get up all the time for potty breaks end playing. But you know you child better than anyone else.

Good luck with the whole situation.

It sounds like he's stressed out about having a pee accident. Some kids can night train at 2 1/2, but the vast majority don't do this to much much later. Let him potty train during the day and still wear a diaper or pull-up at night. He'll either wake up to pee on his own at night or he'll be able to eventually stay dry all night and not have an accident.

My son (now 5) night trained himself at 2 1/2 by waking up on his own. His body was not ready to hold it all night. My daughter who is 6 1/2 only recently was able to (consistently) wake up dry. She is a really deep sleeper and has NEVER woken up in the night to go pee. She sleeps right through peeing her bed, and wakes up when she gets cold.

Ease up on the nap time and bedtime training. Even if he is physically ready, he's so freaked out about an accident he doesn't want to go to sleep.

Good luck~

Night time/nap time and Day time pottying are 2 DIFFERENT things and processes.
They do NOT attain sleep dryness.... at the same time as day time dryness.
Night time dryness is not even attained until even 7 years old and is normal.Until then, night time diapers are used.

It seems like you feel the issue isn't accidents or anything potty-related, but that he is using the situation to delay going to bed, and I think I agree with you. Just the fact that he's running through a laundry list of things he needs or wants is enough to make me think that. My son's tried it too. The reality is, for these things to stop, you will have to endure some hysterics, but eventually, he will understand that the behavior is unacceptable and that the hysterics are not going to control everyone. Bedtime is the hardest time to deal with I think. Everyone is tired. If he were in a toddler bed or even just a regular bed, you could have the potty set up in his room, and when he has to go he could get out of bed on his own, and go, and get back in bed. And, if in a big boy bed, you could just put a waterproof mattress cover on it. If he has an accident, just change the sheets, no problem. It sounds like the bigger issue is bedtime routine and boundaries. You may or may not like Supernanny, but in essence, she suggests that once a child is in bed for the night, and has had the snack, the drink, the potty, the blanket, etc., then you should not go back into the room for a bunch of requests. If he would need something legit and you have to go back in, don't talk with him, so its not rewarding. Just go in, give him whatever and leave again. You might also consider using a pull-up at night for awhile, even though he's staying dry. Then, you won't feel stressed if indeed he pees a little. You don't have to call it a diaper...I just call it "another type of underwear" and my son seems cool with it. Sometimes he gets so hung up on wording of something, that if I just word it a little differently, he gets over it. Good luck!

My son gets 3 times out of bed to use the potty, then the potty goes in his room and the door is shut so he can't get out again.