Potty Training and Sleep
You’ve decided to embark on the potty training journey with your toddler but you so desperately want to avoid disrupting their sleep you worked so hard on! The good news is, there are things you can do to set you and your little one up for success when it comes to potty training and sleep.
Does potty training affect sleep?
A little bit of bad news - yes, potty training can affect sleep. But, it’s not as bad as you think! If you stay consistent with your toddler’s sleep during potty training (and follow the tips below), any sleep troubles that come up during potty training should be short lived.
Can potty training cause sleep regressions?
The dictionary definition of a sleep regression is “a period of time during which a baby stops sleeping as well as previously, typically one that appears to occur at a particular stage in the baby's development.” Just like when your toddler was a baby and learning new skills, those big, new learning opportunities sometimes caused sleep disruptions. Potty training is similar! Your little one is learning so much during the potty training process!
During potty training you are basically teaching your toddler body awareness - they're learning to recognize the feeling of needing to go potty. Your toddler is also going to start recognizing that feeling in the middle of the night, just like we would! (Remember being pregnant and getting that feeling 1291098 times a night!?) This can also happen during naps. Okay, more good news (YEY!) - If your toddler starts to recognize that feeling, that will mean less accidents!
Your toddler is also going to become more aware of having a wet/dirty diaper. If your toddler is still wearing diapers for sleep, even if they would have slept right through peeing or pooping before potty training, that might not be the case once you begin the potty training process. That feeling of a wet/dirty diaper may wake them up.
So yes, sleep can be a little affected, but it will be temporary because…. you are going to stay consistent, follow some tips, and understand a little science to see how and why we can avoid toddlers needing to potty in the middle of the night.
How to potty train at bedtime
Potty training at night has A LOT to do with when your child is really ready. You can’t exactly teach your kiddo to use the potty while they are asleep, so it comes down to them having that awareness which causes them to wake up when that potty sensation happens.
You may decide to hold off on potty training at bedtime until potty training during the day is pretty established or you might jump into daytime and nighttime potty training at the same time. This really comes down to your child’s age, how quickly body awareness is learned, if your little one can stay dry all night, and your preference. I suggest waiting until your child is keeping a diaper/pull up dry all night before transitioning to undies for sleep. You can also wait if you have a lot of worries about potty training affecting sleep and you’re not quite ready yet!
Prep for potty accidents during sleep
When you make the move to underwear at night, more than likely accidents are going to happen at some point, so you definitely want to prepare for that.
Invest in bedwetting products like waterproof sheets, mattress pads, mattress protectors
Snag some extra absorbent toddler potty training underwear
Prepare yourself to handle potty accidents. I know one of my least favorite things is cleaning up a potty accident in the morning or middle of the night, but it’s all part of the learning process for our little ones. Give your toddler and yourself grace. The potty mess is fixable - nothing some laundry, cleaning spray, and maybe some sunshine can’t fix!
How our body helps prevent potty accidents at night
A quick science lesson: Part of the reason we have to use the bathroom less at night than during the day is because, well, we aren’t drinking and eating at night. But, another reason is because our body is super smart! Our kidneys help our body process water, including reabsorbing water into the bloodstream and excreting the water through urine. The antidiuretic hormone (ADH) sends signals to the kidneys to do the reabsorption part of their job. When we sleep, our brain tells our body to produce more ADH, which means the kidneys are going to do more on the reabsorption side and less of the excretion side - meaning, we have less of a need to pee. This process may take a little for a toddler, which can influence nighttime pottying along with factors like bladder size.
Tips for potty training at bedtime
Limit drinks 1-2 hours before bedtime. Pretty straightforward. Less fluid means less full bladder means less need to pee.
Include potty in your bedtime routine. Make sure your little one has the chance to empty their bladder (and maybe poop, too) before they go to bed. This also helps avoid bedtime shenanigans once your toddler is in bed and attempts to get out of bed to go potty. Of course, there might be times where they really need to go again but for the most part, if they potty right before bed, they should be good for a bit.
Plan for how your toddler will use the potty in the middle of the night. Is your toddler in a bed and can go to the bathroom on their own? Are they in a crib and need a way to call for you to help them go potty? Make sure you go over this with your toddler so they know what to do when nature calls!
Consider a dream pee. This is where you take your toddler to the bathroom after they’ve gone to sleep and before you go to sleep (maybe somewhere around 10/11pm). I’ll be honest, this is not my best recommendation but I know some families like this approach. One thing to keep in mind is that you can interrupt sleep with a dream pee and your toddler might have a hard time falling back asleep. This may work great for some kids though!
Celebrate when your toddler wakes up dry!! This goes for toddlers in undies and toddlers still in a diaper/pull-up. Let them know that they are dry and how exciting that is!
Use the potty first thing in the morning. More than likely your toddler will have a full bladder. Taking them potty right when they wake up is a perfect opportunity to start the day with a successful tinkle in the toilet!
I know potty training can feel like a big mess (pun intended🤣). Nobody just naturally knows how to potty train. Luckily, you don't have to do it alone! If you're looking for help with a potty plan for your toddler and support along the way, I offer 1:1 potty training support! Let's tackle the tinkle together 😁
