Preschooler and nappies overnight

[DueyCheatemAndHow]

Anyone have any genius tips? Our son is 4 in September. Totally trained in the day, has been for nearly a year. Still has a nappy at night. But he wees SO much overnight. He is waking up early often cos his nappy has leaked.

I've tried several different types, nothing helps. I've tried hugely encouraging day drinking. Goes for a wee before bed.

What can I do? It was 4.50 this morning

Take him for a wee when you go to bed at 11pm or whatever time?

One of mine was ready to be out of night nappies on his fourth birthday. The other was 5.5. It took a while to find the right nappy for his body and finally we found a regular day nappy (largest size) worked best. We stopped liquids from 6pm so a big wee at 7pm before bed meant most liquid done. Then at wake up a big glass of water immediately. Still had a very full nappy every morning until it all clicked.

Manage liquids and can try taking for a wee in the night. But bare in mind night toileting requires your child's bladder to be developed enough to last all night or for your child to be capable of waking should they get the need to wee. These are physical/neurological things can take longer for some than others so I wouldn't overly worry.

I don't mind him being in nappies it's just he leaks and then gets woken up by it.

I just got my 4 year old (nearly 5) off nappies at night. We stop fluids from 6:30pm and we lift him to the toilet when we go to bed at 10:30/11pm to give him the best chance. He's sleeping longer because I think the nappy for gross feeling by morning.

I used to lift my preschooler for a wee around 10/11 when I went to bed. It didn’t disturb her sleep.

How much us he drinking in the 2 hours before bed? When does he eat his evening meal? I assume you have tried different nappies e.g. the + ones? I always prefer real nappies rather than pull ups for holding more wee as the pull ups seem to sag more.

This is usually about hormones, we produce the hormone vasopressin which means our urine production slows down whilst we sleep meaning our bladders don't get full. Your son is probably not producing this hormone which is why he fills his nappies at night, the bladder just empties itself when it gets full when he sleeps.

It is completely normal and why supermarkets give over valuable shelf space to dry nites pull up pants. Here are the experts and who we turned to when this happened with Ds1

www.eric.org.uk/advice-for-children-with-night-time-wetting

If you are looking to protect the bed then look at incontinence websites that cater for adult sized beds, ie a standard single etc so that the mattress is protected.

What kinds of nappies have you tried?

Uou could try adding some absorbency with a cloth nappy insert or even just a folded flannel if needed. Or try a wrap over the top to stop them leaking.

My almost 4yr old is so hit and miss with nights. Sometimes wakes up dry, other times absolutely saturated. He often wakes to use the potty either way (demands to be bought the potty in bed, won’t actually get out and go to the bathroom 🙄).

Disclaimer: not a potty training expert, and I do know that overnight is hormonal and totally different from during the day. But if he's very independent during the day then have you considered experimenting with taking the nappy off at night yet, even though it's still wet? Just wondering if you might find he surprises you by being ready to go to the loo independently at night after all. You could try asking him if he's interested in trying, and gauge his reaction before deciding whether to give it a shot.

Do you double wee before bed?
So toilet, bath, teeth, story, toilet, lights out.

Read up on the Eric link PP posted.

Lifting is actually not encouraged, it gives the body the wrong signal. I think the best is to find a nappy which works and see if he outgrows it. I think the current medical advice is that most GPs not look at it until the child is around 7.

What nappies is he in? Put him in the actual night time ones if he's leaking regularly. Yes they are more expensive but if they can hold the wee in then happy days.
Don't stress about him being wet at night though. DD is 5 and has been out of nappies at night for only 2 weeks. No accidents so far touch wood. Up until a couple of months ago every nappy was heavy on a morning until all of a sudden the majority were dry.

We had much more success with pill ups but now they aren't working. I usually check him before I go to bed and if the nappy is already wet I change him.

We did try just going without the nappy. First night he went through totally dry. Second night... it was biblical!

He has dinner at 5. He has a wee before his shower (ok, in the shower...). I always offer him the loo again when he's in his pyjamas but he never wants it.

Interesting that he was totally dry on the first night when you tried going without nappies before. That to me would suggest that physically he might actually be ready, and the Biblical second night (love that description!) I'd just take as a normal part of the learning process like with daytime training. In your place I'd be quite tempted to give it another more sustained go and see what happens.

That's what DH said... thanks. I'd love him to be nappy free at night, the smell of wee in the morning... it can't be nice for him

DS2 was wet until almost 7. We had the same issue with leaky nappies. We used a much bigger size than you would think to use.

We were advised no red drinks (like black currant squash). No hot chocolate or cola.

Lots of day drinking.

No drinks after 530pm.

Two wees before bed- even a trickle for the second one is good.

They advise against lifting unless they are fully woken up- otherwise you train the brain they can wee whilst asleep- which is what you want to avoid .

One of my kids then needed paeds consultant support- on drugs becuase they didn't make the hormone. They started medical support at 8, and it was finally all sorted by 12.

If you get to 7 the doc might see you and recommend alarms.

Until then, I recommend drynites nappies.

Cloth nappy inserts.

you add fleece next to body, then as many inserts as needed, then regular night nappy.

DD is 4 and has been out of nappies since just turned 2, but we still lift her at 1030pm and she will have a really big wee then.

She was doing better without being woken last winter, but I think she is so busy at playgroup/preschool that she forgets to drink then makes up for it in the evening, and with the hotter weather it is more of a problem.

My son is 4 and still not dry at night. We used pampers pull ups for a long time but we also kept getting problems with leaks.
So I switched to the Tesco f&f pull ups size 6 and they work much better.
We've tried no drinks after 5 and he goes for a wee before bed but he still isn't dry over night when all my other friends kids of the same age are. But not sure what more I can do other than to wait for his natural hormones/instincts to kick in.

Have you tried bed mats?

You could put them under the nappy.