When is a younger child ready?
Most children are dry at night by around age three and a half, but every child develops at their own pace. If your child has been dry during the day for at least six months, has sufficient bladder capacity and you feel they are ready, you can begin gentle night toilet training.
Start with a simple trial
Use waterproof bedding and try a short-term period without diapers or nappies to see whether your child is still wetting at night. If the wetting begins to reduce, continue with calm encouragement. If it does not, you may consider introducing a bedwetting alarm.
Introduce the alarm gently
Before using the alarm overnight, show your child how it works and explain what will happen if they wet the bed. The sound can be surprising for younger children, so allow them to trigger the alarm a few times while they are awake. This helps them become familiar with the sound before using it at night.
Reassure your child that you will be there to help when the alarm sounds and that night toilet training is something you will work on together.
Parents play an important role
Younger children usually need more hands-on help during alarm training. A setup that allows a parent to hear the alarm at the same time can make it easier to respond quickly and support the child through the night-time toilet routine.
Keep the process pressure-free
It is important not to place pressure on a young child. Treat bedwetting and alarm training as a normal part of learning, keep the routine calm and predictable, and praise effort rather than focusing only on dry nights.