Nap/nighttime Potty Training Advice

Updated on September 03, 2009
S.K. asks from Madison Heights, MI
4 answers

My daughter has been daytime potty trained since shortly before her 2nd birthday (June 1st). She pretty much did this all on her own as we did not push her, only providing encouragement when she showed interest in trying. Eventually, she starting asking to go more and more on her own & it's been that way for a few months now w/ very few accidents.

My questions is: how do I start encouraging potty "awareness" at nap and bedtime? I'm guessing I should just wait and let it become something she's ready to do. I know 2 is still young, so about what age do children become more aware when sleeping?...currently, we make a potty trip before she goes to bed (and we reduce fluid intake before sleep time, also), but she will still wet in her diaper (often while still awake) then call me from bed to tell me she's wet & needs a change. I remind her she can use the potty any time & call me to help her even at night or nap time--she hasn't tried that yet. If she doesn't wet while awake, she will usually have a wet diaper by the time she wakes up. She does not usually wake up because she wet, which makes me think she's still too young to realize she needs to go or is going while sleeping. I even attempted letting her wear her big girl panties just to see if she'd be more aware, but that didn't work either.

Thoughts, ideas? Thanks so much!

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L.N.

answers from Benton Harbor on

Couple of things come to mind. One is to put her in a pullup at night and eventually she will be dry. Once she is dry a lot of nights in a row, try it without. At one time we were able to use the same pullup several nights in a row til it would fall apart almost. That's when I realized we didn't need it anymore. :)

Also, try putting a potty in her room at night. Tell her it is okay to get out of bed and go potty. You'll have to go the pullup route here too, unless she can diaper herself...lol

Also, as a tip, one mom suggested to put sheets on differently. First a mattress pad, then a fitted sheet, then a plastic fitted sheet, then another regular fitted sheet. That way you can strip it off the bed in the middle of the night if need be and the new fresh one will be dry underneath. Also saves the mattress.

Good luck.

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L.G.

answers from Detroit on

I have no luck with potty training.. we arent enforcing it to much just yet. our DD will go when she wants..

id say just wait it out a little longer. let her wear a diaper at nap and nite time.

if she started potty all by her self the first time, maybe shes still getting used to it. and in time will get the next step.

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M.H.

answers from Detroit on

Night time training is tricky. I have a six and four year old. The older was daytime trained by just over two and the younger daytime trained fully at 21 months. Both were soon also dry during naps (within a month or two of training), BUT until recently they both still had to wear protection during the night. My six year old would still wet 90% of the time. I have started a very strict regime for them both which they actually don't mind at all, but I figure they need some help to stay dry. My eldest son is a very heavy sleeper and I guess has an under-developed bladder still. So this is what I am doing (and it's working)...They have their last drink with dinner, they go to the potty every 30 minutes after dinner until bedtime (8pm). I get them up to pee at around 10.30 and then again IF I wake in the night myself (they do not actually wake when they do this as my son never remembers in the morning that he's been). This is tiring for me though but mine are much older than your little one and I think it is definately time for them.
Your little one is only two and has not been trained for a really long time during the day. I would say carry on doing what you are doing and see if there is a natural progression. Two seems quite young to go dry through the night, although it is not unheard of. I think most kids are night-time dry by three or four. Mine are obviously late bloomers with that lol.
Good luck ;)

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L.O.

answers from Detroit on

you really cannot teach kids to be dry at night. some kids are potty trained and are immediately dry at night.. others it takes years.

some kids wet the bed until their teen years.

my daughter is almost 4 perfectly daytime trained since 2- but wears a daiper for every nap and evey night. she is wet 90% of naps and 100% of nights.

we go potty before bed adn I sometimes remind her to try to keep her diaper dry.. but she is obviously not ready to be dry while she is sleeping.

occassionally a sitter will forget to diaper her before bed.. and the bed will be soaked.. so I know she is not wet just because she hasa diaper on,

you can try to get her up in the middle of the night to take her potty but that is really only training you to wake her up and not training her to wake herself up..

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