Potty training is the process of teaching a toddler how to control their bodily functions when urinating and defecating using a potty chair. However, this procedure is usually aimed to teach children how to use the toilet during the daytime. A separate but related nighttime potty training is also required in order to teach you child how to stay dry during the night while sleeping, to avoid bedwetting behavior.

Like in normal potty training, nighttime potty training has a prerequisite as it requires readiness on the part of the kid for it to be possible at all. The toddler must already have a prior daytime potty training experience, and he or she must be familiar enough with the bed and have the ability to get on and off it.

Parents are faced with two choices on what to use as an undergarment during the nighttime potty training: training pants or underwear. Both have their own merits and disadvantages as well. Using training pants is very practical since they are disposable and the attractive character designs can help you encourage your child to avoid wetting themselves. However, they could send out a mixed message to the kid and cause confusion when transitioning to normal underwear. On the other hand, using underwear is the most straightforward way but be prepared to laundry tons of them as accidents are to be expected.

The most basic step in nighttime potty training is to wake the child a few times at night by gently calling his or her name while sleeping. Tell the child to use the potty while supervising the kid. Avoid physically assisting the child during the procedure to ensure that he or she will practice and learn on his or her own. The idea here is that the child achieves nighttime control of his or her bodily functions.

The other things that parents can do in implementing a nighttime potty training are leaving the lights on where it is needed by the child, clearing the floor off toys that can cause accidents, ensuring that there is enough tissue in the bathroom and that the toilet seat is down so that the child won’t fall in the bowl. These simple steps will help you and your child accomplish a successful nighttime potty training.