After examining the views of experts and numerous experienced parents, it can be concluded that every child is unique and has his own individual journey. Your baby will tell you, with the change in his routine, the right time to stop changing diapers at night. Do not forget to take precautions even after that, as keeping your little one comfortable and happy is your priority.
With your newborn baby, you might have to work harder in maintaining a diaper changing the routine. Your newborn might sleep at a stretch of 3 to 4 hours for about five to six times a day. Normally, you will be required to change his diaper every time he wakes up and feed him thereafter. Maintaining a sleep diary to record your baby’s sleep pattern will help make your work much easier.
When to stop changing diapers at night?
There is no certain age at which you shall stop changing your child’s diaper at night. Every child is an individual and there are many factors involved in taking this crucial decision. Let us explore these factors in detail.
When your child stops pooping at night
Changing the diaper is a must when your little one poops. If you prolong the changing of diapers in such a case, you are exposing your baby to bacteria and infections. For maintaining good hygiene and protecting your child from diseases, consider changing the nappy as and when he poops.
Taking into consideration variations in your child’s potty routine, you can alter your diaper changing routine too. If you observe that your baby is no longer coloring the night diaper, you can stop changing it during the night-time.
When the diaper is not very wet
Wet diapers are very uncomfortable for the children and can also pose serious health issues. They expose your baby to skin rashes, irritation, yeast infections, and discomfort. It is also important to change your kid’s wet diaper at night to help him experience a sound and happy sleep.
While following your usual diaper changing the routine, if you find your child’s diaper relatively dry, you might consider waiting till dawn before you change his diaper. If the diaper continues to be drier for a few days, not posing any difficulty to your baby, you can stop changing it during the nights.
When you successfully potty-train your kid
Potty-training is an essential element of parenthood. As your child is growing, both physically and mentally, it is your responsibility to teach him the maintenance of basic hygiene. It is a part of making him independent. The sooner it happens, the better it is. So, start as early as possible and inculcate in your child the habit of defecating and urinating in the potty seat you provide him. Start by training your baby during the daytime sessions first and expand it to the night training sessions later.
Once you have successfully trained your kid to defecate in the toilet seat or the portable potty seat kept near his place, you are good to sign-off from your hard duty! Consider observing your child’s ability by examining his night-time diapers for a few days. If you find them clean regularly, you can discontinue changing them at night.
When your child stops getting up for night-time feed
Parents of newborn children spend sleepless nights as it is common for newly born babies to get-up in the middle of the night for a feed. It is recommended by experts to change your baby’s diaper whenever you provide a meal to him. Therefore, if your toddler gets up twice at night, you must change his diaper twice, if he demands only a single meal through the night, you can change it once.
After a certain point of age, your baby will stop getting up in the middle of the night and will sleep all night through. This point is not certain for all of our babies and depends purely on individual growth factors. When you stop feeding your baby at night, his diaper would not get very wet either. Some babies stop getting up for a midnight feed at the age of four weeks while others continue taking night-time feeds until the age of twelve weeks. You will have to experience it for yourself as to when your child does not demand a meal for the whole night. If his sleep pattern continues without a midnight meal, you can stop changing his diapers at night.
Precautions when you stop changing night-time diapers
You cannot risk spoiling your expensive mattress even if you are confident that your child has successfully learned to defecate in the toilet room. There are some precautions you must take to keep your baby’s sleeping environment clean and to protect your bed and mattresses.
- Provide your child with a portable potty-seat in his room for extra convenience
- Put a night-light on in your baby’s room to ensure his safety
- Use a waterproof sheet under your child’s bed-sheet
- Consider using the disposable bed mats containing absorbent materials
- Use a mattress protector to safeguard your mattress against any leakage
- Make your child wear disposable training pants while encouraging him to use the potty-seat or toilet room
Expert views
Many child-specialized authorities who are in the favor of potty training are of the view that such training can begin at birth and diapers can be used only when required. Psychologist John Rosemond claims that it is a “slap to the intelligence of a human being to allow a baby to continue soiling and wetting past age two.'' However, Pediatrician Berry Brazelton stresses that enforced potty training can pose serious long-term health problems.
Looking at the experts’ viewpoint, it is a long debate as to when we can potty-train our babies and stop changing their diapers often.
Final Words
One of the top reasons for babies waking at night is a wet diaper. It is extremely important to provide your little one with a ‘good-night’ sleep. A sound sleep establishes a foundation for your child’s healthy physical growth and proper mental development. Diapers are very useful in ensuring an undisturbed sleep for your baby throughout the night.