For the third night in a row, your little one has woken up with a dry nappy, and suddenly a wonderful thought crosses your mind - does this mean they’re ready to begin nighttime training?

You know it can be a sensitive topic that mustn’t be rushed, so how do you go about it, and how can you make sure they’re ready?

When should I begin potty training?

For most kids, nighttime training will begin between the ages of 3 and 4, and generally speaking, six months to a year after they’ve achieved daytime dryness. But there is no one ‘right time’ to begin nighttime training, and it’s certainly not a process we want to hurry. So how do you know when your toddler’s ready to start training? Well, if your toddler shows two or more of the following signs, they’re likely ready to attempt nighttime training:

They’re 3 or 4 years of age.

They’re reliably dry in the daytime, with very few accidents, and they’ve been out of nappies during the day for 6 to 12 months.

They often wake with a dry nappy.

They’re requesting to be nappy-free at night and resisting the bedtime nappy.

So, now that we’ve established when to begin nighttime training, how do we go about it?

How do I potty-train my toddler at night?

First of all, there are five preparatory steps you should take:

Change to reusable cloth nappies at night. Disposable nappies are great, almost too great, in fact. They’re so absorbent that your little one often won't know they’ve done something at all. On the other hand, cloth nappies protect sheets and clothing but retain a small sensation of dampness, alerting the child that they’re using/have used the nappy.

Get hold of a good mattress protector. During nighttime training, accidents will happen. So, it’s important that you take steps to protect your child’s mattress. Avoid protectors that feel too rubbery or plasticky, but make sure they’re still waterproof.

Buy a second potty for the bedroom. At least temporarily, a potty in the bedroom is a really good idea. Trips to the toilet might take too long, whereas a ‘bedroom potty’ is quick and easy.

Get a night light. Unfortunately, nighttime potty training often coincides with a developed fear of the dark, which may keep your little one from getting out of bed, even if they desperately need to use the bathroom. A nightlight will not only alleviate this fear but also make seeing and using the potty much easier. Go for a soft red light so as not to inhibit the release of melatonin.

Discuss what will happen. Now that they’re a little older, you can actually discuss, in simple terms, what nighttime training involves. Let your toddler know that you believe they're old enough to begin training and what will happen, and do so about a week before the first nappy-less night.

Act out what to do during the day. You can even role-play nighttime potty trips during the day to help your little one understand the process. With them lying in bed, explain that when they need to use the toilet, they need only get up and sit on the potty. And make sure they know that should they have an accident during the night, they need only call out to you or fetch you from your bedroom.

The first night:

Begin on a Friday. We strongly advise that you begin nighttime training on a Friday. That way, you have the weekend to recover and catch up on any lost sleep.

Explain when you will begin. If you’re beginning on a Friday, have a chat with your toddler four or five days earlier, excitedly letting them know that they’ll be sleeping without a nappy, just like you. Let them ask questions and reassure them that they can come and fetch you or call out to you should they have an accident and that it’s perfectly okay if they do! And once Friday swings around, it’s time to prepare the bedroom.

Put the bedroom potty out. Make sure the bedroom potty is ready for use during the night.

Place some toilet roll and wipes beside the potty. In case you need to clean up.

Make sure the mattress protector is fitted and place a couple of extra sheets nearby. If there’s an accident, which there very likely will be, you won’t want to spend ages searching for and fitting a new sheet, all while groggy-eyed and sleepy.

Plug in the nightlight. Make sure the nightlight is set up and ready to go.

Make sure they go to the toilet right before bed. And going forward, encourage your toddler to use the toilet before they get into bed and first thing in the morning.

Remind them what to do if they wake up needing the toilet. Before you leave them, let them know once more what to do if they wake up needing the toilet or if they have an accident, then give them a kiss and wish them sweet dreams.

Reassuring your child when accidents happen:

Bed-wetting can be very distressing for children, so it’s really important to reassure and support them and also to normalise wetting the bed during training. Make sure they know you aren’t angry or upset, that everyone makes mistakes when they’re learning, and that you know they’ll get there soon! Calmly remove wet sheets and place them in the washing basket before encouraging your little one to use the potty or toilet one last time.

The importance of your response:

Nighttime training can be a really tricky period for parents as well as children, after all, none of us like to be woken at night. But it’s really important that you show compassion and patience throughout the process. We’ve come up with a few strategies to help you remain calm when the going gets tough:

Take a deep breath, count to 5, and exhale. This will give you pause and help to stabilise your breathing.

Remind yourself this is normal and will pass. You can even repeat this little mantra if it helps.

Put yourself in your child’s shoes. Try to imagine how your child might be feeling at this moment. They’re probably more than a little anxious, sad, and even sacred, not to mention physically uncomfortable. Chances are they’re feeling worse than you are, so be kind and offer them comfort.

If you live with a partner, take it in turns. It’s still really important that you get some rest, so come up with a routine that works for you and your partner and lets you both get a few nights off.

How to potty-train at night

Some aspects of raising toddlers take more prep than others.