Nighttime diapering – how to cope?

Long nighttime diapering – how to cope

When a child is potty trained during the day, parents feel a great sense of relief. At least, I felt that moment as a real breakthrough in parenting. It is much easier to function with a child without diapers. What's more, you can see how comfortable the child is. With daytime potty training comes the hope that the child will also be potty trained at night. And... there are no rules. Some children follow suit – they give up diapers both during the day and at night. But most importantly, they control their physiology both during the day and at night. Others, despite doing great with peeing during the day, have no control over peeing while sleeping. Nighttime diapering is a broad topic. How should we deal with our child using diapers at night for a long time?

1. Take care of your budget – choose reusable diapers
   To paraphrase the classics, I will write: the night is long. In the context of our children and diapers, it is a difficult time. We usually don't want to interrupt our children's sleep to change their diapers. We also don't want to interrupt our own sleep. Hence, we look for diapers that will be able to withstand our child's nighttime peeing. Many parents choose disposable diapers – if this is your choice, we recommend choosing eco-friendly diapers. However, if your child is still using diapers at the age of 3, 4, or 5, the expense of disposable diapers is enormous. To save money, I recommend using reusable diapers.
   
   
2. Reusable diapers with double elastic bands combined with inserts. 
   
   Reusable diapers with double elastic bands combined with the Lamb L long insert are a proven method for nighttime diapering of smaller children – by folding the 3-layer insert 3 times, we obtain as many as 9 layers of highly absorbent bamboo.  For “bigger pee-ers,” fold the L Lamb insert in half or into 3 parts at the front and add an additional insert with absorbency tailored to your child's needs, e.g., a long S, M, or booster insert. The inserts are extremely absorbent, and from my own experience, I can say that they can handle a 4-year-old's nighttime pee. If your child likes to have a dry bottom, you can place a "Dry Bum" insert or a bamboo insert with microfleece on top.
   
   
3. Take care of your mattress
   Unfortunately, nighttime diapering involves accidents, whether frequent or infrequent. To protect your mattress (which is the most difficult thing to clean), place a waterproof mat under the sheet, such as a changing mat from our online shop - Pupus.

Another option is to put a waterproof sheet laminated on the underside on the mattress.

3. Prepare your child properly for a good night's sleep
In this case, make sure their bladder is full. Of course, we do not refuse to quench our child's thirst. That is not the point. However, you can give them drinks that do not have a diuretic effect. From experience, I can say that vitamin C has an extremely diuretic effect on children. So instead of giving your child juice, it is better to give them plain water. Also, be careful with fruit eaten late in the evening – due to the presence of this vitamin, it can also have a diuretic effect. Pay particular attention to the teas you give your child in terms of their diuretic effect. Before bedtime, if possible, ask your child to use the toilet.
It is also a good idea to talk to your child about what to do if they need to pee at night. Children are often afraid to go to a distant bathroom or toilet alone in the dark. An easy solution is to agree to leave a potty by their bed.

4. Nighttime potty training – best in summer
Long nighttime diapering can be burdensome. If you decide to give up diapers, it's best to choose a time when it's warm. In hot summer, people often sleep under just a sheet (which is much easier to wash than a whole duvet). What's more, if your child has an accident, they won't get as cold as they would in winter. Another option is to dress your child warmly and let them sleep without a cover. Clothes are easier to wash than bedding. However, for me, this solution is not ideal, because wet cotton clothes will cool the child down significantly. An alternative is to dress the child in merino wool clothing, which has warming properties even when wet. 

5. Put your child on the potty/toilet while they are asleep
Some brave parents decide to put their sleeping children on the potty at night. This is a kind of training in controlling their physiology and bladder. It is an effective method, but it does have some difficulties. Children often sleep very deeply and are difficult to persuade to do certain things. This can doom our efforts to failure. The weight of children is also a considerable obstacle, and lifting a sleeping child can put a lot of strain on our spine, which quickly leads to pain and injury. Nevertheless, it is an option worth considering.
Finally, I would like to add that, based on my observations, nighttime diapering ends sooner for girls than for boys. Of course, I am saying this based on conversations with parents of other children. Perhaps there is no such pattern, so please correct me if I am wrong.

The comforting thing is that we have all gone through this stage and eventually learned to control our needs. As always, children need to be given some time.

Good luck!