Effective Strategies For Nighttime Potty Training Your Toddlers

When the time came to potty train my children, I felt quite apprehensive. I kept delaying the process out of concern for how time-intensive it might be. Ultimately, I set aside a four-day weekend dedicated entirely to potty training—just myself, the kids, and the potty. I braced myself for numerous messes and escalating frustration on my part. To my surprise, potty training progressed better than I anticipated. There were a few accidents, sure, but my carefully planned approach focused on positivity and patience proved to be the cornerstone of our success. While daytime potty training was productive, I wondered about nighttime potty training. How do you teach children to potty train when they’re not awake?

From my experience, you can’t truly train your children not to urinate at night; it requires them to be developmentally ready. After all, it’s their subconscious mind that must learn to control bladder release—which is a significant challenge. Some mothers advised that I wake my kids for a “midnight pee.” I promptly dismissed this idea for two reasons: 1) I’m not keen on waking up at midnight, and 2) once my children are awake, they struggle to fall back asleep.

Now that my children successfully sleep through the night without accidents, I’ve compiled six strategies that helped us navigate the process. It took considerably longer than daytime potty training—almost a year—but we emerged at the other end dry and content.

1. Use Training Undies

One of the most dependable products for assisting with nighttime potty training is training pants, so selecting a brand that emphasizes both comfort and absorbency is critical. However, many parents commonly express that training pants often feel like diapers. That’s why we prefer Pampers Easy Ups; their material and design resemble those of regular underwear (and they’re more budget-friendly than other brands). Transitioning to Easy Ups before officially initiating nighttime training allows toddlers to smoothly separate from diapers and practice their pushing and pulling skills.

2. Encourage consistent daytime potty breaks

Establishing good habits for daytime potty breaks significantly aids in nighttime training. My children have a tendency to wait until the last minute to go potty, so I make it a practice to occasionally ask them if they need to use the restroom. This is especially crucial during playtime when they often ignore their body’s signals, opting to play rather than take a break for a potty visit.

While we still experience accidents from time to time, my children now generally understand how to heed their bodies’ signals and go promptly instead of waiting. The more adept they become at this, the better they will fare with nighttime potty training.

3. Limit liquids

Between dinner and bedtime, I restrict the amount of liquid my kids consume. If they request water, I provide them with the smallest cup we have. I try to dissuade them from drinking any water during the hour before bed; however, this can be challenging during the hot summer months. I make an effort to ensure they remain well-hydrated throughout the day so that they aren’t excessively thirsty at night.

4. Potty before bed

We always include a potty visit in our bedtime routine before snuggling up with a book. After the stories and cuddles, I ask them one more time if they need to go potty.

There have been rare occasions—such as during the festive chaos of holidays or special events—when bedtime has felt rushed, and I forgot to remind them to go. Unsurprisingly, those are the nights accidents tend to occur.

5. Follow your child’s cues

My daughter was eager to sleep without her training undies long before my son was ready. She even expressed a desire to stop using them. In contrast, my son was apprehensive and resistant to the idea, so I opted not to pressure him. I waited until he felt more confident and was excited to try without them. When the time was right, he successfully began waking up dry.

6. Prepare for accidents

Accidents are a part of the process, and patience is essential when they happen. During the initial nights without training undies, I had my kids sleep on an air mattress with the rubber side up. In case of an accident, it was simple to wipe down…

As we settled back into bed, I made sure to put water-resistant pads beneath their sheets and kept fresh linens readily accessible for quick changes. I won’t sugarcoat it; there were a few weeks where it felt like my main job was washing soiled bedding, but that phase passed quickly, and we have been free of accidents for quite some time now.