This post is sponsored by Pampers but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only recommend products we genuinely love.
"After my son was potty-trained, my husband and I congratulated ourselves and agreed we’d deal with the whole nighttime potty-training thing when the time came. Experts generally agree that while most kids are ready to be potty-trained during the day sometime between 2 and 4 years old, many are not able to stay dry at night until a bit later. In fact, 20 percent of 5-year-olds and 10 percent of 7-year-olds still wet the bed, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The truth is, while I’d sought plenty of advice from friends and dug into tons of expert information on daytime potty training, I hadn’t given much thought to the nighttime process, seeing as my son is the hardest sleeper I know. I assumed he’d be on the later end of the age spectrum for forgoing training pants at night, as he’s more likely to sleep through a nighttime accident completely than to be woken up by the urge to use the bathroom. With this knowledge, I went into the process with the lowest of expectations (which I highly recommend) and a tip that I will recommend to anyone and everyone.
First, make the switch to training pants
Before starting the nighttime potty training process, I highly suggest switching completely to training pants at night. We did as soon as we began daytime potty training to make a clean break from diapers. He’s tried a few training undies, but Easy Ups are by far his favorite because of how soft and stretchy they are. This makes it much easier for him to push down during midnight bathroom runs and practice that much-needed skill before officially transitioning to undies. Plus, they’re more affordable than other brands, which is a must since most kids will wear training pants at night for at least a year or more.
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Once they’re ready, start “The Dream Pee”
Before you go to bed (assuming this is a few hours after you’ve put your child to bed), rouse your sleeping child to put them on the toilet one last time.
Obviously, this works best for deep sleepers who are unlikely to really wake up during the process and thus will get right back to sleep without having to go through the whole bedtime routine again. From our experience with dream feeding my son to help him sleep longer stretches at night back in the newborn days, I knew my son would be the perfect candidate for what we now jokingly refer to as the dream pee.
I assumed that on that first night, we’d experience something like the newborn days again, woken up at all hours (or at least once) to clean up an accident. But in reality, the first night resembled the newborn days only in the sense that my husband and I awoke in the morning with the same astonishment as the first time a baby sleeps all night. He slept through the night accident-free.
We’re still in the thick of nighttime potty training. Of course, there have been accidents, and yes, we have been woken up at night occasionally. That’s normal and to be expected.
Some nights, my son decides he does want to wear training pants, and that’s fine with me. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and I’m not interested in rushing the process. But making it easier? You can count me in for that—and for rousing a sleeping child for one last bathroom break before bed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jaclyn Voran, Contributing Writer
Jaclyn joined The Everymom team as a Contributing Writer in 2020. She brings a strong editorial background as a freelance writer, including being published in The Atlantic. She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University, and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Kansas.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Steph Alleva Cornell, Branded Content Editor
Since becoming a young mama in 2020, Steph has found joy in creating beautiful yet relatable content surrounding the raw realities of motherhood. She believes showcasing both the wonders and struggles of being a parent helps other mothers understand that they are not alone in their journey.
This post is sponsored by Pampers but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only recommend products we genuinely love.