Night Time Potty Training: When to Stop Night Nappies

Your toddler is using the toilet during the day, accidents are becoming less frequent and nappies may finally be disappearing from your daytime routine.

So what happens at night?

Should you remove the night nappy at the same time?

Should you wait until it's dry every morning?

And can you actually "train" a toddler to stay dry while they're asleep?

Night time dryness is quite different from daytime potty training, and for many children it comes considerably later.

So there is absolutely no need to rush to get rid of that final nappy.

Daytime and Night Time Potty Training Are Different

During the day, your toddler is awake and actively learning to recognise the signals from their bladder.

They gradually learn:

• what needing a wee feels like

• how to hold on briefly

• how to get themselves to the toilet

• how to release their wee once they're there

At night, when they're asleep, staying dry requires their body to produce less urine overnight, hold enough urine until morning or recognise a full bladder strongly enough to wake them.

That means night time dryness isn't simply another potty training skill you can teach through more practice.

A child can be completely potty trained during the day and still genuinely need a nappy at night.

When Should You Remove the Night Nappy?

There isn't one age when every child should stop wearing nappies at night.

Instead, look at what your child's body is doing. If their nappy is still regularly wet in the morning, that's useful information. Their body isn't consistently managing a full night without weeing yet.

There is no benefit to repeatedly waking up to wet sheets simply because you feel your toddler "should" no longer be wearing a nappy. Keep using an overnight nappy and give their body more time.

Does the Night Nappy Need to Be Dry Every Morning First?

You don't necessarily need weeks and weeks of completely dry nappies before trying without one.

But if you're regularly noticing that your toddler wakes with a dry nappy more often than not, particularly over a consistent period, that's a good indication that their body may be becoming capable of staying dry overnight.

You might also notice that they:

• regularly wake dry

• do a large wee soon after waking

• occasionally wake themselves because they need the toilet

These can all suggest that night-time dryness is beginning to develop.

Should I Wake My Toddler for a Wee?

I don't recommend routinely waking a sleeping toddler simply to take them to the toilet.

If you carry or wake your toddler for a "dream wee" before you go to bed, you may manage to keep the bed dry. But that isn't the same as your toddler developing night time bladder control.

Ideally, we want their body eventually to manage the night itself: either by staying dry until morning or waking because they recognise that they need the toilet. Regularly waking them yourself doesn't teach their sleeping body to do that, they may also wee again a few hours later while sleeping and doesn't underestimate that good quality sleep matters too.

Should I Restrict Drinks Before Bed?

You don't need to leave your toddler thirsty in an attempt to keep their nappy dry. Good hydration throughout the day is important.

It can be sensible to avoid an enormous drink immediately before getting into bed, particularly if your child has had very little earlier in the day, but the goal shouldn't be to manipulate night time dryness by restricting fluids. A dry night because your toddler hasn't had enough to drink isn't the same thing as their body being developmentally ready to stay dry overnight.

Should My Toddler Wee Before Bed?

Yes, making the toilet part of the bedtime routine is important.

For example: bath → pyjamas → toilet → story → bed

This gives your toddler an opportunity to empty their bladder before going to sleep. But don't turn it into a battle if they don't produce a wee. As with daytime potty training, sitting on the toilet doesn't guarantee that a wee needs to come.

What Happens When We Try Without the Night Nappy?

Once your child is regularly waking dry and you feel ready to try, keep it simple.

Explain that they're going to sleep without their nappy and make sure they know where the toilet or potty is if they wake needing a wee.

It can also help to:

• protect the mattress with a waterproof sheet. I recommend Hygge Sheets. Use the code 'ESTHERALLEN' for 10% off your order. (Affiliate code)

• have spare bedding easily accessible or double layer the bed with a waterproof sheet, fitted sheet and then another layer with a waterproof sheet and fitted sheet. That way you can easily remove the top layer and have another layer ready to go.

• encourage a toilet visit before bed

• make the route to the toilet easy at night, by providing a small light if needed or explain to your child to call for you in the night if they still need help or are in a cot

Then see what happens.

One wet night doesn't mean your child isn't ready.

But if they're repeatedly wetting overnight over a period of two weeks, there's nothing wrong with returning to a night nappy and trying again later.

What Should I Say After a Wet Night?

Keep your reaction neutral. Your child was asleep and staying dry overnight is completely out of their control. They haven't deliberately ignored their body's signals or chosen to wet the bed.

You can simply say:"You've done a wee while you were sleeping. Let's get you dry."

Change their clothes and bedding and move on. There's no need for disappointment, punishment or rewards for dry nights.

Don't Compare Night Time Dryness

One child may stop wearing night nappies relatively soon after becoming dry during the day at 2 years old. Another may need them for considerably longer. Both can be completely normal.

This is particularly important if you have friends whose similarly aged children are already dry overnight. Their child's night time bladder development tells you very little about your own child's.

Daytime potty training progress shouldn't be measured by whether the night nappy has disappeared too.

How Does Potty Pros Academy Approach Night Time Nappies?

Within Potty Pros Academy, I separate daytime potty training from night time dryness.

We don't remove the night nappy simply because we've reached the stage of removing daytime nappies. Your toddler can continue wearing a nappy for naps and overnight for as long as they need one.

This allows us to concentrate on the skills your toddler can actively learn while they're awake without putting unnecessary pressure on something that depends much more heavily on their body's development.

The aim isn't to get rid of every nappy as quickly as possible. It's to remove each one when it makes sense for your child.

FAQs

What age should a child be dry at night?

There isn't one age at which every child should be dry overnight. But typically most children achieve night time dryness around 2-5 years of age.

Night time bladder control develops at different rates, and it's common for children to need night time nappies after they're reliably using the toilet during the day.

Should I remove the night nappy when I start potty training?

No. Within the Potty Pros approach, daytime nappies, nap nappies and night nappies are treated separately.

Your toddler can begin potty training during the day while continuing to wear a nappy for sleep.

Does a dry night nappy mean my toddler is ready?

One dry nappy doesn't necessarily mean they're ready to stop wearing one.

If you're noticing consistently dry nappies over time, however, that's a useful sign that their body may be becoming capable of staying dry overnight.

Should I take my sleeping child for a wee before I go to bed?

I wouldn't routinely wake or carry a sleeping child to the toilet simply to prevent a wet bed.

Keeping the bed dry isn't the same thing as your child's body developing independent night time bladder control.

When should I seek extra help for bedwetting?

Bedwetting is very common in children under 5 and often improves naturally as their bodies develop.

However, if your child is 5 or older and regularly wetting the bed, particularly if it's bothering them or affecting family life, it's worth speaking to your GP. You don't necessarily need to simply wait for them to grow out of it.

There are treatments that can help older children. Depending on your child's age and circumstances, these may include a bedwetting alarm, which can help them learn to wake when their bladder is full, or medication such as desmopressin, which reduces the amount of urine produced overnight.

Your GP can advise whether any additional support is appropriate for your child.

What if my child was dry at night and starts wetting again?

Occasional wet nights can happen, particularly during illness or a big change such as moving house, starting school or a new sibling.

If there's a persistent change after your child had previously been reliably dry, particularly if you notice other bladder or bowel symptoms, constipation, increased thirst, pain when weeing or anything else that concerns you, speak to your GP.

Does Potty Pros Academy cover night time potty training?

Yes.

Potty Pros Academy explains how to approach naps and night time nappies separately from daytime potty training, so you know when to keep them, when your child may be ready to remove them and how to respond to setbacks without pressure.

If You Haven't Started Daytime Potty Training Yet

You don't need to worry about night time dryness before you begin. Your toddler can continue wearing their night nappy while you concentrate on gradually building the daytime skills they'll need.

That's exactly why I created my free guide, 5 Things to Do Before Starting Potty Training.

It walks you through five simple things you can begin doing while your toddler is still wearing nappies to build awareness, confidence and familiarity with the toilet today.