Nighttime Potty Training - Clarkston,GA

Updated on November 13, 2009
A.U. asks from Clarkston, GA
15 answers

My son is 3 1/2, and has been potty trained for about 8 months. the problem is, he's still not trained for nighttime. i stopped buying the nighttime pull-ups and put him on underwear, but he pees in the bed almost every night. i'm waking up 2-3 times at night and he STILL is wet in the morning. I don't give him anything to drink after 7pm, he pees before he goes to bed, i make him pee before i go to bed. I just don't know what else to do. I'm tired and frustrated, and with less than a good night's sleep, i'm grumpy at work now. i try not to go to sleep until about 11pm so i can take him to the potty before i got to sleep, then i wake up 1am and 4am, to take him. i don't know if i should go back to nighttime pull-ups or what. The weekends when he's at his dad's house, this is not a problem, but his dad also still stays at home with his parents(another issue for a later date)so it's 3 people there at night to my 1. HELP!!!

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So What Happened?

You MOM's are awesome, thanks so much for all the great advice. I have started back with the nighttime pull-up, which has taken some getting used to for him, but it has helped us out so much at night. both he and I sleep through the night now, and when he wakes up in the morning his pull-up is soaked. So, he just isn't ready for nighttime yet, but as soon as he wakes up I put his underwear on, or really he does, cause he's ready to get that wet thing off. I think I'll try again in a couple of months and she how he does but if not he'll be wearing pull-ups until he is. It's just comforting to know that this is completely normal and not all children get the nighttime part right away. Plus, I found out his dad was a bed wetter/pooper til 7, so at least I only have to deal with the peeing part. Thanks once again for all the advice, I'll keep you ladies posted. Take care!

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T.P.

answers from Atlanta on

Very few kids and almost no boys that I know of are ready for night time potty training at that age. I know plenty of 5-6 year old boys that still wear some sort of diapers at night. WIth all you're doing, if he's still wet, he's most likely just not ready. Make life easier for you both! Pull-ups rock!:-)

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K.M.

answers from Atlanta on

My 4 year + 1 month old has been potty trained during the day since he was 20 MONTHS old... nearly 2 1/2 YEARS of daytime undies with no problem. He has never woken up with a dry diaper. He does not wake up when he pees at night - just wakes up in the morning and is soaked with cold pee. He will even pee through his size 6 diaper (have tried pull ups, night time underjams etc also) and soak his clothes and his entire bed and STILL not wake up. We have caught him sleep walking and sleep talking. I have a history of sleep walking as well. I think he is just not wired to wake up easily.

My neighbor's daughter had the same problem (also has slept walked...) and was 7 and wanting to go to sleepovers. They bought a device on-line that has a wireless sensor inside of special underwear so an alarm goes off to wake them up. They eventually lowered the volume of the alarm until she just woke up without it. No problem.

We may try that soon - my son has expressed interest. It is important to stress that this is not his or your fault and to not create anxiety over the issue for him. The alarm would help him have to wake up only when he really needs to go so he and you would get better sleep. A good night's sleep is so very important for you to be the best mom and worker that you can be.

Best Wishes,
K.

P.S. The medical diagnosis of bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis) is wetting the bed 2 or more times a night AFTER the age of 5 years old. This website may be helpful to you:
http://bedwettingstore.com/Buyers_Guides/buyers_guide_ala...

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B.F.

answers from Atlanta on

I bet if you ask your ped he/she would tell not to wake your child up. Mine did. He said it just creates poor sleep habits and makes for a tired child the next day. This is not something you can teach. They usually just have to outgrow it. Were either you or your ex a bedwetter as a child? If so, whenever you quit is a good indicator of when your child will quit. My 8yo still wears a pull-up at night but isn't wet every night. We have moved frequently (multiple states) and every ped has told me the same thing - he'll outgrow it.

Also, we did try 2 of the "alarms". They were a total waste of money. My son slept though them at their loudest setting. They were no help at all.

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M.A.

answers from Charleston on

One thing I've learned is that there is a difference between being daytime potty trained and nighttime potty trained. I would go back to pull ups for your son at night, as it seems he is not yet able to hold it all night. I'm sure he's not getting the sleep he needs either, so that's another reason to use the pull ups. To keep him from possibly feeling that he's "going backwards" (which he isn't!) just mention that we started on underwear at night too soon, and we'll all sleep better when we don't have to get up three times a night! He'll probably appreciate it! Also, if he ever does wake up and needs to go, he certainly can do that. He's doing great! You both are!
M.

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D.C.

answers from Savannah on

I would say maybe try thicker training underwear at night w/ some vinyle ones on top like they used to do. Pullups are very convinient but man they are expensive. When my daughter turned 4 we told her no more pull ups at night ( we hyped this up for about a month b4 her bday)then we still got her up for a "dream pee" b4 we went to bed. Your son may just not be ready yet and that is very normal at 3 1/2. Even though my daughter was completly day trained by 3, night she just couldn't get it. She is now 4 1/2 and doing really well but might have an accident about 1x a month or she may go longer, the other week she had 2 night time accidents. Not sure why but we never make a big deal out of it, Im sure it's not her preference to pee her bed either. Keep limiting the drinks at bed time. Don't worry he'll get it! Good luck.

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J.S.

answers from Atlanta on

From a mom whose both were 5 before being dry - put the pullups back on. Take him to the potty every night 1 hour after bedtime and 1 minute before you go to bed (depending on your schedule). Then, forget it! I tried everything and it just wasted energy to keep focusing on it. You can try to keep him off milk products. Those are harder to digest and can confuse the signals of "need to go" vs "not digesting so well". That may over time help.
J

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T.D.

answers from Savannah on

I would say that a lot of times children wet the bed from many different things. It could be that hormone or it could be him dreaming hes using the potty. I have having an awful time potty training my 2 year old GIRL my son was completely potty trained by 2years 9months and it only took that long cuz he broke is leg and regressed. I knew someone whos kidneys didn't shut down when they went to sleep and that was the reason he wet the bed, tho he was much older, but if you took him to the dr now they would probably say he isn't ready.

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S.

answers from Spartanburg on

my boy is 3 and 1/2 and his night diaper is FULL of pee in the morning! He does not pee on himself anymore during the day but he does wet his undies very often because he is still learning the "timing" of going potty...it's not easy, it seems! I too stress out about the 3/4 undies he makes me wash everyday but, you know, their time will come just like it came for us: my advice would be to get your sleep (and your cool) back, so he won't have to deal with the extra stress you might unintentionally put on him. Good luck to us!

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M.R.

answers from Chicago on

He may hold it together during the day (for school or whatever), and just relaxes and lets it all hang out while sleeping. I have two kids and my suggestion is you put him in nighttime pullups again...no big deal. Your sleep (and his) are more important. Think of the things (both toward development of your child and otherwise) that you could handle more passionately, pleasantly, and creatively during the day if you were better rested! He'll soon be awaking with dry diapers. After a few nights of this, I'd try underwear again.

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D.H.

answers from Atlanta on

Some kids are not able to do that until they are much older. I wouldn't put yourself or your son through that stress. Just put a Good night or pull up on him and let it be.

My kids all wake up around 18 months with dry diapers. And they all drank up until they went to bed and took a sippy cup to bed...even at age 3 and 4yo. Now, I know that is rare, so I don't have that problem. BUT, if that did happen to my kids, I wouldn't worry about it. Just put a pull up on them and eventually their bladders will mature to where they can hold it at night and control when they go potty. This is something that *you* can't do for him. His body will eventually catch up. I have many, many friends whose kids were still doing this up until age 8yo. It happens, so stress yourself out or him over something that you nor he can control right now. Good luck!

Mother of 4

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A.F.

answers from Detroit on

Well I guess it all has to do with how much you can take. I personally wouldn't do the pull ups, this will give him a false sense of comfort and he would have no reason to not wet himself at night. I am a mom of 2 (3yo and 12wks) and I have to wake up at 6a. Thou it may be hard for you in the long run it will work out for the best...only if you can tough it out. Dad's house has to be on the same page with what you're trying to do at night or it won't work.

Good luck and it all depends on what you can tolerate.

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K.M.

answers from Atlanta on

Hi A.,

Night time potty training usually takes longer because their bodies are not mature enough to have the muscle control while they are asleep. He will get better as he grows, but for now, go back to the night time pull-ups and let both of you have a good night's sleep.

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M.C.

answers from Savannah on

My son is 4 1/2 and he still wears Goodnights. He has been potty trained since a month before his third birthday, but he still wakes up wet every morning. He sleeps very deeply and just doesn't wake up when he needs to pee. It's not something that they can be trained to do. This is more common with boys and they do outgrow it eventually, but it could take years. Until then, my son will wear the Goodnights. Stop torturing yourself and put him back in pull ups.

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M.N.

answers from Atlanta on

Staying dry during the night is controlled by a hormone in your body, ADH, that is not produced by babies. Each child begins to produce this hormone at a different age. I think some children don't start producing it until almost seven. So, if you are trying to keep your son dry at night, and he is not yet producing this hormone, you are fighting a losing battle. Stop waking him up in the middle of the night and torturing him and yourself, and just put him back in pull-ups. If he goes a few nights without wetting his pull-up, then you know he is ready for underpants at night.

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S.J.

answers from Atlanta on

if it were me, I would opt for the pull ups as I would be way too frustrated. my daughter is 6 and we are just now attempting the "no pull ups" for night time this week.

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