Even after toddlers are potty trained during the day, many continue to have difficulty holding it in while they sleep at night. If your little one is still wetting the bed overnight even though she's been potty trained, she's in good company.
But is nighttime potty training possible, or do you just have to wait it out?
Bedwetting is very common among the toddler-and-up set, even for those who are potty trained during the day. The truth is, most tots simply aren’t ready to stay dry overnight until they’re older[1] — so if that’s the case for your child, she’s not alone.
The best thing to do is stay patient and calm, and know that bedwetting isn’t considered a serious health problem in young children. They typically outgrow it when they get older.
Why is my potty trained child still wetting the bed at night?
It’s one thing to master daytime potty training. But many children’s systems don’t mature enough to stay dry all night until they’re closer to the age of 6 — something which makes nighttime potty training a little more elusive.
Plenty of toddlers aren’t developmentally ready to wake up when they sense that their bladder is full; others aren’t able to hold their urine for 10 to 12 hours at a time. Boys, too, can struggle with staying dry — they’re about 2 to 3 times more likely to wet the bed than girls.
About 85 percent of children stop bedwetting on their own before the age of 5, and about 90 percent will stop before the age of 7. The medical term for bedwetting, if it continues past age 5 or 6, is nocturnal enuresis.[2]
Nobody knows for sure why some kids continue to have a problem as they get older, but possible reasons include heredity (if one or both parents wet the bed as kids, their child is 50 to 75 percent more likely to as well), a small bladder, problems with constipation (stress on the bowels can also put stress on the bladder), and the tendency to sleep so deeply that it’s difficult to wake up and respond to the bladder’s signals overnight.
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Can my toddler be nighttime potty trained?
It’s not really possible for younger toddlers to be nighttime potty trained. In toddlers, the bladder releases urine whenever it feels full — it’s not until they’re older that connections between the brain and bladder form, allowing the child to “hold it” for a period of time. This is easier to do during the day than it is at night.
Putting a little one in underpants when she isn’t staying dry overnight won’t help her system to develop any faster — it just means you’ll have to change the sheets more often.
If you do still want to try overnight potty training, encourage her to go to the bathroom once or even twice before she goes to bed. Incentives like stickers or other treats after your child wakes up dry may also work. Chances are, though, her body just isn’t ready to stay dry all night long, and you’ll have to wait it out.
Once your little one has stayed dry all night for at least a week or longer, she may be ready to try wearing underpants to bed instead of a diaper or Pull-Ups.
Tips on what to do if your potty trained child is wetting the bed overnight
No amount of pressure or chastising will stop your toddler from wetting the bed until she’s developmentally ready. In fact, negativity may only increase accidents, and harm your child’s self-esteem to boot. Never punish a child for wetting the bed, as it’s not something she did on purpose or can do anything about. So be patient, and in the meantime, heed these tips:
Use diapers or training pants at night.[3] If your child is used to wearing underwear during the day and objects to wearing diapers at night, put them on after she’s asleep or use disposable training pants. You might also want to use a rubber sheet to protect the mattress.
Lower your expectations. Most kids aren’t able to stay dry through the night until they’re 5 or 6 years old or older — either because their bladders are too small, they’re genetically predisposed to wet the bed, they’re constipated, or they sleep very deeply and aren’t able to wake up in time. So manage your expectations. It’s completely normal for your child to be unable to hold it in all night long even after she’s been potty trained.
Give her time to get used to being potty trained. A good rule of thumb is to wait at least six months after your toddler is fully potty trained (which usually happens anytime between the ages of 2 and 3½) during the day before you do a test run and let her sleep sans diapers. If she wets the bed several times a week, her system has probably not matured enough to avoid going to the bathroom in her sleep. Put her in a diaper or training pants for a few more months until she wakes up dry for more than a week straight.
Don’t expect perfection. Even after your toddler is sleeping in her underpants on a regular basis, remember that it can take up to a year or so before she stays dry all night every night. So take precautions. Slip a waterproof cover onto the mattress and plan on keeping it there for at least a year after she’s been fully potty trained and has stayed dry overnight for a stretch.
Limit liquids before bedtime. You shouldn’t cut off all liquids after suppertime — kids need to stay hydrated, after all — but encourage your child to drink enough fluids during the day so she will be less thirsty at night. If she’s well-hydrated throughout the day, it’s okay to stop offering liquids about an hour before bedtime to see if that helps her stay dry.
Steer clear of sneaky sources of caffeine and salt too close to bedtime. Try to avoid offering food and drinks with caffeine or lots of salt in them, like chocolate, chips and other similar snacks, since caffeine can boost urine production and salty treats can increase thirst.
Encourage your little one to go to the bathroom throughout the day. If possible, try to make sure that your child urinates about every two to three hours during the daytime so she gets used to emptying her bladder regularly. Going to the bathroom on a schedule can also help promote healthy bladder function.
Try an overnight wakeup call. One common treatment (especially for older toddlers and kids) is the use of an alarm that rouses a child when it detects wetness, eventually conditioning the child to wake up when she needs to pee. These have mixed results, though, so check with your doctor first before investing time and money in one. Another tactic is to get your child up once during the night and put her on the potty until she (hopefully) gets used to waking up when she needs to go on her own.
Make a pit stop before bedtime. A lot of bedwetting happens within the first few hours of sleep, so take her to the bathroom just before you put her down for the night as part of her normal bedtime routine.
Be extra reassuring. Let your child know that bedwetting is not her fault — and that many other children are going through the same thing she is. Don’t tease her or let anyone else in the family tease her either.
Be laid-back. When she does have an accident, treat the whole episode nonchalantly by quietly changing the bedding and helping her into a dry pair of pajamas (easier said than done when you’re exhausted). Whatever you do, don’t pressure or scold your child for something beyond her control.
If bedwetting is still an issue after your child turns 6, try offering incentives. If she stays dry through the night, give her an extra bedtime story the next night or a trip to the park the following day.
When to call the doctor
Bedwetting usually isn’t a serious problem, but it can be stressful for both you and your child. If your child is still wetting the bed at age 6, check in with your pediatrician.
Chances are, nighttime bedwetting will go away as your child gets older, but if your doctor recommends medication, there are two prescriptions available (imipramine and desmopressin) that are approved for bedwetting in children ages 6 and up.
If your child has been completely potty trained for 6 months or longer and suddenly starts wetting the bed again, you should also call your doctor. In this case, bedwetting can be a sign of stress (common triggers include moving, a divorce, or the death of a loved one) or caused by a condition like constipation or a bladder problem.
Whatever is behind your toddler having trouble with nighttime potty training, know that the vast majority of bedwetting cases resolve themselves as children get older. In the meantime, be supportive and sensitive, and know that this, too, will one day be a thing of the past.
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