When potty training your child overnight, accidents are unavoidable. Unfortunately, this means having to get up in the middle of the night to change the bed and launder wet sheets, which is a major disruption for both you and your little one’s sleep routine. Not to mention pretty hard on your bed, mattress, and sheets! The good news is some strategies can help you protect your child's bed (and yours when they sneak into your bed in the night). Just keep reading to find out what they are.
Use a physical barrier like a mattress protector
Mattress protectors are the best bed protection during night time potty training and bedwetting. This is because they provide a physical waterproof barrier which prevents liquid from seeping into your mattress. However, what many parents don’t realise is there are different types of mattress protector that can come in different materials and designs that you can use for the transition out of nappies and during the night time potty training phase.
Plastic Mattress Protectors
The first is a plastic mattress protector which usually is placed directly over the mattress with sheets added on top. Also known as a waterproof sheet, this type of protector will prevent any liquid from getting into your mattress and so preserve it for longer as mattresses are very tough to clean. However, many people dislike using them as they feel ‘plasticky’ and uncomfortable.
Washable Bed Pads
The second type of mattress protectors on offer are smaller pads which sometimes have tucks either side of the mattress that keep it in place during the night. This is the type of mattress protector we at Hygge Sheets offer. You may have also heard of Brolly Sheets which are similar. This type of bed-wetting protection consists of washable bed pads, which are built with a waterproof layer on the bottom, and a comfortable fabric layer on the top. These pads can be used directly under your child, as they are soft enough to sleep on.
If your child has an accident a pad can be quickly removed and replaced with another, saving not only the mattress but the sheets underneath it and cutting down any disruption of sleep in the middle of the night.
Indeed, some parents find the mattress pad option so helpful that they have gotten into the habit of layering a sheet and protector, on top of another sheet and protector. This means they only need to remove one later mattress protector and sheet after an accident and the bed is ready to go again!
Place a Potty in the room and have a Nightlight
You want to make sure that your child is comfortable with getting up for a wee in the night and they know what to do. You might want to put a potty in their bedroom to make it easier for them to have a wee in the night if they need to. You could also get a Whizzer which is like a portable potty to put in their room to make it easier. Introducing a nightlight in their room and or bathroom / hallway can also help encourage them to get up for a wee in the night.
Train your child to wake up when they need the toilet with a bedwetting alarm
If your child is past the age of 5/6 and you have also ruled out any other issues that could be causing bedwetting such as constipation, overactive bladder, bladder size etc, another option that can help to protect your bed is to use a bedwetting alarm. Such alarms are designed to go off when they get wet, alerting your child and waking them up. Over time this can help with issues like poor arousability because it teaches your child to associate waking up with needing the toilet.
However, it is worth noting that bedwetting alarms will not be a good fit for every child. Additionally, they can be quite disruptive to begin with, so it's crucial that you only use them when your child is old enough, and once you have consulted with their health care professional.
Get some help from your health professional
Remember bedwetting is a medical condition and not the child’s fault. Each child will have a time scale when it comes to night time potty training, and staying dry during potty training at night can be particularly tricky for some.
However, if you have exhausted all the suggestions above, or if your child is aged 5 or over and is wetting the bed, seeing your health professional for a bladder and bowel checkup can help diagnose the condition underlying bedwetting symptoms. Indeed, bedwetting can be caused by a range of issues including constipation, a urinary tract infection, stress, hormone issues, not being able to wake, and overproduction of urine during the night.
The good news is that your health professional may be able to offer you a range of support including an appointment with the bedwetting (enuresis) clinic, as well as medications like Desmopressin that can be particularly useful if you want to go on holiday or spend the night away.
Why purchase a Hygge Sheet®?
As a mum of 2 children, Hygge Sheets® have been designed with parents and kids in mind. Our products are both practical for parents and fun for kids. Described as a "Game Changer" by parents this is a must have product!
