CHAPTER 6

Nighttime Training

Before we launch into nighttime training, let me state something

very clearly: I have separated out nighttime from daytime because to
potty train for both at once looks very overwhelming to most parents,
particularly those who work full time out of the home. But potty
training for night and day at the same time is the most effective way to
potty train. It will be more chaotic for a few days, but in the long run
you will have almost zero hassles down the road. When there is no
backup—no other option—there are no power struggles (what’s there
to fight for?), there’s less confusion and less withholding of pee and
poop. When you make using the potty the new way of doing things
day AND night, it becomes second nature much faster. It’s totally up
to you, and I won’t judge either way, but I just have to throw it out
there that tackling day and night at the same time is the better way
to train. To do both at the same time, you would simply follow the
daytime instructions as I described them in the previous chapter,
adding in the nighttime instructions addressed here. Give this some
serious thought before you make a decision one way or another.
The biggest thing to remember about nighttime is that it’s a long-
ass time. That’s the major difference between naps and night.
Toddlers should be sleeping anywhere from nine to thirteen hours