He’s been potty training for a while and had been accident-free for weeks, but today he woke up with wet sheets. I don’t know if it’s because he drank too much water before bed or if he’s just not quite ready yet. I’m feeling uneasy because I don’t want him to feel embarrassed, but I’m also wondering if I should do something different. Do I put diapers back on him? Do I wake him up in the night? I don’t want to pressure him, but I also don’t want to make this a habit
This happened to my son at the exact same stage! He was doing so well for weeks, and then out of nowhere, he started having accidents again at night. I totally get how frustrating and confusing it is. For us, it was just a phase, and after a week or two, he was back to dry nights. I tried limiting drinks an hour before bed and making sure he used the potty right before sleeping. Hang in there! This doesn’t mean he’s not ready, it’s just a bump in the road
This is so normal at this age! Regression happens, but it usually passes quickly. You’re doing great, and he will get there again!
Omg, I feel this so much. My daughter went through the same thing, and I remember feeling so unsure about what to do. You’re not alone! It’s such a tough balance because you don’t want to make a big deal about it and cause stress, but you also don’t want to be washing sheets every morning forever. I don’t have a perfect answer, but I can tell you that after a few months, my daughter just started waking up dry again on her own. No tricks, no drastic changes, just time.
In the meantime, I got a few extra waterproof mattress covers and layered them so I could just peel one off in the middle of the night if needed. Hang in there!
we’re in the same boat! My 3yo was accident-free for a while, and now we’re dealing with this again. It’s so confusing! Do you think it could be from something else, like a growth spurt or being extra tired? I’ve been wondering if it’s just their little bodies catching up
So I went through this exact situation with my son, and what helped us was a combination of things:
No drinks an hour before bed.
Double potty trips—once right before bed and again 20 minutes later.
A waterproof mattress pad for peace of mind.
Positive reinforcement—no shame, no punishment, just a quick clean-up and a reminder to try again tomorrow.
One thing that surprised me was that waking him up at night actually made it worse. He got cranky and didn’t fully empty his bladder, so he still had accidents. Once I let him sleep through and just worked on pre-bedtime habits, things improved.
Been there, done that, twice! I have a 6 year old and an 8-year-old, and let me tell you, night training is just different than day training. Some kids get it quickly, and others take years. My oldest was dry by 3.5, but my younger one still had accidents up until 5. It’s really about their physical development and whether their body is producing enough of the hormone that reduces nighttime urine.
If he’s waking up soaked every night, you could try pull-ups for a little while longer, but if it’s just occasional, I’d personally just ride it out. No kid goes to college in diapers, I promise!
Wow, thank you all so much! This makes me feel way less alone in this. I think I’ll try cutting off drinks earlier and making sure he does one last potty trip before bed. I also love the idea of layering sheets to make clean-up easier, genius! I’ll hold off on waking him up for now and just see if this is a short phase. Thanks again, this community is the best!
One thing that might help is a bedwetting alarm. I used it for my oldest when he was having frequent nighttime accidents, and it worked within a couple of months. It teaches their brain to recognize the sensation of needing to go.
But also, nighttime dryness isn’t really something we can train them for, it’s developmental. Some kids just aren’t physically ready until later. If you’re seeing consistent accidents, it’s okay to use pull-ups at night and try again in a few months. No shame in it at all!