please can someone advise how I can get ds to be dry at night before I go out this afternoon and buy another pack of nappies?

[wannaBe1974]

DS is 3.9. He has been dry during the day since he was 2.5 but has still been wearing nappies at night. I decided that we really should try to get him to be dry at night, would esp like to achieve this before I go on holiday in 5 weeks as would save me having to carry the nappies he wears at night.

So since Saturday night I have tried:

no drinks after 5:30 at night
getting him up before I go to bed (approx 11:00 pm) sitting him on the toilet to have a wee
told him that when he gets up in morning he must go straight to the toilet and have a wee, and then I put a potty in his room so he didn't have to go as far as the bathroom.

The first night he didn't make it, subsequent nights he has got up and gone on the potty but he's still been wet so has obviously been at some point in the night but not woken up.

Please does anyone have any pearls of wisdom that I have not yet tried. I'm on the verge of going out to buy another pack of nappies for night time use, I'm not stressing about it after all it's night time and ultimately if he's asleep then he can't help it, but as he's 3.9 and has been dry during the day for 18 months really shouldn't he be dry at night by now?

all wisdom gratefully received

It's really not worth hurrying, they'll be dry at night when they're ready.

Our DS1 was dry at night before he was 3. Well, he would wake if he needed a wee, but he was still in the cot and we didn't want him wandering around, so we would lift him (he also would get his willy out while falling asleep, so if he didn't wake to wee he'd wet the bed). Luckily he has a huge bladder, so lifting him at 10 was enough to get him through to 7. And he always had a sippy cup of water in his bed.

So yeah, dry at night before 3, not through effort or anything, but because that was when he was ready. He's nearly 5 now, and has an accident maybe every other month?

There's no right age when a child 'should' be dry. I would imagine trying to get him to be dry when he's ready will just stress you, and particularly him, out. You'll know when he's ready to be dry at nights, because he will have dry nappies in the morning, or wake you in the night needing a wee.

We have twins - and whilst we did exactly the same to both, one was dry at night about a year before the other, so I'd say just keep buying the nappies

Please don't worry about him being wet - it might make him anxious too. It is perfectly normal to be dry much later at night than during the day. My eldest and middle sons were not dry at night til they were 6.5. The middle, now nearly 7, is still wet occasionally. My daughter, 3.5 is still wet at night. All were dry during the day by 2.5yrs.

For the eldest we tried everything you have done, plus saw the doc. He told us not to worry and come back if he was still wet at 7+.

At least 1 in 10 children, particularly boys, are still wet at 7+, many much older. I found the Enuresis Society's leaflet helpful as it talks about possible causes. One is a lack of Vasopressin, a hormone which concentrates the urine at night thus reducing the need to pee. Young children often don't produce enough yet. There is a prescription drug called Desmopressin which reproduces this hormone if you're desperate.

But really, I would simply deal with this in a practical way - carry on wearing nappies and using waterproof sheets. For my middle son it was a problem with sleepovers when he was 5+ as he was embarassed - until he discovered that his best friend, one year older, also wore them and was not bothered at all. If sleepovers are a problem, I suggest no nappies - just a waterproof sheet/duvet kit and a quiet word with the other parent.

Good luck and please don't make a big deal of it with your son as he almost certainly can't do anything about it.

Ds is the same (3 and a bit). He's still in nappies 'cos he is hit and miss. I'm working on the principle that he'll get it when he's ready - did find on holiday that I could reuse the nappy for a couple of nights 'cos it was bone dry (could have been the heat meaning he wasn't peeing as much..)

I had actually put ds to bed & had forgotten to put a pull up on him this was when he was 2.11 & woke in the morning to see he was totally dry, i have never looked back since then & he is now 3.11 & has only had 1 wet bed, very impressed!

DH is always having a nag at me about DD (4 on Tues) still wearing pull ups at night. He's convinced that it's just lazy parenting . I've told him about the hormone and that there's nothing we can do to force her to be dry at night, we have to wait until she is ready, but I think he thinks I'm making excuses

It really is they'r ready when they are, I am afraid.

A week ago DS3 (3) was in nappies 24/7, he is now out of them completely . We tried him in the day (we tried a few weeks before and got nowhere) and he was fine, in two days his nappies were dry overnight.... there's only been one accident at night, last night, and DS1 had hidden his potty.

I've come to the conclusion that they will be dry at night when they are ready, and no matter what you do, you can't make it happen unless they are ready. DS1 is 6.9, still wears nappies at night and shows no signs of being dry yet. DD is 3.5 and has been dry at night for months, with very little effort on our part.

We did see a consultant about DS1. Apparently being dry at night is about bladder maturity..and some kids' bladders mature quicker than others.

Wannabe...I'd just leave him in nappies at night until he shows some more signs that he's ready to go without. Alot less sressful for all, and not as much washing!!

DD is 3.9 and has been dry at night since 3.3

I tried stopping drink after 6pm,
Waking b4 I went to bed and leaving the potty in her room from her 3rd birthday.

She had wet nights and dry ones. I tried to reward her for three dry nights on a row and then she'd have a wet one.

One day we were staying at a friends house unplanned and I had no nappies. My friends children were younger than DD and their nappies wouldn't fit so I had no choice but to risk it.

She was dry that night and ever since. No more accidents. I do believe that they do it when they are ready. Encouraging them can't harm. Give it time.

I myself was still having accidents when I was 8 but I'm fine now. (thank god) My mother took me to a specialist and they mentioned a sheet that would alarm if I had an accident but I never needed it.
Could you find something like this for DS1 Wannabe

Hi,dd1 and dd2 both dry really early.I didnt really do anything so i assummed it was genetic tbh. ds1 came along and i was a little anxious as so many people had told me boys took a lot longer.I am very relaxed and the way i see it is that hopefully they wont be in our bed or still in nappies at 21 ! We tried just before his second birthday because his nappy was dry most mornings and he was dry day and night within 2 days. I really do think a lot of it is genetic because i never really did anything, but i did do day and night together for all 3 of mine.I just thought putting a nappy on at night was confusing the whole issue and it worked for us. Also used cotton nappies and they do tend to feel wetter and i think that helped. Always lift him out too for a wee when we go to bed, and after a few weeks they just do it without even waking up. Sorry didnt mean to ramble on so much-i never restricted fluids in any way either.He has a beaker of fresh water at hand overnight.If he was having accidents i would stick with nappies for a while longer because it would just upset him- ! Good luck

Hi! I'd be a bit worried about not giving drinks for so long, that would be about 12 hrs without a drink! I have heard you can try the stop/start method to try and strengthen their muscles. When he is weeing, see if he can stop and start? Also, do you really want to be worrying about this on holiday? Either way, have a good one