Toilet training your toddler

Becoming dry at night takes longer because while your child is asleep they don’t have any control over when their bladder empties.

Bedwetting happens when the bladder becomes full but children don’t wake up.

The bladder empties itself automatically rather than holding the wee.

Night-time bladder control - becoming dry at night - happens when the link between the brain and bladder develops so the brain can tell the bladder not to empty. 

It happens at different ages and is not something your child can control by trying hard.

Night-time bladder control is affected by genes. If members of your child's family wet the bed later than others, your child might too. 

Most children are dry at night by five years, although some wet until six or seven, or even older.

Over 10% of junior primary school children still wet the bed.

If your child starts to wet often after being dry at night

You may want to talk with your doctor or health professional. Sometimes there can be a medical problem.

It’s important to not criticise or tease your child about wetting the bed or to talk with others about it in front of them.