9 Year Old Still Wetting Bed...

I remember my Older brother wet the bed for a long time. My parents got this pad that was attached to an alarm that if it got wet it would go off and wake the him up. I don't remember what it was called but you might try that.
A.

I can empathize with the problem of bedwetting. I myself was a bedwetter. I don't want to dash your hopes, but I wet the bed until I was 15. My mom took me to numerous doctors who had me wear a sensor in my underwear, and also had me not drink liquids after a given time. Nothing they tried worked. The doctors said I would just have to outgrow it. I eventually did. It was tough for a while, but my friends understood - when I was at sleepovers and I had to put a rubber sheet inside my sleeping bag.

I was also a VERY deep sleeper. I know that my dad wet his bed until he was 14 or so also, so it might be a hereditary thing. All I can say is that it will end sometime. You can try reassuring your son that he's not the only one like this and that it's just something that happens, no fault of his.

Another side note. My mom never tried waking me up in the middle of the night. If I wet my bed, then I wet my bed. If you're waking him up and he's still wetting maybe it's better to just let him get a good nights sleep.

I hope this has helped you in some way. Good luck and keep your chin up. He will grow out of it and he'll be a more compassionate young man for having experienced this.

~~~K. :)

You might try no food after dinner as well as no drinks. When we were night time potty-training our oldest son he was doing really great...no bed wetting for six straight months and then suddenly started wetting the bed every night again. We talked with our ped and he asked us if there had been any change to our routine since he started wetting the bed. It was summer and we'd been eating dinner, going to the park and then having ice cream or popcicles for desert when we got home; not something we do when the weather is cruddy. We didn't even think about it but lots of foods contain fluid. So we started having desert right after dinner instead of so close to bedtime and that fixed the problem. Also, I know someone with a kiddo who has an issue with bed wetting. Just one of those things...she wears something like a pull-up at night...it's not as obvious as a pull-up though and none of her freinds have ever noticed it at sleep overs :-) Good luck!

Well I know of at least one Mom who has the same problem (her son is also 9). My 6 year old wet the bed every night until a few months ago, and my 4 year old never wet the bed. Our oldest did until he was 4 years. Every child is different so don't dispare. I would check with his doctor to make sure there isn't any health problems that maybe causeing it. In some cases it could be caused by a bladder infection or an issue with the urithra or an under developed bladder. If it isn't medical then you might just have to wait it out. I had a friend who wet the bed until she was 12. It is embarressing but eventually it will get better. Good Luck!

I don't know much about solving your problem, but I do know that it is not uncommon for boys to have this issue, a friend of mine wet the bed until he was 15. i can tell you though that are ways to deal with it and to help him not feel so bad about it (since he can't help it) my son has a bowel control issue, due to a birth defect and what we have done is to teach him how to handle it by himself so that he can feel like he has a little bit of control. We actually had cloth "diapers" made for him for nights when he is home(though we don't call them that, and they don't look like diapers, we did this because buying goodnights for every night can get $$$) but for nights when he goes to a sleep over or has one here, he wears a 'goodnight' pull-up and boxers over the top so his friends can't see it- it works really well, and makes him fell comfortable knowing the bed won't get wet, and his friends won't know. Be sure also to tell him that it isn't his fault and it happens to other kids too.

Hope that helps some,
K.

Hi C.,have you had him to his doctor to rule out any medical issues? I would do that first.but if there is nothing he might just be a late bloomer which is okay to. each child is different. and then maybe buy him the big boy pull ups that look like under shorts but they are pull ups then that way he won't be embaressed with the sleep overs. because kids can be cruel. good luck to you and him. just keep reasurring him when he does wet that its okay.it will pass. lots of reasurance helps them along.

Not to worry you, since there are usually other symptoms, but I would also have him tested for Type I diabetes. Lack of bladder control, usually at night, is one of the more prevelant symptoms of juvenile diabetes.

He could have an immature bladder. It usually runs in families on the boys side. People make the stereotype that it just happens to boys, but it can happen to girls also. Don't make a big deal out of it. You have some great advice. You should have a conversation with your son about some of the ideas you have already received and ask him which ideas you would both agree and feel comfortable with. It wouldn't hurt.

From my experience its not the amount of water that he drinks, or how many times he goes before bed, or even if you wake him during the night. Bed wetting is sometimes inhearited. In my case it was my younger brother. My family discovered that we was not only wetting the bed, but would sometimes "go" in his closet. Through a lot of patience and care we found that he was simply sleeping really deep and not waking up when he felt the urge. Sometimes its also a developement issue. His growing bladder is growing faster than he is, and its a new adjustment. If you have greave concerns talk with his pediatrician, otherwise just be patient and give him all the reasurrances that he is okay. You might even do some research and find out if anyone in the immediate family had the same problem in their childhood. My father had the same problem as a child, and then my brother...so it could be very possible that its hereditary. Just remember dont punish him, its really not his fault. If need be purchase some of those over night kid pants for when he goes to sleep overs, or has friends over. They can be put on discreetley in the bathroom.
Hope this helps.

Well I hate to admit it, but I was a really hard sleeper and was still wetting the bed at age 13. My mother found this program that had this pad I slept on attached to a really loud buzzer which was next to my bed and one that went in my parent's room too. Everytime the pad got even the smallest drop of liquid on it, it would go off and wake me up. It worked for me and I want to find the company that made that so I can use it for my 4yr. who sleeps hard too.

Oh my gosh we JUST went thru this. My son is now 10, and i swear he JUST got over wetting the bed daily. I used to get mad at him, then did some research and realized that he will outgrow it and not to "emberrass him or riducule him" we worked thru it. Im not totally sure WHAT worked, only that we figured that his bladder was "stretched" and that he waited till the last minute to go to the bathroom. We worked on him going to the bathroom at least every 2 hours during the day to get his bladder to shrink. From what I read, is that when their bladders are stretched, the body isnt able to tell the brain to warn the body to wake up to go, it takes time to tell all your body parts what to do to wake up and go to the bathroom. Does that make sense? So by helping him use the bathroom more often during the day helped his body tell his brain to help him wake up in time to make it to the bathroom.

I read all sorts of stuff, setting an alarm clock, getting the bed wetting mat.. but my son would eventually wake up (from being wet) and would change his clothes and put a towel on his bed. He didnt want pull-ups at age 10. So we got a bed cover.

It has been a few months now, and he has been waking up dry.
Hope this helps! good luck to you!

I wet the bed till I was 12 or so.. I was soo embarrased my parents didn't know.. I'd cover it up with a towell, and wash my sheets.. so no one would know..

I think the night time diapers are a great thing.. I wish I had them when I was a kid.. sleepovers were horrible for me too.. I wet the couch in my sleeping bag, and the girls' dad came to me and said, "did you wet the bed? can I wash you sleeping bag?" I was soo embarrased.. he made me feel better but still!!

I don't know.. i guess I just outgrew it..

My 5 year old daughter still wets the bed. I go to bed around 11:00 pm, and when I do, I get her out of bed and put her on the potty before I go to bed. It seems to help.

There is also an Encopresis Center that helps with various potty issues in Lynnwood.

C.,
Believe it or not, he will outgrow it. Boys bladders are pretty much the last thing to mature. My brother wet the bed and that was before the night time pullups or whatever they have on the market. Like someone else said, they are stretched and will shrink with time. If you have concerns, contact your doctor. Yes, it is embarrassing to them. I don't know if the alarm wakes them up or not, depending on how heavy of a sleeper they are. Limit the amount of liquids after 5 or 6. Depends on the time they go to bed also. You will get lots of advise, the best thing to do is to find what will work for your son and talk to your doctor.