Is My Toddler Ready for Nighttime Potty Training?

Is your child ready to make it through the night without a diaper? And will it affect their sleep? Here, everything you need to know about overnight potty training your toddler.

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By Holly Hays

How to Know if Your Child is Ready for Nighttime Potty Training

Potty training at night is the last stage for a couple of reasons. One is partly biological: Little bladders get full more quickly. Bigger bladders belonging to slightly older kids can hold more…and make it through the night more easily.

Just as with many milestones, every child has their own unique path, so pay attention to your child’s signals to decide when their timing is right. Some children may be ready at around age 3, others may be closer to age 4, 5, or later. Talk to your pediatrician if you’re having any concerns.

It can also be wise to wait until your child is out of their crib and sleeping in a toddler bed as it helps if your child can easily get to the bathroom should they need to go.

Your child may be ready to potty train at night if:

They’re pretty good at going to the bathroom regularly during the day, recognizing the signs they need to go, knowing what to do, and being able to get there in time.
They only need to go to the bathroom every few hours and wake up dry after a nap. (Both are signals that they’re able to hold their pee for longer stretches of time.)
They stay dry through the night, especially if it happens a few nights in a row.
Your toddler tells you they’re interested in trying to make it through the night without a diaper.

Overnight Potty Training Tips

Overall, nighttime potty training shouldn’t affect your child’s sleep overly much—and there are things you can do to help lessen the impact.

Limit drinks starting 30 minutes to an hour before your toddler’s bedtime.
Start establishing a routine where your child goes to the bathroom a couple of times before bed and as soon as they get up in the morning.
You can also wake your toddler up to use the potty right before you go to bed. This can help them get used to getting up to go from sleeping.
Keep one friendly night light in your child’s bedroom and another in the bathroom, so it’s easy to find the bathroom during the night and the trip doesn’t feel scary. Make sure lights are soft and soothing—and not too bright—so your child stays in a drowsy state and can more easily fall back asleep once business is taken care of.
Your child may also feel more comfortable getting up to go during the night if they know they can ask for your help if they need it. The two-way audio communication feature in Nanit monitors lets your child easily let you know when they wake up, and you can let them know you’re on the way.
Encourage your child to wear underwear or nothing at all at night, rather than a pull up or overnight diaper. Because diapers are so absorbent, your child may not even know they’ve peed and learning to recognize the signs of needing to go are an important part of the potty training process.
If your child should have an accident during the night, set yourself up for an easy and quick change (letting everyone get back to sleep asap) by layering waterproof mattress covers or changing pads, towels, or disposable sheet protectors on your child’s bed. If a top layer gets wet, you’ll be able to quickly switch it out for a dry layer.

Word to the wise: When your child is first learning a new skill, it may disrupt their usual sleep as their bodies and brains practice and process the information. This can apply to nighttime potty training as well, especially since an integral part of the learning is waking up to go to the bathroom.

But the sleep disruption should be short lived. As soon as your child establishes their new habit—whether staying dry through the night or taking a nighttime trip or two to the potty—they generally return to their usual sleep patterns, and put themselves back to sleep quickly once back in bed. Plus, look, Ma! No diapers!

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CONTRIBUTORS

Natalie Barnett, PhD serves as VP of Clinical Research at Nanit. Natalie initiated sleep research collaborations at Nanit and in her current role, Natalie oversees collaborations with researchers at hospitals and universities around the world who use the Nanit camera to better understand pediatric sleep and leads the internal sleep and development research programs at Nanit. Natalie holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of New England in Australia and a Postgraduate Certificate in Pediatric Sleep Science from the University of Western Australia. Natalie was an Assistant Professor in the Neurogenetics Unit at NYU School of Medicine prior to joining Nanit. Natalie is also the voice of Nanit's science-backed, personalized sleep tips delivered to users throughout their baby's first few years.

Kristy Ojala is Nanit’s Digital Content Director. She spends way too much time looking at maps and weather forecasts and pictures of Devon Rex cats and no-cook dinners. A former sleep champion, she strives to share trustworthy somnabulism tips with other parents—praying for that one fine day when no tiny humans wake her up while it’s still dark out. Her kids highly recommend 3 books, approximately 600 stuffies, Chopin’s “Nocturnes,” and the Nanit Sound + Light for bedtime success.

Mackenzie Sangster is on the Brand and Community team at Nanit. She supports content development and editing for Nanit’s Parent Confidently blog as well as other marketing initiatives. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her friends, cooking, being active, and using the Pro + Flex Duo to keep an eye on her fur-baby, Poppy!

Holly Hays is a contributor and writer for Nanit, channeling her years as a mama and former magazine editor to create fun, useful content for fellow busy, trying-to-do-their-best parents and caregivers. Holly has written for a wide range of brands and media outlets (Ergobaby, HGTV, Manhattan Toy Company, OXO), loves to cook and read mystery novels, and leans heavily on her two daughters to keep her up to date on all the latest slang.