Once your child has mastered staying dry during the day, you will probably wonder when to night potty train. Nighttime potty training can’t be rushed and has to do with each child’s body development.
Typically nighttime is what will take children the longest to master, so don’t get discouraged!
On average, children are able to successful day potty train between 2-5 years of age. However, nighttime potty training typically occurs closer to 3-7 years of age.
Read on for some tips to help make nighttimes successful for you and your child.
When Are Children Ready to Night Potty Train?
Daytime and nighttime potty training are two totally different things. While your child may be fully potty trained during the day, successfully staying dry at nighttime has more to do with physical development than anything. You’ll know when to night potty train when your child starts to wake up frequently with a dry pull-up or diaper.
Physically, kids’ growing bodies need to support holding their urine for several hours overnight. They also need to have fully developed the nerve pathways that travel from their bladder to their brain. As the nerve pathways are developing, if your child is a super deep sleeper, they may not be successful in waking up enough at night to make it to the bathroom on time.
In addition to the physical needs, there are cognitive ones as well. Your child may not be comfortable getting up on their own at night and walking to the dark bathroom. They may be nervous to be in underwear instead of a diaper or pull-up and fear disappointing you when an accident happens.
There are many things that we can do to help children prepare for the next adventure of night potty training, here are just a few.
Tip 1: Talk to Your Child About Wearing Underwear to Bed
If your child is successfully day potty trained and you’ve noticed that they are waking up more and more frequently with a dry diaper or pull-up, it might be time to start a conversation with them about transitioning out of nighttime diapers. While it might seem silly to consult your child, but this is a big transition and you want to make sure it is a positive one that they feel a sense of control over.
You can talk to your child about their growing body and how they seem to need to pee less and less frequently at night. Ask them if they think they can hold their pee all night and are ready to try wearing underwear with their pajamas. If they aren’t ready, let them keep the pull-ups for a few more weeks. You can also consider transitioning to potty training pants that feel more like underwear and less like a pull-up.
If you try underwear and frequent accidents are happening, let them decide if they would like to return to pull-ups for a little bit longer. They shouldn’t feel like they are moving backward, but rather just giving their body a little bit of extra time to grow and develop.
Allowing your child to feel a sense of control will help establish your confidence in them and your support of their decisions. Having choices will make your child feel more comfortable and in control of their body.
Tip 2: Limit Fluids Before Bedtime
There is no need to cut off fluids entirely, but tapering the amount they drink after dinner time can be helpful in successful overnights. Most bedtime accidents have less to do with how full a child’s bladder is, and more to do with them not waking up at night. However, limiting fluid intake can certainly help prevent major accidents from occurring.
Encourage frequent drinks and bathroom trips during the day so that your child clearly understands how their body feels when they need to go potty. Using a smaller cup size at night is also a good trick for making kids feel like they’ve had more to drink. We use a 1.5 oz shot glass when brushing teeth. It is the perfect size for my almost 4-year-old son. He feels like he gets a full cup of water when in reality it’s a very small amount.
Tip 3: Create a Potty Routine
Create the same routine every night to help provide consistency and predictability for your kids. Make one final trip to the bathroom the very last thing you do before hopping into bed. Even if your child says they don’t have to go, one final try can make a difference. If this is part of a routine that you follow every single night, there hopefully won’t be too much resistance.
Remember to talk to your child, especially if they really don’t want to go to the bathroom one more time. If they have been a part of the decision to wear underwear overnight, then one more trip to the potty will help them keep those undies and jammies dry!
As you’re getting ready for bed, chat with your child about what to do if they wake up and need to go potty. Together turn on nightlights or place a flashlight in an easily accessible spot so that middle-of-the-night trips are a breeze.
In the morning, make going to the bathroom a priority. Whether your child is independent and goes on their own, or you bring them first thing, have it be the number one thing you do. Even if your child has had an accident and may not need to eliminate much. Creating a consistent routine of potty first will help establish the importance.
Tip 4: Make Bathroom Trips Easier
Getting out of a nice warm bed to head to a dark bathroom all alone in the middle of the night can be really intimidating for some kids. We recommend making sure the path to the bathroom is clear and free of distractions. Leave a light or a nightlight on in the hallway and bathroom so that your child can find their way without being nervous. If you’re able to, leave the door open so they can find their way quickly and easily.
If your child has a little way to wander to the bathroom from their bed, a special flashlight might be just the encouragement they need to hop out of their comfy bed and venture off to the bathroom. While you don’t want sleep to be unnecessarily interrupted, making the trip to the bathroom motivating might help getting out of bed a little bit easier.
Tip 5: Keep a Positive Attitude
Accidents are bound to happen, which may be disappointing if your child has been day potty trained for months. Try not to let your kids know that you are upset or disappointed. Stay positive and patient and supportive of them. If your child stays dry all night, make sure to celebrate! While they shouldn’t feel shame for having accidents, celebrating achievements is a great way to acknowledge successful nights.
A favorite breakfast, some 1:1 time with a parent or something simple as new pajamas can keep your child motivated and excited about mastering the nighttime potty training. Once your child is able to get a number of successful nights under their belt if they still need motivation consider working towards a bigger prize. That way you don’t need to reward every successful night with a tangible reward.
Products we Recommend for Night Potty Training
You’ll know when to night potty train when you’re child starts to exhibit signs of being able to hold their urine. However, accidents still happen. Equip yourself with the right tools for making nighttime successful.
We recommend:
Waterproof Mattress Cover
We love waterproof mattress protectors underneath sheets for keeping the bed dry. We recommend layering 1 waterproof mattress protector and fitted sheet over the mattress, and then a second waterproof mattress protector and fitted sheet over the first layer. If a nighttime accident happens, all you have to do is strip off the top sheet and waterproof cover, and you already have the bed made for the rest of the night. No need to worry about putting on new sheets and changing your child all the while wishing you were still in your own bed.
Waterproof Toddler Underwear
If you’re worried about having to change the sheets every time your child has an accident, consider waterproof underwear. Your child will enjoy the comfort of being in underwear versus a diaper, but you won’t have to worry about soaked sheets. Underwear feels different than diapers. Getting your child accustomed to that feeling before moving to regular underwear overnight is a great next step.
If your child prefers Pull-ups, here’s a list of our most recommended Pull Up Diapers for Potty Training.
Nightlight
Nightlights are a great idea for leaving a subtle but well-lit path to and in the bathroom. You can make it part of your nighttime routine to have your child help switch on the nightlights so they know where they are located. A soft glow will be gentle on sleepy eyes and will take some of the fear or anxiety around a dark bathroom away.
Flashlight
If your child is nervous about getting out of bed in the dark and going to the bathroom by themselves at night, a special flashlight could be a good alternative or addition to night lights. It might even be novel enough that your child will want to make a trip to the bathroom if they happen to wake up in the middle of the night.
Organizing Basket
Knowing that accidents are bound to happen, it’s good to have on hand extra sheets and pajamas. Avoid having to fumble around in the middle of the night for clean clothes and sheets. Keep your extra pajamas, sheets, packages of wipes, etc, nicely organized in a bed side basket.
Wrap Up
There is no perfect answer for when to night potty train. Potty training in general can feel like a rollercoaster ride. A neverending cycle of good days and bad days, but eventually it will all be a distant memory. While many children are daytime potty trained between the ages of 2-5, nighttime potty training happens later. Children may not have fully accomplished nighttime potty training until closer to 3-7 years of age.
If you’re wondering when to night potty train, remember that much of this has to do with each child’s physical development. Bedwetting is also much more common than one might realize. Don’t hesitate to check in with your pediatrician if common accidents are happening, especially past the age of 5.
We recommend consistency and keeping a positive attitude. Involve your child in the decision-making process and be supportive of their progress. Celebrate successes together to keep this new venture positive and rewarding. Stock up on a few supplies to help make your night successful, and remember, you’ve got this! Before you know it your child will be independent and well on their way to success.
