DRY THROUGH THE NIGHT

Congratulations! If you’re reading this, chances are that your toddler or pre-scholar is making it to the toilet on time during the day – most of the time, at least! The final hurdle lies in assisting him to make it through the night dry. Some pre-scholars invariably wake with a wet nappy, others naturally wee less at night-time, but few are able to be consistently dry at night until well past their third birthday. A lot of children simply don’t have the bladder control to hold on all night, and others sleep so soundly they aren’t aware that they’re wetting their nappy. Even at the age of five, about a fifth of children will wet their bed from time to time. For some reason, boys often have more trouble with this than girls. Patience is vital, just as it was with daytime dryness. Don’t be tempted (or bullied by well-meaning relatives) into trying to “train” a child before they’re ready – you’ll just be signing yourself up for weeks or months of unnecessary wet beds and washing. And rushing the process may put him off the idea totally, leading to bed wetting issuse later on. In her book “Your Baby & Child”, child development expert Penelope Leach advises not to even think about leaving off the night-time nappy until you’ve seen the evidence of a few consecutive dry morning nappies. Other signs of readiness are intervals of up to four hours between daytime toilet stops, and sometimes waking in the “wee” hours of the morning calling for the toilet. Wait until a period of relative stability in your child’s life before you tackle the issue. Try not to time it to coincide with the arrival of a new baby, starting kindly or other upheavals in routine. When you’re ready, gently introduce the idea to your child and get his buy-in for experimenting with a nappy-free night. If he doesn’t want to play ball, wait a few weeks then try again. Treat the subject coolly and casually. Remember, your job is to help him take responsibility for his toileting, not to “train” him to do something his mind and body may not yet be ready for. In the meantime, prepare for your role by putting a waterproof cover on the mattress and buying extra sheets so getting them clean and dry is less urgent and less stressful. You may prefer to wait until warmer weather when you can dry sheets and air bedding outdoors. Whatever you do, don’t make your child feel guilty for all the work you’ll have to do if he has an accident – this will just make him feel tense. Don’t restrict drinks before bedtime as this can confuse the bladder’s natural signals, but do avoid soft drinks at this time because they pass through the body very quickly. If your child wakes in the night because he feels the urge to go, he may need your help to get him up and pop him on the toilet. Alternatively, place a potty near his bed and leave a night-light on so he can do his business and put himself back to bed. Some experts suggest “lifting” the child onto the toilet before you go to bed yourself. If you’re greeted with a dry bed in the morning, be quietly encouraging without going overboard in your praise. If the bed is wet, suppress the urge to chastise your child. Just calmly change the sheets and try again the next night. If you haven’t had any success within a few weeks, return to nappies and try again in a few months. Most children will work it out by the age of six or seven. If you’re still concerned then, various medications, alarms and training programmers are available – ask your doctor for advice.