Night Time Potty Training

Tips for Success

Nighttime potty training is one of those parenting milestones that might seem small to an outsider, but for those of us who’ve been through it, it’s a monumental moment worthy of celebration. Saying goodbye to nappies for good feels like a huge win! But as exciting as it is, rushing the process before your child is ready can turn a joyful milestone into a frustrating experience—for both of you.

Let’s be real: nighttime potty training isn’t always smooth sailing. Pushing too soon can lead to late-night tears, wet sheets, and a sense of defeat for your little one. That’s why it’s essential to ensure your toddler is ready before diving in. Today, we’ll talk about how to tell if your child is prepared for this step and how to navigate it while keeping their precious sleep intact.

Is Your Toddler Ready?

First things first: can your child truly make it through the night without needing to go? And no, I don’t mean waking them up every few hours to sit on the potty. That’s a hard no. Sleep is sacred—for them and for you. After all the effort to establish healthy sleep habits, the last thing we want is to disrupt those blissful nights by introducing confusing wake-ups for bathroom trips.

The clearest indicator that your toddler might be ready? They’re waking up with a dry nappy most mornings. Two or three dry mornings a week suggests their bladder muscles have matured enough to hold it through the night. If that’s the case, congratulations! You might just have a potty-training champion in the making.

Setting Yourself Up for Success

Let’s be real: accidents will happen. Accepting this ahead of time will save you a world of frustration. Choose a low-key week to start, stock up on extra sheets and pajamas, and prepare yourself with a hefty dose of patience. Remember, this process is about building confidence—not perfection.

When you’re ready to take the plunge, explain it to your toddler in a calm, positive way. Avoid making it sound like a monumental event. Toddlers don’t have full control over their bladders, and setting high expectations can lead to feelings of failure if accidents occur. Encourage them, but keep the pressure low.

Establishing a solid pre-bedtime potty routine is key. Encourage your child to use the potty 30 minutes before bed, and again right before lights out. This can make a big difference in reducing the likelihood of accidents.

The Middle-of-the-Night Accident Plan

Accidents will likely happen—it’s part of the learning process. When they do, stay calm. (Yes, you can feel frustrated, but keep those feelings to yourself.) Simply guide your child back to their room, clean them up, and swap out the wet sheets. Speaking of sheets, here’s a game-changing tip: layer your child’s bed with a waterproof sheet, a fitted sheet, another waterproof layer, and one more fitted sheet. If an accident happens, you can strip the top layer and have a fresh bed ready to go in seconds. Genius, right?

Keep the lights dim, avoid long conversations, and skip the middle-of-the-night bath unless absolutely necessary. You want to minimize disruptions to their sleep and avoid creating any incentives—like extra bath time—that might encourage accidents.

What If It’s Not Working?

If accidents are still happening regularly after a week or two, it’s okay to press pause. Ask yourself: is your toddler physically ready but emotionally hesitant, or are they simply not ready at all? Sometimes, our eagerness to ditch nappies can cloud our judgment. If they’re not ready, don’t stress—take a break and try again later.

And above all, never sacrifice your child’s sleep for the sake of potty training. Skip the “dream potty” technique, middle-of-the-night wake-ups, and expensive bed-wetting alarms. Trust me, these “solutions” often create more problems than they solve. Stick to the basics, listen to your child’s cues, and rest easy knowing that every child reaches this milestone at their own pace.

So take a deep breath, grab those extra sheets, and embrace this stage of parenting with patience and a sense of humor. You’ve got this!