Nighttime Potty Issues

Updated on August 21, 2007
A.B. asks from Minneapolis, MN
6 answers

Okay, he is 4 1/2, he is completely potty trained, but he pretty much wets himself EVERY NIGHT. Now, I think it is happening right before he wakes up. The thing is: he has stopped wetting the bed and he only pees enough to wet his pants. We've tried motivating charts (which worked once, when I was waking him up every night). I don't want to wake him up right before he would normally wake up because then he doesn't go back to sleep for the extra hour or so, and he is a complete crab. Any advice. I may have tried some of it, but I need input.

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So What Happened?

I know this is early, but the responses I have gotten have really reassured me that it will be okay. The fact that he can wake himself up when he just starts to go, I guess, is pretty impressive for his age. He won't wear a pull-up (we've talked about it), but he is okay just getting up and taking off his wet pants in the morning. It's a little extra laundry, and we just have to make sure we have enough sweat pants to make it through (that's all he will wear), but we will keep on doing what we are doing. It's just that now I feel a little better about it. Thanks, everyone!

More Answers

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S.S.

answers from Minneapolis on

Sounds to me like you have tried things. My son is 3 1/2 and I thought that he would never get potty trained. He has been potty trained for several months now and night trained for about 3-4 months. I dont know what the answer is but I think that in time, it just happens. My nephews wore pull ups to bed until last year and they are 7 and 8. So the night time thing is really hard. My son has a really strong bladder. He can hold it more then me. Each child is different and they all go at their own pace. It makes it hard to do a sleep over but just remember he is not the only one. Good Luck!

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P.P.

answers from Minneapolis on

I'm not sure if you've come to this yet, but when I worked for a Pediatrician, he recommended bed alarms. Basically is sounds an alarm as soon as there is moisture to teach the child to wake up when he has to pee. They can be expensive though, which is the only down side.

http://www.google.com/products?q=bedwetting+alarm&hl=...

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B.H.

answers from Minneapolis on

He's probaly not physically able to be trained at night. You can't force it or make him it's a physical maturity thing. I would put a pull up on him every night and let it be. Don't make him feel bad or reward him he can't control it. I'm speaking of solely wetting the bed at night.

I just had a birthday slumber party for my daughter. And her friend who's 6 needed a pullup. It's pretty common.

I think kids have it down or they don't.

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S.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

My daughter potty trained at 2.5 during the day but wet the bed until she was 5. We went to a chiro practer which helped a little but also went to the doctor who gave us some nose spray which worked miricles. After doing the nose spray for just one week she stopped wetting. I can't remember the name of the spray but check with your doctor. We had to spray it in her nose an hour before bed time. If you don't have insurance it is very spendy. She hasn't wet the bed in over a year.

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C.A.

answers from Minneapolis on

Also, some children have bladders that are small for their age, so it's really not a matter of willpower or training, they simply lack the capacity to make it through the night. I think this may be especially true for heavy sleepers. My brother-in-law had this and he was wearing pull-ups at night until he was about 9 I think. My 7-yr-old also occasionally wets the bed and I think it's just he's sleeping more heavily and doesn't wake up in time.

Also, I wonder if maybe some kids don't realize fully they have to pee until they wet themselves a little bit or something too (and I imagine that would be more the case while sleeping and not entirely aware of what's going on). My daughter just turned 4 and she seems to do that at times, usually just barely wetting herself (although she does this during the day), but it could be she just doesn't want to stop playing to go to the bathroom either ;)

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A.S.

answers from Minneapolis on

From what I understand, it isn't uncommon for children to have "accidents" at night up until they are 5 years old. I have a neice who is 5 and still wakes up wet. Some children just don't have the bladder control even though it seems as though they should by now. I'm sure most of us remember having a friend that would wet the bed-at least I did and this person had issues at least until we were 10 yrs old! I would talk to your pediatrician and ask their advice and for a normal range. I'd also go out and purchase some of the Big Kid nightime pull-ups until he can go all night.

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