Pediatrician’s Perspective: Clever Parents Ask Clever Questions

Q. What tips do you have for parents with newly potty-trained children regarding occasional nighttime bed-wetting?

The short answer is: Don’t do anything and don’t worry about it. Down-play it and deal with it. “That happens sometimes. Don’t worry about it. Let’s clean it up.” Sometimes it is helpful to cut down on late evening fluid intake. Some people find it helpful to get the child up to urinate before they go to bed.

The longer answer involves thinking about other factors:

How occasional is ‘occasional’? Many children become day trained long before being night trained. Don’t martyr yourself on a pile of laundry. Put him back in pull-ups (very matter-of-fact-ly, not as a punishment) and wait till he is usually dry at night to try again. Low-key, small rewards for dry nights may add some incentive in borderline cases.

How long has he been toilet trained and how long has he been dry at night? Recurrence (as opposed to persistence) of nighttime wetting can signal urinary tract infections or can be a response to significant stress. If these are concerns, see your child’s pediatrician.