DD, 5, wakes up most nights crying as she needs a wee.

[mumat39]

Hello.

My 5 year old DD wakes up really upset in the night, needing to be taken to the loo for a wee. We often take her, while she's sleeping but this evenin she's woken up twice, crying loads on both occasions :(. She always goes back to sleep ok.

It's quite upsetting but she doesn't have any memory of it in the morning. On a few occasions she has wet herself. We've then washed her and dressed her and again she goes back to sleep ok. She has no memory of this in the morning, even though she knows she has different pants on from the night before.

She always gets out of bed, but pulls her pj's up around her and then walks up and down the landing till we get upstairs to take her o the bathroom which is next to the DC's bedroom.

We're thinking about getting bunk beds as she and DS share a room and there isn't enough space for 2 single beds. DS is still in his cot bed but this is too small for him now. He's a fidgety sleeper and he often wakes in the night and comes into our bed as I think he runs out of room on his own bed.

I'm just wondering if this is 'normal' for a 5 year old, and also advice on what we can do about the bed situation, as the night waking/taking to the loo would make it difficult for us to carry her out of the top bunk to the bathroom.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice.

[StuntNun]

At age 5 my DS2 would come into the bedroom in the middle of the night to tell me he needed to go to the toilet! I made sure he had a night light in his room, the hall light was on and the door to the bathroom was open with the light off so it wasn't too bright in there. Then when I was putting him to bed I would take him to the toilet before hand and casually remark that if he needed the toilet in the night then he could go by himself but if he needed me then he could just call me. If he went through the night without coming in (because he hasn't needed to go or because he had gone by himself) then I would make a big fuss the next day and say what a good night's sleep I had. Over time this approach worked and he now goes by himself. Hope this helps.

[StuntNun]

I would be a bit worried about a 5yo climbing down the bunk bed ladder when half asleep in the middle of the night to go to the loo. Are you giving her drinks late in the evening? It might be better to hold off on the bunk bed until she can make it through the night.

[MrsCantSayAnything]

I don't think it's abnormal. 5 is small...my dd is 4 and a half and does similar. I try to get to her before she wakes upset...so I go up at 10 every night and take her for a loo visit.

[mumat39]

Thanks.

Stuntnun, thanks for your reply. The bunk bed was an idea, but it worries me too. The trouble is they want to sleep in the same room and we can't fit 2 beds in there. And I'm stuck for ideas on what to do. DS getting into our bed at night means none of us sleep very well and it's been going of for a few months now.

MrsCantSayAnything, it's a relief that it isn't abnormal. Phew! We also try and take her to the loo before she wakes up. DP has to do it, as DD is too heavy for me and most weeks he asks me when can we stop having to take her.

She still has milk at night before brushing her teeth so maybe we should stop that or give it to her earlier.

If the milk is the problem then that's quite an easy solution. I just don't think of simple solutions.

Just have to figure out what to do about their sleeping arrangements.

Thanks for your help again, ladies. I'll be able to stop worrying that there might be something wrong :)

[NellyTheElephant]

My DD2 has ALWAYS needed to do a wee at least once a night ever since she was out of night nappies at 2. Initially it was easy as she had a potty in her room and night light and then started to go across the hall on her own to the bathroom without waking us. Then we moved house, we were sleeping on a different floor to her and the bathroom was along the corridor and down some steps. She was 4 and started to wet the bed, or call us in the night crying for us to take her to the loo, despite having been totally fine for 2 years. I put a potty in her room next to the bed again and all was fine. Then we moved house again, she was 5 but I was no way taking any risks so I again put a potty in her room for her own reassurance really. She is now rising 6 and perfectly happy and settled going to the loo in the night on her own.

Your DD is no doubt well beyond potties under normal circumstances, but think of it like a chamber pot - that's what people always used to use in their bedrooms! I would recommend a night light and a potty by the bed until she says otherwise. Initially when she calls you in the night, don't speak to her, just gently guide her to it. When you take her to do a wee in the night - make sure that you wake her up. Just enough so she is groggy but walking and semi conscious, then get her to sit on the potty by her bed so she is aware of it rather than basically asleep.

[mumat39]

Thanks for your reply, Nelly.

I'll definitely give that a go. We have a potette that she quite likes using if we're out and about with no loo nearby so will try and leave that by her bed.

Fingers crossed that works.

Thanks again.

[mawbroon]

ds1 is 7 and has always needed to pee during the night. He was a right bugger for coming home from school with his water bottle untouched and so was really thirsty in the later part of the day.

We always lifted him at our bedtime, but now he can go himself during the night.

[mumat39]

mawbroon, DD is the same and often comes home with her water bottle untouched too. We'll try the potty and see how that goes. Thanks for your reply too. It's good to know it's sort of a common thing.