Our Bedtime Routine For Managing Nighttime Wetting

When I realized that overcoming nighttime wetting was not going to happen quickly, I knew our family needed a management plan. Even though my daughter is still growing and her journey to nighttime dryness is completely normal, we wanted to get creative and brainstorm some “out of the box” ideas to ensure that everyone would get a good night’s sleep. Thanks to GoodNites Bedtime Pants and a few other tricks of the trade, I can confidently say that we have a solution! Before we even think about tucking our daughter in for the night, a few items of preparation are in order. Once done, these check-listed items typically last months. Here is the nightly routine that leaves us tucking in our sweet girl with a hug and a kiss and NOT seeing her again until morning.

1. Mattress Protection and Extra Sheets at the Ready.

When switching from a toddler bed to a big girl bed (aka very expensive mattress), I was concerned about ruining a new mattress with leaks and accidents. This is when I discovered GoodNites Disposable Bed Mats. While laying just one down under the sheets and on top of the mattress will typically do the trick, I erred on the side of caution for my tossing-and-turning toddler and used 3 bed mats to cover the entire surface area of the mattress. Goodbye crackling plastic sheets and mattress pad! Hello comfy big girl bed! Now, for the odd occurrence of a mid night sheet change, we also keep extra bed mats, mattress pad, sheets, and mini lantern (to save ourselves from bonked heads and stubbed toes!) in a drawer near the bed.

2. Potty Check.

As most would assume, the first and foremost important thing to incorporate into a nighttime routine is the potty check. Simple and self-explanatory. We take our child to the bathroom and ensure that a valiant effort use the potty is accomplished. Establishing this routine also helps my daughter realize that it’s time for bed.

3. GoodNites Bedtime Pants and Jammies.

After a successful potty check our daughter independently puts on her GoodNites Bedtime Pants and jammies. She feels like such a big girl to be able to get ready for bed by herself, just like her big sis! As a mom, what I love about GoodNites is that they are 20% more absorbent than training pants and they have double leg barriers that specifically help protect against leaks at night. All while feeling natural and avoiding the diaper feeling. My daughter uses the new XS size, which is perfect because they’re designed to fit kids who are recently potty trained but still experiencing some wetness at night – my little girl to a T!

4. Lay out extra pair of GoodNites Bedtime Pants and Pajama Bottoms.

Now, this step is new (and GENIUS) for us! We now set out an extra pair of GoodNites Bedtime Pants and pajama bottoms next to her bed… just in case. When our sensory sensitive daughter wakes up and decides that a minimally wet diaper is the end of the world, she now has the means and materials at hand to take care of the problem herself if she wants to. Instead of waking us up in the middle of the night with shrieks and tears, she now simply pulls off her bedtime pants, and puts on a brand-new pair… all by herself!

5. Trashcan at the Ready.

While she is very adept at completing the above step, she IS still just a little one and she IS still really sleepy when she wakes up. To avoid the wet GoodNites Bedtime Pants being strewn on the carpet until morning, we place a small trashcan near her bed. Within a few nights, she was tossing the soiled pants in the trash and I was not freaking out about soiled carpet…. a win for everyone!

6. Bed Time Story, Hugs, and Kisses.

Phew! The fun part. Steps one through five may sound labor intensive, but I assure you they are accomplished in a few short (and very worthwhile) minutes. At this point, both of our daughters are snuggled up awaiting bedtime stories, snuggles, hugs, kisses, last kiss, one last snuggle, “last, last kiss,” and “I mean it this time LAST kissy!” AND with that final kiss, we leave their room knowing that all is well and all will stay dry for a restful night.