wanting to potty train ds during nights... please help me!!!!!!

[lunavix]

He's 4.5, been dry during the day for over two years... but he sleeps heavily, wets heavily, and more often than not still poos too

I attempted last night for the first time, he had a drink at 5.30 (but had only had one other drink all day) then at 7 did a big wee and poo on toilet. Got him up at 8.15, 9.30 and 11, all times he was dry and did a tiny wee or poo. At 815 he said nothing, the other two he had his eyes closed but talked but I think he was still fast asleep. Woke up at 6.30 and went in and he was soaking wet and fast asleep.

What can I try? A friend said to leave it to 10 then he might need a big wee and get it all out but this doesn't seem entirely logical to me. He wants to do this, he asked to be in pants not nappies tonight, but I'm worried about what to try

lunavix you may want to try a search on this. My dd was dry in the day for 2 years before managing to stay dry at night at the age of 4 (a little younger than your ds.) Most of our friends had dcs that were dry by night and day at the same time.

I found some of the threads very reassuring. The things that I found helpful in particular were many mners explaining that some children are wet at night up to the age of 7 and this is considered fine by professionals. Also there is some sort of hormone that needs to be triggered before they are physically able to stay dry at night.

If you and your ds want to try him in pants, and there is a likelihood he will be wet in the night, I would suggest making the bed very easy to change - e.g. waterproof sheet and clean bedding to hand. Also if he soaks the duvet why not change to a sheet and a couple of blankets - ime much easier to change. (if the duvet doesn't fit in your washing machine)

We stopped calling pull up nappies "nappies" and referred to them as nappy pants which dd was happier with.

p.s. just re read your post. ime he is not drinking enough. We tried cutting down drinks after 6pm. However since she has been genuinely ready to be dry at night, the amount she drinks (within reason) is not a problem.

Definitely let him drink more during the day! One drink before 5pm is just not healthy!

On getting him up, unless you're doing it in time with his sleep cycles, you're not helping doing it that often because you're disturbing his sleep cycles and if he's in a deep sleep stage when he does need to go he won't wake up. Also, unless he's one of those kids you can set your watch by, you're never going to time it quite right.

If he's still pooing in his sleep, he's probably not physically ready yet. Can you sleep in his room one night and see if he wakes up to poo or does it in his sleep?

well I make him do a big poo on toilet before bed and he's not pooed during the night since so hopefully we are okay there!

He does sleep heavily - I thought that it may help as if I get him up at 10.30 and 2 (say) then he'll be used to getting up and will get up to pee if he needs to. He is a very heavy sleeper and a heavy wetter so I doubt he'd go all night.

I know its not healthy! I've changed drinks to encourage him, he has a smoothie for breakfast, apple juice cartons at lunch and milkshake when he gets home. He has access to water all day but if it's water or squash he just doesn't drink it.