I have received a few questions on this subject since publishing my e-book, The Practical Guide to Toilet Training Your Child With Low Muscle Tone. Parents are wondering how to expand daytime success through the night. Here is what I know about getting through the night high and dry: it is as much a physical milestone as a behavioral accomplishment. The pituitary gland is involved in hormonal secretions to diminish urine production, and the nerves for sphincter control may not be fully developed in younger children. The bladder has to expand to hold a quantity of urine at night, so tiny children really cannot accomplish this feat, regardless of motivation.
Typical children who are dry all day can need another 2-4 years (yes, years!) to stay dry at night and/or wake themselves and use the potty independently. The child who is a “potty master”, getting there on time and managing all the skills at school, may still need a pull-up style training pant as an insurance policy.
What can you do to improve the odds of dryness at night?
- Limit drinks right before bed. As you know from my book, children will generate enough urine to “go” about 45 minutes after a big drink. The kidneys are also responding to hormone and salt levels in the blood, so some urine will be generated at night, even if nothing has been taken in by mouth for 2 hours before bed. Deny that late night sippy cup or that last swig of juice, and come up with a better bedtime routine in it’s place.
- Insist on the bathroom being a last stop before bedtime. Empty that bladder, even if your child insists that they don’t feel that they need to “go”.
- Make sure your child is well hydrated during the day. A thirsty child is going to beg for that drink, and then fail to stay dry. The bladder gets it’s exercise during the day, as it fills and empties. Constantly running to the bathroom, or never making it to the bathroom can both contribute to late preschool bedwetting. Be encouraging but firm with children that tend to dry out during the day. They don’t realize the part their refusal plays in bedwetting, they just feel like a failure, and maybe worry that they are a failure in your eyes as well.
- Recognize the role of constipation can play in bedwetting. The pressure of stool on a bladder can be enough to create problems. My book has many ideas to address constipation, and this is another reason to address this problem instead of hoping it will go away.
- Accept that brain maturation is a key driver of night dryness. A child with brain differences, from ASD to ADHD to SPD, may need more time to achieve this milestone. Criticism and harshness isn’t going to make that brain develop any faster.
- Ask your pediatrician’s advice if your typical child isn’t dry at night by 7, or if you suspect that there is another issue. Never ignore your gut feelings about your child. You know more than you think!
Take a look at The Practical Guide to Toilet Training Your Child With Low Muscle Tone: Potty Training Help Has Arrived! to learn more about my e-book and how it can help you toilet train your child! Visit my website tranquil babies to purchase the book and buy a phone consultation to get your specific questions answered personally!
