An expert guide to nighttime potty learning 

There’s a lot you can do to help your child with potty learning during the day—but once they fall asleep, your role in helping them stay dry takes a backseat to biology. The complex systems required to send a signal from your child’s brain to their bladder that it’s time to wake up and pee can take years to fully develop. Here’s how to manage in the meantime: 

Keep pull-ons in stock. Pull-ons will likely be necessary at night well after your child has made the switch to underwear during the day. This is developmentally appropriate for young children as they go through the nighttime potty learning process. 

Use the two-week rule. Once your child wakes up dry for two weeks—and gets up at night when they need to use the bathroom—they may be ready to sleep without pull-ons. 

Be mindful of other big transitions. For example, if your child is moving from a crib to bed, give them a few weeks to adjust to their new environment before trying underwear at night.

Plan for messes and misses ❤️ When your child is ready to go without pull-ons at night, you may want to stop giving liquids an hour before bedtime and use a waterproof mattress liner under the sheet for occasional nighttime misses. According to one study, 30% of children still have bed-wetting experiences at around 4.5 years old, and 10% still have them at almost 10 years old. 

Get expert help with potty learning: The Potty Learning Course Pack helps you tap into your child’s intrinsic motivation with a child-led approach. 

The Potty Learning Course Pack

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