Child waking to use the potty during the night or early in the morning?

Your child is potty trained for daytime and nighttime and now is waking up either in the middle of the night or early in the morning needing to use the potty. What are some reasons why your child needs to use the potty in the middle of the night? What can you do so your child doesn’t need to use the potty at 5am?

Is your child not potty-trained, but poopy diapers are waking her up in the middle of the night or from naps? Check out this post.

Why does your child need to go potty in the middle of the night or early in the morning?

There are a few reasons why your potty-trained child may be starting to wake up to use the bathroom:

1. Upset stomach
   If your child is waking up to go poop, it may be because a new food didn’t agree with them, there’s a food sensitivity, or it’s a stomach bug. Here are some foods that can cause children (and adults) to need to poop in the middle of the night if they’ve eaten them in the evening:

   - Dairy products (if you're lactose intolerant)

   - Greasy foods

   - Foods that are high in insoluble fiber (for example, nuts, beans, and cauliflower)

   - Sugar alternatives (for example, xylitol and sorbitol)
   
   By keeping a food log, you’ll be able to rule out the first two. A stomach bug is often also associated with throwing up, but if it’s just a mild upset stomach, it only lasts a few days.
   

2. Fluid intake
   If your child is waking up just to pee, look at how much liquid your child is drinking in the last few hours before bed.
   

3. Growth spurt
   When your child goes through a growth spurt, they’ll want to eat more food. So more input means more output 😉
   

4. Teething
   This is a bit controversial, but many moms can attest to the fact that their child has to poop more when new teeth are coming in.
   

5. Medical issue
   If your child is constipated, they may wake more frequently because they have the urge to go, but those bathroom trips aren’t very productive. If your child has a UTI, they may confuse that urge to pee with needing to poop.
   

6. Never alone
   As your child gets older, they become aware of “doing their business” in front of people. They used to sit on your lap having a conversation while pooping in their diaper and now it seems like they need privacy.
   

Is using the potty in the middle of the night temporary or a habit?

If your child is waking to use the potty for one of the reasons above (except perhaps for a food sensitivity), the issue should resolve itself within 1-3 weeks.

If your child continues to use the potty past that time, and especially if you notice the potty trips are happening around the same time every night (or early in the morning), then it’s become a habit.

How to help your child not need to use the potty in the middle of the night or early in the morning?

If your child is waking to use the potty and it’s become a regular thing every night, here are some ways you can help shift things:

1. Double void
   I always recommend going to the potty twice during the bedtime routine. It should be the first step in the bedtime routine and the very last step.
   
   This is especially helpful if your child is waking up in the middle of the night just to pee.
   
   Also, a dream pee (or dream wee) can also be effective. This is when you gently rouse your child just enough to put them on the potty around the time you go to bed (between 10-11pm).
   

2. Keep a food log
   There may be certain foods that are the culprit. In our house, if someone’s feeling “backed up” these delicious pumpkin muffins ensure a trip to the bathroom later that day! 😂
   

3. Offer more binding foods at dinner
   Skip the fruit and other high fiber foods at dinner and offer meat, cheese, rice and toast if your child is waking in the middle of the night to go poop.
   

4. Change up the timing
   You may need to play with the timing of dinner, bedtime snacks, or fiber in the diet.
   
   Look at when you’re offering foods high in fiber. If you’re offering higher fiber options at breakfast, and your little one needs to poop in the middle of the night, it’s taking longer to get through the digestive track, so you should offer fiber later in the day.
   
   Alternatively, if you’re offering more fiber-rich foods later in the day, consider offering them earlier so they can work themselves out of the system before bed!

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This post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you, your child and/or your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your child’s physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here.