How to Handle Night-Time Potty Training

Once you have tackled day-time potty training you probably think you are home free, right?

Unfortunately, night-time potty training is a whole different ball game. Some kids naturally manage to stay dry all night once they are potty trained during the day but others struggle.

I was excited when CVS Training Pants offered to sponsor this post so I could share some of the tricks we’ve learned to simplify night-time potty training.

As a mom with younger kids at home, I value my sleep. Once I hit the toddler or preschool stage and start sleeping again, I definitely don’t want that sleep jeopardized by a child who is going to be wake me up in the night to help them use the bathroom or to let me know they wet the bed.

After potting training 4 kids (and counting) I’ve come up with some great tricks to help you handle night-time potty training.

Before you get started, I want you to know that not every trick will work with every child. That’s okay. Kids are different and you have to find what works with your child. These tips will give you a great starting point and give you some ideas you can try so the process goes a bit smoother.

Ready to get started with night-time potty training?

Limit fluids before bed. The best place to start before night-time potty training is to limit fluids for an hour or two before bedtime. This will make the process easier on you and your child. Kids who love having a drink before bedtime may need some time to work up to this idea. Let your child know what time they can have their last drink. Give a few warnings when that time is getting close and then tell your child that they are having their last drink of the night. This may take some getting used to but it once you get your child into the habit he’ll be fine.

Put a waterproof mattress cover on your child’s bed. I highly recommend this even when you aren’t potty training but it is absolutely essential once you begin working on night-time potty training. I’d recommend having a spare so you can keep one on the mattress even when the other one is in the wash. Once your child graduates to sleeping in underwear, you will sleep much better knowing that you won’t have a ruined mattress on your hands if your child has an accident.

Use training pants to make the transition. I’ve noticed with my kids, that by the time they have been potty trained during the day, they don’t usually have a problem staying dry through the night. The issue they run into is when they wake up in the morning. If they don’t remember to run to the bathroom right away they will have an accident. I used to put my kids in diapers at night when they weren’t potty trained but they had trouble getting them off in the morning and, knowing that, they often just wouldn’t bother so they’d end up with a wet diaper. When I switched to using training pants at night, that gave my kids a little more independence so they could use the bathroom in the morning (or in the middle of the night) without waiting for me to help.

We’ve been using CVS training pants lately because they have refastenable sides so they are easy to put back on if they get pulled open during a trip to the potty and they have a nice stretchy waist, which is perfect for kids who aren’t used to wearing diapers anymore. For potty training, I love that they have a wetness indicator because then I know if there have been any accidents (even minor ones) in the night and I can decide whether we need to change anything we are doing.

Put a training potty in your child’s bedroom. I’m always nervous about my kids using the bathroom on their own in the middle of the night while they are little. There are just too many ways they can get hurt in the bathroom and I don’t like them wandering the house while I’m asleep. If you want to give your child a way to use the potty in the middle of the night without wandering the house, try putting a training potty in their bedroom (on a thick towel of course). Your child will be able to use the potty without going very far and it serves as a great reminder to go potty when they wake up first thing in the morning.

Kids feel empowered when they have success doing something new. I love being able to help my kids find those small successes so they can have the courage to reach for the bigger things.