Night-time Potty Help

[SabraMamma]

DS who is 3 1/2 has recently become very interested in night-time potty learning. We wake him up a few times each night, some nights we catch him on time and others he is wet by the time we get there. He NEVER wakes up on his own to go potty and he NEVER wakes up on his own because he feels wet. My DD trained herself to wake up and go when she was 2 and I never had to learn/teach this. So, I feel clueless and wanted to know from other parents how to train your DC to wake up on their own to go. What is a typical process for night-time potty learning? Without using extreme measures, is there a simple way to teach him to feel it coming, or at least feel that he is wet? Any tips, suggestions... Thanks!

[mavery]

It sounds like he's just not quite ready, though I think it's good to encourage his interest.

My ds does not yet wake up, but while he's sleeping he IS at some level aware he's not supposed to pee and he rarely does. I get him up to pee when I go to bed and that's enough.

If your ds still wants to try, is he willing to wear pull-ups to protect the bed while he works on learning to wake up to pee? Then he doesn't have to feel discouraged because he still has the option to get up and go, rather than having to wear diapers.

If you're getting him up multiple times a night, it also sounds like he's either drinking too much late in the afternoon/evening OR he hasn't learned to wait and let his bladder get a bit fuller rather than peeing small amounts very frequently. If he's potty-trained in the day, you could work on having him pay attention to how much he needs to pee, whether he can wait for a minute and the urge goes away, etc.

[P-chan]

Here's our story. My 4-year-old just recently started staying dry at night. He is a deep sleeper and rarely wakes in the night for any reason. He is really really good at holding pee (went 9 hours without a dribble the first day in underwear at age 3.5).

I didn't have any sort of a "stay dry at nighttime" plan, when out of the blue he woke up dry one morning, with nothing in particular done to cause it. We told him that when he was dry three mornings in a row, he could wear undewear at night. It took about a month for him to string three days together, with each morning having less, and fresher, pee in his diaper. He's been in underwear for about 3 weeks now, and has had only one wet morning.

From the reading I've done and stories I've heard, it's really a case of when they're ready, they're ready!

[octobermom]

well here is MY story. I potty trained very young around 18 months totally and did so in a day. However I night wet for years I was in Jr high and still night wet. (I also had some medical issues) My parents tried everything. I was deneyed food and water after certain hours I was given rewards punishments we tried medication chiroprators alarms (semi worked) waking me diapers trainers on and on. Then one day around my 12th year I woke up dry then it happend again and again till one day I realized HEY I'm not wetting the bed anymore! Nothing changed no diet no medical no lifestyle changes its just my body matured and things clicked. I really really believe that when they are ready it will happen.

[Martha_2sons]

I was wondering too if he would be willing to still wear a pull-up at night. I had a similar experience to the PP. My 4.5 year old was very wet every night of his life until about three weeks ago. Now, he has been dry every night and is out of a night time pull-up.

[SabraMamma]

He does NOT want to wear a pull-up anymore to bed. We have a plastic cover on the mattress to protect the bed. We usually wake him 2x a night and some nights are great, but others just aren't. He is mentally ready, but I guess physically he still needs time. He has been in underwear since he was an early 2, and did great at first, but over the last 1 1/2 years has gone back and forth with good and bad potty days. Lately he has been doing great and really wants the night time thing to click. I guess time will help!!

[octobermom]

Originally Posted by julieshayna

He does NOT want to wear a pull-up anymore to bed. We have a plastic cover on the mattress to protect the bed. We usually wake him 2x a night and some nights are great, but others just aren't. He is mentally ready, but I guess physically he still needs time. He has been in underwear since he was an early 2, and did great at first, but over the last 1 1/2 years has gone back and forth with good and bad potty days. Lately he has been doing great and really wants the night time thing to click. I guess time will help!!

Yes just give it time and follow his prefrence with the bedding diaper thing.. At first my DD would totally freak out if she wet at night it really upset her to have a wet bed so we used a pull up even though she woke up dry many times. Now though we don't we just have one of those waterproof matress pads and we keep an extra change of clothes and sheet near her bed. On the occasional accident she changes her self and I change her bed. Its what she prefers I'm sure it wont be long till shes 100% at night.
FWIW if she gets a larger amount of dairy during the day shes more likely to wet at night...

[lizabird]

Originally Posted by P-chan

Here's our story. My 4-year-old just recently started staying dry at night. He is a deep sleeper and rarely wakes in the night for any reason. He is really really good at holding pee (went 9 hours without a dribble the first day in underwear at age 3.5).

I didn't have any sort of a "stay dry at nighttime" plan, when out of the blue he woke up dry one morning, with nothing in particular done to cause it. We told him that when he was dry three mornings in a row, he could wear undewear at night. It took about a month for him to string three days together, with each morning having less, and fresher, pee in his diaper. He's been in underwear for about 3 weeks now, and has had only one wet morning.

From the reading I've done and stories I've heard, it's really a case of when they're ready, they're ready!

This pretty much sounds like us, except my 3.5 year old ds hasn't stayed dry more than maybe once/month. He is a VERY deep sleeper and will sleep through just about anything. He's worn underwar to bed at night, peed, and stayed sleeping totally wet the rest of the night (yuck!). He usually wears a pullup diaper, sleeps through pee, sleeps through middle of the night diaper and clothing changes if necessary, wakes up wet but totally unphased by it. I can't wait until he is dry at night! He's been totally daytime dry for over a year now.