Dr. Robert Needlman
Specialist in pediatric behavior and development.
|
|
 Ask Dr. Needlman
Staying Dry through the Night | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Needlman,
I have read the articles on toilet training. I have a 20-month-old who has been going to the potty on her own for almost a month now. How do I get to the next step of getting through the night without a diaper? I do not put one on her at night; every time I hear her make a sound (every couple hours), I put her on the pot, and she pees a little. Sometimes she pees in the bed. Is my approach going to work, or can you give me some better advice?
— Interested Dad in Germany | | | ANSWER |
February 20, 2001 | | | Dear Interested Dad,
Twenty months is still on the young side for a child to master staying dry. Congratulations on the progress you and your daughter have made so far!
Since she has only been using the potty for about a month now, it is not at all surprising that she continues to wet when asleep. What you're doing now sounds like a lot of work (and very little sleep!), and in the long run it may not hasten her nighttime dryness very much. One reasonable alternative would be to continue praising her daytime toilet use, remarking from time to time on how great it is that she has "big girl" underpants, while giving her a pull-up to sleep in at night. In time--maybe a few weeks--you'll notice that the pull-up is dry most mornings. That would be a good time to try to do without it. — by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
|
