Is Your Toddler Wetting The Bed?
Is your toddler wetting the bed? You’re not alone. I get so many emails (and chats via our chat feature) from parents about this. Parents always seem so ashamed. Why? This is something even my grandmother talked about!
But that doesn’t mean you and your little one should just live with it. Trust me — your toddler doesn’t like it any more than you do!
Luckily, there is something you can do. Here are the reasons potty accidents at night may be happening, and simple steps you can take to guide them to dry nights.
If Your Toddler Has Always Wet The Bed
If wetting the bed is nothing new, there may be a few reasons, such as:
Your child is not waking at night to urinate
If your child doesn’t wake at night, they may simply not have developed the physical maturity yet to do so. In fact, nighttime bed-wetting is often the last hurdle in potty training.
Don’t make a big deal of this. Many parents put their toddlers to bed in pull-up style underwear at night and then change them into regular underwear during the day. It can take a few months up to a year for a toddler to outgrow night wetting, so don’t worry at this stage.
Your child is not yet fully day-trained
It may seem obvious, but if your child is having accidents during the day, they won’t be able to go through the night without accidents, either.
Make sure to continue with their daytime potty training, keeping it a positive experience. And keep in mind that night wetting usually continues a bit longer.
Your child is drinking water too close to bedtime
Your little one should always stay well-hydrated. But if you’re giving them water, juice or milk/toddler formula immediately before bedtime, it’s likely they will need to urinate during the night.
They make awaken during the night to go use the potty, but because they’re sleepy, they may simply not make it to the potty on time.
There is a physical issue
Any time there is a potty training issue, I recommend seeing the pediatrician. Although nighttime wetting isn’t at all rare at the toddler stage, you never know whether an illness, such as a mild urinary tract infection, may be at play. So have a quick check-in with the doctor if you’re concerned.
If Your Child is Wetting the Bed Out Of The Blue
Things may be more serious if your child previously had a pattern of dry nights, but now wets the bed suddenly. Don’t panic — there are solutions. If your toddler wets the bed after being night-trained it could be because:
There’s a new situation going on
Any change, even if it seems small to you, can mean your child returns to wetting the bed at night. That’s because either your child may temporarily regress to a younger and easier time, or because their newfound self-control is taking a back seat while they deal with something new.
Some common changes that cause a temporary return to nighttime wettings include:
- a new baby in the house
- a new place of residence
- a new daycare, or a different caretaker
- being on vacation
- a death in the family
- illness in the family
- your child has been ill
Your child has had a nightmare
Nightmares are very common in young children, and a toddler who has a nightmare may wake up wet. Don’t make too much of this. Help your little on into fresh clothes, soothe them and reassure them, then put them back down to sleep.
Your child is having unexplained anxiety
This situation is a bit more serious, but you still have no need to panic. Toddlers can experience anxiety for a variety of reasons. Even being asked to give up their pacifier/binky can cause anxiety.
If you can’t get to the root of your toddler’s anxiety, ask the pediatrician for guidance.
Your Toddler Won’t Be Wetting The Bed Forever
Whatever the case, barring a physical issue, your toddler wetting the bed is almost certainly a temporary thing. The key is to realize that often, these things just take time. Your patience and understanding go a long way toward helping your little one get past this phase, and before you know it, nighttime bed wetting will be a thing of the past.
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