Staying Dry Overnight

Updated on December 02, 2010
H.P. asks from Minneapolis, MN
4 answers

Hello moms!!

I have a 5 year old daughter who has been day time potty trained since she was two and a half. We are still having difficulty staying dry over night which I am not overly concerned about, but here is where I struggle...Until about 2 months ago she would wear a night time pull up to bed and would wake up 40-50% of the time dry. Now she does not want to wear a pull up to bed (which I am ok with) but is wet at least 2-3 times a week. I typically stay up until midnight just to get her up to pee but sometimes she will come into my room at 2am saying she is wet even after peeing at midnight, or like last night I fell asleep on the couch and she came down at 1am to say she was wet. Besides a sip of water when brushing her teeth, she does not get anything to drink after dinner between 5:30-6 and she typically goes to bed between 7:30-8. We are living in London now and the washer/dryer here is VERY small so it literally takes all day to wash her sheets...I am trying very hard not to let her see how frustrated I am. Any tips on how we can help this process along? Thanks so much

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M.T.

answers from New York on

Don't wake her up to pee at night. Night "training" isn't about waking up to pee, it's about the bladder maturing to the point that it doesn't need to be emptied at night. You are "training" her to continue emptying her bladder at night. If she wets the bed 3 nights a week, that's pretty much half the time and I'd insist on goodnights - if she's peeing anyway, it's really not any more mature or less embarrassing to pee through your pajamas and on your sheets and need mom to help you, then to pee in the goodnights and be in charge of changing herself, which at 5 she is certainly capable of doing.
Good luck

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J.C.

answers from New York on

I would tell her that it's ok to wear a pull up at night and when she can keep it dry for a week, she can then go without it. Tell her that lots of kids wear them to bed adn it's ok.

Also, you might want to pick up a waterproof flat crib pad and lay it OVER the sheets. It will protect the sheets from getting wet - but not her. But at least that's 1/2 the battle.

Good luck.

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D.W.

answers from Gainesville on

My son was close to five when his body was ready to go all night and stay dry. We cloth diaper and basically he was still in a heavy duty cloth diaper at night until that time. I never equated diapers with being a baby. There were times when he didn't want to use it but I gently explained that his body was almost ready and this was for nite nite protection so that he didn't have to wake up wet sometimes. He was old enough to understand how his body worked and was good with the protection explanation.

Put on the pull up and then put cute undies on over it maybe?

C.B.

answers from Kansas City on

dooon't wake her up just to pee at night. there is only so much you can "help" with in this situation - and it's obviously not working, right? all you're doing is losing sleep. everyone will sleep better if you quit trying to fight a battle that you can't win. pullups go ON, and if she doesn't like it she needs to try to stay dry. when she can stay dry, she can quit wearing them. end of story. there's no shame in it, there's no big drama - some kids just don't stay dry at night. mine is 4 and rarely wakes up dry. i've already told him that he can stop wearing them when he stays dry at night.

let go of the frustration. it's just nature. you can't do a thing about it. why stress about something you can't change? just focus on loving your wonderful daughter and accept that right now, she needs pullups. no biggie.

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