Establishing dryness during sleep is a developmental milestone distinct from daytime toilet training. Achieving this involves the child’s body producing less urine overnight and the ability to recognize the sensation of a full bladder and wake up to use the toilet. Success is generally observed after daytime continence is reliably established.
Attaining nighttime dryness fosters increased confidence and independence in young children. It also eliminates the ongoing expense and environmental impact associated with disposable diapers or training pants. Historically, practices for achieving this varied widely, ranging from scheduled awakenings to simply waiting for maturation.
