Night Time Potty Training: Our Best Tips And Tricks

You thought the accidents were never going to end, and then suddenly your little one is asking to use the potty unprompted in the daytime.

It seems as though they might have actually somehow mastered using the potty. While you deserve a very welcome pat on the back and a huge sigh of relief that all of that's over, we hate to say it, but it might be time to start thinking about night time potty training.

We don't blame you if you're wondering where you're supposed to start. It can feel like an impossible task. And we won't lie to you, it's very likely that you're about to do a lot of bedding washing. But overnight potty training doesn't have to be a total nightmare. With our tips on night time potty training, you'll have it sorted in no time.

For more advice for parents of toddlers, why not take a look at our great ideas for planning a toddler's birthday party or what to do if your three-year-old's behavior is out of control?

There isn't a definitive age that you should start encouraging children to train to go potty during the night. On average, between the age of three and a half and four is a good guide, but it all depends when you start seeing the signs that your child is developmentally ready to make that leap.

It might be time to start thinking about potty training overnight are when your little one has mastered daytime potty training with very few mishaps or when they are staying dry almost every night, with a dry diaper when they wake up. If they start going to the bathroom during the night, and they use the bathroom when they wake up these are also good signs that your child is ready. When it gets to the stage that your child is refusing to wear their pull-up or diaper at night, that is probably their way of telling you that they are ready to attempt night time training too.

Quite often a child will be ready to attempt getting rid of their diaper at night, but they will still have accidents from time to time. The age that kids stop wetting the bed at night is going to vary from child to child. If your kid is a heavy sleeper, they might just not be able to control their bladder and will be far more likely to sleep through their urges to go to the bathroom. It can be frustrating for parents when you're constantly having to deal with accidents and it might end up feeling like you're changing your child's sheets almost every night, but the reality is that you just have to be patient with your child.

Some people choose to embark on potty training at night at the same time as daytime potty training, but in general, it's advised to wait until your little one is pretty much fully potty trained in the day before you start thinking about tackling the night, so your little one can get to grips with the training that's in their control first. Of course, it's up to you, we just want to save you some wet sheets.

So what is the best tactic when it comes to getting kids to go potty during the night? We've got a few tricks up our sleeves that might make things a bit easier for you if you're wondering where you're meant to start.

Make sure they wear underwear and pajamas that are easy to pull down. Unbuttoning or unzipping might be second nature to parents, but it could mean the difference between your kid being able to make it to the potty or not during the night. Tight pajamas can be tricky too. If the elastic around your child's waist is hard to pull down, then it might mean that the few seconds notice your child had that they needed to go were just not quite enough.

Invest in a waterproof mattress cover. Trust us on this one, no matter how well-prepared you are, you're going to have accidents from time to time. And a good quality waterproof cover for your child's mattress is going to make things much easier to deal with. Night time potty training sheets will do the same job as a waterproof mattress cover, and you can never be too careful when it comes to waterproof bedding. Our best advice is not to forget about this, trust us, when you're busy splashing the sheets under the tap every evening, you'll be wishing you'd splashed out.

Talk to your child about what's going on. Making sure they're clear on the situation means that they know what is expected of them. Remember, they've been used to wearing a diaper their whole life, so wetting the bed will probably feel more normal than going to the potty. Telling them that they are going to start to potty train at bedtime, and making it clear what it is that entails will make sure they're on the same page as you, and ready to make their parents proud.

If you want your kids to stay dry at night, then it is vital to encourage them to use the potty before they go to bed. When they aren't waking up dry as much as you'd hope, you might want to get them to go to the bathroom twice before bed, in case they aren't properly emptying their bladder. Asking kids to give their bladder one last push when they do their night time potty trip can sometimes be the difference between wet and dry sheets.

Make sure the journey to the bathroom is well lit. Stationing some night lights on the way to your bathroom will help your kids have fewer accidents. Darkness can be scary, and if your child can't reach the bathroom without a dark corridor to walk through, then they might end up staying in bed out of fear, even when they have the best intentions.

If the bathroom is far away from your child's bed, you might want to think about keeping a potty easily accessible to them. You might even want to put one right beside the bed if they're easily spooked by the dark. Making things as easy as you can means that there's less likely to be accidents.

It's now time to buy your child some fun big-boy or big-girl underwear. Making it clear that your kid's new underwear is special will hopefully make them more conscious about keeping it dry at night time. Getting them potty trained is bound to still mean accidents from time to time, but if your child is trying to protect their new underwear, then at least they'll be making more of an attempt to stay dry.

Limit liquids before bed, especially if your child is a heavy sleeper. Cutting down drinks for the two hours before they go to sleep can be the ticket to success for children who have regular accidents.

If you think that your child is ready to begin training at bedtime, but your son or daughter is such a heavy sleeper that they can't wake themself up, then you might want to try waking them up a couple of hours after they go to bed. That's the usual bed wetting time for most children, so if you get them to use the toilet at this time you might be able to avoid a few wet sheets, and in time it will become a routine that children start to do on their own. Usually just before you go to bed works quite well.

Throw-away or reusable night time potty training pants or pull ups are a great start for getting your child potty trained and will stop your son or daughter from causing too much damage if they don't wake up dry. However, for some kids, these feel too much like diapers, which means they keep using them at night instead of the potty, so if you aren't having that much luck, then swapping to underwear could be a good idea.

You might want to use a night time potty training chart if your child responds well to that kind of positive recognition. It's important that you celebrate the effort and not the result though, so give them a sticker for getting up to use the potty, even if they wet the bed, because that's the thing that they have control over.

If you found this article helpful, then why not take a look at our article about planning a two-year-old's birthday party or toddler growth spurts.