This may get long. Bedtime and staying in bed has really been a major issue with my 4 year old. Finally after a several year battle, she started going to bed great and only getting up once during the night to potty... that is until Friday night. I will just give everyone an example of last night instead of all the nights since they were all basically the same. I gave her a potty stop before her books, I gave her a potty break again then bed. Right when she laid down she jumped up saying she had to potty NOW. So I brought her back to the bathroom. She did nothing (she had gone both right after her books). I then put her back in bed and no sooner did she lay down then she popped up saying she had to go NOW and couldn't hold it. This went on for almost 2 hours. She even spent one of the potty breaks sitting on the toilet for 23 minutes. She got up a total of 17 times. I finally had to shut her door to stop her from getting up. Now I should point out I took her to the pediatrician yesterday and she had a urinalisys done and she has NO infection. She is prefectly healthy and bowel movements have been normal. So I had to ignore her cries of having to go potty right now until she finally went to sleep. 2 hours later she got up and started all over again for over 1.5 hours. I finally had to shut her door again while she yelled that she couldn't hold it (she went the first time she sat down this time and then sat there 7 more times). When I woke her this morning I told her to go potty and she said why? I don't have to go. My boyfriend swears it's a way to stay awake at night, my mom says there's something wrong (though the Dr. said otherwise) my daughter tells me this mroning she really had to go then tells me she was lying and just wanted to stay up. I'm at my wits end. I don't want to have to shut my daughters door everynight and keep it shut until morning but I feel it 's my last resort. ANY help would be helpfull. My sister said she may be alittle constipated so I'm giving her some prunes tonight. but I'd really appreciate ANY advice. THANKS!

Careful with those prunes...that may REALLY get her going. I'm with you tho....Julia (aga 4) is going thru the SAME thing! She keeps us up late into the night the girls and I start getting her down around 8:30 and when we go to bed at 10:00 she is still bouncing off the ceiling! I have tried giving her naps earlier in the day and sometimes not at all...NOTHING seems to work! People have suggested giving her nyquil but I just can't bring myself to do that!

And BTW, welcome to the site

My three year old uses potty as an excuse to get out of bed as well. Is your daughter actually GOING potty when she gets up? My Jewel just sits on the pot grinning usually. This is how I know it's a game. Jewel is also very proud to be a big girl. I made her wear a pull up to bed one night and the potty excuse stopped once she realized mommy had a way around it. I would only advise this suggestion if you're sure she is disgusted with diapers, otherwise you may be stepping backwards.

well she's 4 and has been out of diapers since 2.5 so that definately wouldn't be a step back but I think that may be in a way degrading for her since she is 4 (almost 5). she goes the first time she's on the potty but not after that. LIke I said though, she's been perfect for WEEKS now and this just started Friday night. then she was ok sunday and monday night and then it started again last night.