When Do Nighttime Pull-Ups End?

Hi J.,
It could have to do with bladder size and growth, he could need more to drink due to his size, but his bladder just hasn't caught up yet, this is definitely a psyiological explanation. However, I stop my 4 and half year from drinking just after dinner (usually dinner is the last drinks of the night), but I do give him a plastic cup with straw half full of water by his bed at night. He potties before his bath. Then I make him go again after he brushes his teeth even if he says he doesn't have to go. I think it's also up to you to keephim going to the bathroom on a reg. schedule. And watch his liquid intake after say 6 p.m. And, he will stop some day I promise! Also, lower you expectations. If he wets his bed for two weeks, so what? He's 4. I also use a mattress pad from Garnett Hill that is waterproof -- he does have accidents.

My son also used pull-ups at night for about a year (more) after he was potty trained. I never pressured him but I planted this idea (early & often) that when he was four he wouldn't need pull ups anymore, and then after his b'day we put them away and also explained that he could no longer take water to bed. He never had a wet-bed, and I felt like he we had sucessfully linked these events, birthday and not needing pull-ups at night, in his mind. Hope this helps-
Good luck-
Amanda (also mother of 3)

A friend if mine had the same problem, but her son was 6. What they did was use an alarm system. What would happen was as some as the slightest amount of moisture hit his pants an alarm would sound and wake him up. It took about a month but he now wakes up on his own.

Hi
I have a 6 yr old boy and a 3 yr old girl so have been through this with my son, happily my daughter sleeps in underwear and we've never even given her pull-ups. Back to my son...here's what I recommend - no drinks if you can 1 hr before bed time, make sure he goes right before he gets in bed, use rubber sheet to protect, if you can wake him up and have him go to bathroom when you go to bed or around 11ish and that might do it. If not you can try a sticker chart and reward him when he doesn't have an accident with something small but motivating (e.g. stickers, toy train etc.). If all else fails, don't worry about it because boys just seem to take longer bc they don't have the same body control and are typically a little less motivated when it comes to this. By kindergarten no one basically is wearing pull ups at night so it won't last long and peer pressure will ultimately win out bc he won't want to wear them if none of his friends are wearing them.
Best of luck!

I had the same problem with my now almost 8 yr old. I just stopped using the pull ups by putting a sheet on top of a liner on top of a sheet, so that when he let loose it woke him up. He would call and ask for help and I would pull the liner and wet sheet off in one quick move and had a spare PJ bottom at the ready--no need to start putting on a clean sheet because it was already there so right back to sleep. He just eventually stopped and didn't need it after a while and I think it was good to give the message that I felt he could go the night without the pull up.
He also didn't love the disturbed sleep so it served as a motivator.

My son wasn't out of a night time pull up until well into his fifth year. My doctor repeatedly told me not to worry, the boys often take a long time to gain night time control. My advise would be to stop trying to take him out of the pull-up until he's five. Save yourself the headache of changing sheets in the middle of the night.

Have him potty before he goes to sleep and you might want to put him on the potty again before you go to sleep (if it's a few hours later). Usually the child stays asleep, but you can whisper to him that he needs to make again.

I think every kid is different as to the age to stop. My son was about 4.5 when we stopped and he was day trained when he was 26mos. Some kids just sleep so soundly the urge doesn't wake them up. I think if it has gone past 5years old, you are supposed to consult your dr., but before then its very normal and I would continue to use the pull ups.
Hope this helps.