This question arose with two of my clients, after doing some research I decided to write a brief synopsis for them and now share it with you.Physiologically children cannot control their bladder all night long until the bladder is sufficiently grown and mature. This is a major milestone is children’s lives. The maturity of the bladder is genetic, you can’t train it, and, being individuals, each child develops and masters bladder control in their own time and at different ages. Day time potty training comes first at around 2 ½ years old. Between 3 and 4 years old, children will begin to be dry all night long, with girls sometimes mastering the process before boys.
What to do:
Don’t make an issue of it, toilet training comes when the child is developmentally and physically ready, they will then move to the next step. Remember too that bed-wetting generally runs in families, if one or both parents wet their beds, generally their children will as well. (1). There is also evidence that the child will stop bed wetting at around same time the parent stopped bed-wetting. So be patient.
Continue nappies/diapers at night until your child is dry in the morning for several weeks, then move into training pants or pyjamas.
Use a plastic sheet under the bed sheets, accidents can and do happen right up to 10 years old. There is also a hormonal link, children who tend to wet the bed have less anti diuretic hormone which would normally decrease the amount of urine produced at night. (1).
Stop liquid intake about an hour before bed time.
Take the cue from your child, if they mention wet nappies/diapers or a wet bed, this is the time to gently guide them.
Recognizing the feeling of a full bladder and calling you or going to the potty will follow.
Part of the bed time routine should be going to the potty before bed.
When you go to bed, take your child to the potty again.
Use pull on nappies/diapers. If your child wakes up with a full bladder wanting to go to the potty, they are easier to take off in the middle of the night.
Don’t make a big deal about it if the bed is wet in the morning. This is probably as frustrating for your child as it is for you!
Some children are not completely dry at night until they are 4 or 5 years old.
Footnotes:
(1) http://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/factsheets.cfm?doc_id=3716
information sources:
http://www.brollysheets.co.uk/Help++Advice/Night+time+potty+training.html
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/toddler/pottytraining/?intcmp=tnav_toddler_pottytrain
What to do:
Don’t make an issue of it, toilet training comes when the child is developmentally and physically ready, they will then move to the next step. Remember too that bed-wetting generally runs in families, if one or both parents wet their beds, generally their children will as well. (1). There is also evidence that the child will stop bed wetting at around same time the parent stopped bed-wetting. So be patient.
Continue nappies/diapers at night until your child is dry in the morning for several weeks, then move into training pants or pyjamas.
Use a plastic sheet under the bed sheets, accidents can and do happen right up to 10 years old. There is also a hormonal link, children who tend to wet the bed have less anti diuretic hormone which would normally decrease the amount of urine produced at night. (1).
Stop liquid intake about an hour before bed time.
Take the cue from your child, if they mention wet nappies/diapers or a wet bed, this is the time to gently guide them.
Recognizing the feeling of a full bladder and calling you or going to the potty will follow.
Part of the bed time routine should be going to the potty before bed.
When you go to bed, take your child to the potty again.
Use pull on nappies/diapers. If your child wakes up with a full bladder wanting to go to the potty, they are easier to take off in the middle of the night.
Don’t make a big deal about it if the bed is wet in the morning. This is probably as frustrating for your child as it is for you!
Some children are not completely dry at night until they are 4 or 5 years old.
Footnotes:
(1) http://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/factsheets.cfm?doc_id=3716
information sources:
http://www.brollysheets.co.uk/Help++Advice/Night+time+potty+training.html
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/toddler/pottytraining/?intcmp=tnav_toddler_pottytrain
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