Potty Trained Five Year Old with Unique Nighttime Pee Problem

Question:

"My son is five years old. I potty trained him when he was two but he had troubles during the night up until a few months ago, when he finally stopped having bed-wetting accidents.  Over the past few weeks, he has started getting up in the middle of the night, walking a couple feet, and then proceeds to pee wherever he is at the moment!  I have caught him a few times and tried to get him to stop, but he doesn't even seem to register that I am talking to him. I walk him to the bathroom where he finishes going pee, and then I quietly lead him back to bed and he falls right back asleep. I am sure this is some sort of sleep walking but why is he doing it? Any suggestions on how to resolve the issue? will he grow out of it? Should I take him to the Doctor?

Answer:

This is actually not an uncommon problem.  One parent told me about child who even peed in the refrigerator one night! When this occurs, the child is truly unaware of what he is doing.

You might want to wake him up at night before you go to bed and take him to the bathroom.  Emptying his bladder might made a difference. You could also fashion some kind of "bell" on a string that he might walk into in hope that it will wake him. 

Many pediatricians say that sleep disorders of any kind are actually due to a lack of sleep.  It might be a good idea to re-evaluate his sleep habits and make sure he is getting in plenty of hours each night.  Most young toddlers need 10 or more hours every day.

If the sleepwalking/"sleep peeing" doesn't resolve itself in a few weeks, consider seeking help from your pediatrician or other sources.  One website resource you might want to consider is "Help with Sleep Problems." 

Overall, hang in there.  Like most things with kids, this too will pass. 


Post by Suzanne Riffel, author of "The Potty Boot Camp: Basic Training for Toddlers" - a new, fast, easy toilet training method that produces remarkable results.