Bed Wetting - Canyon Country, CA

Hi L.-

We used the alarm on my daughter and it really worked. We had already had her cleared that there wasn't any medical problems and went ahead and got the alarm. The first night, it woke her up and she HATED it. She actually hid the alarm and then didn't have an accident for a couple of nights. Then she started having the accidents again so she "found" the alarm. I think we had two nights of it waking us up and then she hasn't had an accident since.

She also was a thumb sucker and a friend told me that when my daughter is older and gets married, she promises that she will not be walking down the aisle sucking her thumb, wearing pull-ups. That woke me uo to realize that there really are bigger things to worry about!

I, too, am having a terrible time with my 6 year old son wetting the bed. He wears nightime pull-ups and is now starting to pee even through them. I limit his liquids before bed. We've used an alarm. That seemed to be helping, but now the alarm is malfunctioning. I know that it isn't totally uncommon to be wetting the bed at this age, but I'm frustrated because it doesn't seems to be improving. He's a large boy who is a very heavy sleeper.

Hi L.,
My 6 and a half year old still wets at night. I gave up feeling bad about it and every night he wears good nights pull ups. As if one pull up wasn't enough he needs 2 because one was leaking. I make a slit in the front of one that he puts on first then he puts on one over that and I don't have to wash wet sheets hardly ever. I have talked to the doctor before and her only suggestion is the alarm underwear but I don't think that is right for us because I have a baby too and do not want to get woke up if I'm actually sleeping. I'm told he will grow out of it and I can't wait. I also do what you do and limit fluids after dinner, some kids are really heavy sleepers. Good Luck

L., Please look up the "potty pager" on line. It was our life saver when we were trying to get our 7 year old to stop wetting the bed. It really works and it's so worth the money. It worked for us in just 3 weeks and our son has not had one accident since.
Good luck. I know this can be a very frustrating thing.
M.

My son is almost 8 and up until a month ago had the same problem, till I read a post on here that recommmended the "potty pager". You can find it at www.pottypager.com
It took a little longer than some said it would but after a few months he was was not going at night anymore. It was the best thing! I bought it off ebay for a lot less than it was selling for new. I have offered it to other mom's, but I think they are grossed out by the used factor. It is very easy to sterilize with alcohol. If you would be interested email me back.

My son is 6 and has the same problem. Our pediatrician said that, especially for boys, this is completely normal and not something to worry about until they reach the age of 7. Apparently there is a hormone that will kick in that helps the body regulate urine at night. My son is a very deep sleeper- I'll carry him to the potty in the middle of the night and he'll sleep right through it all!- and so this is particularly difficult but normal. I just let him wear "goodnights" and when he gets to the point where he can go several nights in a row without wetting the bed, he is rewarded with a night without the "goodnights". This happens maybe once a month right now. Hopefully this helps you to know your kids are totally normal and not to be worried!

it never hurts to inquire with your Dr. However, it's a problem with millions of kids, not just yours. In fact: About 15% of 6-year-olds wet the bed. My son is 12 and still wets the bed. Although it's less frequent now. He has ADHD and my understanding is the incidence is higher for ADHD kids. The Dr can prescribe meds to help, although we don't use them. Good luck and know you're not alone!! Read more here: http://www.kidshealth.com/parent/general/sleep/enuresis.html

I have 3 boys and one of them was a bed wetter until he was 8 or 9. We finally got him to stop by having him change the sheets, himself, etc. in the middle of the night. We wouldnt help. It took a couple of times, but it stopped him completely.

Good luck

My 7 yr old boy still wears Overnights to bed (so I don't have to wash the bedding )and they are wet every morning. Our pediatrician says it's hereditary...my husband and I both were bed wetters. I've also read information that it can be a symptom of a dairy allergy (not lactose intolerance). My son has an allergic reaction to milk (sneezes for 2 days if he drinks it), but doesn't have a reaction to cheese, so he still gets it on a limited basis.

Dear L.,

Do make sure that they do not have a bladder infection and there is nothing wrong. But otherwise, I think you just have to wait a bit. Talk to the doctor and have the urine tested to make sure there isn't an infection.

It can be frustrating. My middle son was still wetting when he was 5 and I was pregnant with my third son. I knew if he saw the baby in diapers, he wouldn't want to put them on any longer and I would have a soaking bed each morning.

We use to get him up just before we went to bed and try to have him go, but even that didn't work. However, the doctor said it was not unusual for 5-6 year olds to wet the bed and he wouldn't be concerned until the child was 7 or 8. Then we could try meds or other things, but he said not to be over concerned. He did a urine analysis to make sure there was no infection.

When we where in Toys R Us, he fell in love with a Fisher-Price plane. I told him I would get him the plane when he had a week of dry beds in a row. I made a chart and we put a large star on the days when he was dry in the morning. For a while they were quite far apart, but then started to get closer. Finally they were about every 5 or 6 days and he was very frustrated every time he was almost there and didn't make it. After a bit, I told him that he was doing very well and I didn't mind washing a bed every 5-6 days. He was given the toy (which I had purchased to make sure I really had the right one and put away). This took a number of months. He had a wet be about once a week for a while, but was very aware of it because I no longer put the diapers on him (but on the baby) and would always tell me (we had a plastic liner over the mattress.) He had an occasional wet bed for about a year after that. Boys particularly sometimes take longer for the white sheath to grow around the nerve so they can control the urine. It also could be a matter of a small bladder that will grow. I would make sure they have no more liquids to drink after about 6:00 and not a lot then (have them drink more during the rest of the day.)Also have they void just before bed... You indicated you do those things.

But otherwise, I think you just have wait with patience. You may want to try a chart after you are sure there is not infection.

Just had another thought, L.. Are they on any of the meds for Asthma or allergies and could those cause them to not be able to control the bladder. Check with the doctor.

I found that a job with the school system works very well because then you have vacations with the children. I was a stay at home mom until my youngest son started 1st grade. Being there when they are home is most important...more important than the few extra material things you can buy from working outside the home. The sacrifice is worth it. You will have a wonderful relationship with them when they are grown:)

PS...wetting bed has nothing to do with intelligence...my son is mentally gifted:P
H.

Bed wetting is not uncommmon at 5& 6. Sometimes it is stress, sometimes it is hereditary, sometimes it is medical -- it can be weak bladder muscle, bladder too small, or other "plumbing" problems, but it could also be some other medical issue that may need attention. I'd make a log of who, when, and the circumstances so if you go to the pediatrician, you have data and then maybe you'll get a referral to a ped. urologist. Rule out the medical issues, then concentrate on rewarding dry nights without getting upset about wet ones. Some kids don't grow out of this until age 12.

Hello L.,
Louise Hay's book "HEAL YOUR BODY" says bedwetting comes from "Fear of the parent, usually the father" and her affirmation is "This child is seen with love, with compassion and with understanding. All is well." My husband and his brother both wet their beds until 5th or 6th grade (11-12 years old). And he told me it was right about that time that their father had stopped belting them. So he stopped wetting the bed after his father stopped whipping them with a belt.

My son wet the bed until he was 12 many nights a week. I tried everything with no success. A few years later I was trained in Educational Kinesiology and was taking a class in Integrating Infant Reflexes, and I discovered that an unintegrated reflex could be what caused the bed wetting. Since my son's life was changed when we discovered Educational Kinesiology and he had his first two balances (sessions), I am certain that it was an untegrated reflex that was causing the problem. He was born by cesarean section and began walking on his 9 month birthday - both of these are what caused a number of the reflexes to not integrate. After doing Brain Gym or Educational Kinesiology, they integrated.
You can contact me if you want more information on this.
J. (____@____.com)

I would go to the doctor and make sure there is nothing medically wrong.
It sounds like your doing everything right. Have you tried talking to the child or to other adults to see if there is a change in behavior. Maybe someone is picking on them or botehreing them and they don't want to tell you. Maybe a neighbor is bullying or something like that. Maybe something like that is happening and since there not telling you its really getting to them at night. Juts a thought..

I am a worry wart so things like this pop up in my mind to look into.

Good luck and I hope it gets better. Also Not sure if you have tried it but they sell those underpents for night time for big kids. Maybe this will help until another solution. so they stay dry and you don't have to clean sheets everyday

Our daughter is 10 and we still use pull-ups because we tried everything with absolutely no luck, maybe one dry night among many wet. I'd say talk with your pediatrician and don't torture either of you. My pediatrician was so relaxed about it. I wet my bed still at 9 too and my mom was so great about never making me feel ashamed. My daughter now hides it with some at sleepovers and shares with others. She really wants out. We're hoping soon. G.

As a lot of the moms have mentioned: PULL-UPS!! Our almost 9 yr. old still wets the bed. We have literally tried everything under the sun. It didn't matter when we stopped liquids, how many times we woke her up...she still wet! It was beyond frustrating- i feel your pain. However, even with a trip to the pediatrician and then the urologist we ended up back in pull-ups. Don't sweat it. More often than not, once puberty hits it will end. Be patient and save yourself the agony of it all with the pull-ups...it makes everyone's life easier!

good luck!
-J.

Holy Cow,
No advice from me but PLEASE send on or post anything you find that works -- my five year old daughter is in the same boat. It is hereditary in our case -- kidneys from my side, heavy sleep from her dad's side, a lousy combo -- and she's the only one of four kids who's had this problem this long. She overflows her Dry Nite's (Huggies for big kids) even though we're restricting evening liquids. She's embarrassed that she wears 'diapers.' And they're costing us a fortune! The alarm failed for us, too. Scared us half to death and I nearly broke my neck careening for the darn thing at 3 a.m., but it had little effect on HER waking to pee. Just us. ugh. Any help, pass it on!

:-)

I don't think it's at all uncommon, especially for boys, to continue to wet at night. Some, I've heard, even still wet at night when they're 10! I think in most cases they eventually outgrow it on their own, but yeah, it's frustrating when you're dealing with it. My almost 6 year old son still wets at night, so he still wears a pull-up at night, and we also found a mattress cover that actually goes over the sheet, on One Step Ahead - so when he leaks at night, I just throw that in the wash instead of having to strip his whole bed. I feel for you!

L.,
I also have a 6 year old son who continues to wet the bed at night. I have tried all of the things you've been doing... no liquids after dinner, waking him p to go before I go to bed, even waking him up during the night if I have to get up and go, but he continues to wet the bed 3-4 times a week. I'd greatly appreciate it if you would share the feedback you've received.

thanks,
J. M.

I agree with Christina A. Check out the previous page on this subject. As to the asthma and allergies, I suggested a chiropractor and/or an acupuncturist for both issues. One or both will make an amazing difference. Also for the allergies and asthma I strongly recommend getting a Neti pot to rinse the sinuses. You can order one on line or find one in a local health food store. Body, Mind and Soul in Redondo Beach carries them and I'm sure Whole Foods will have them. You can also get Simply Saline at any regular drugstore. It is a life changing habit. Keeping the sinuses clear will have a dramatic effect on the asthma. I realize that this may be a little more than a 5 or 6 can handle. In their case I recommend a salt pipe. Here's a link to one. Just google "salt pipe" and you will find several sites pop up with information.
http://www.salinetherapy.com/html/salt_pipe_inhaler.html

It is possible that it is a medical issue that you are dealing with, however it is not as uncommon as you might think for children to continue wetting the bed for this long. If you are concerned I would ask their Dr. about it, otherwise just use a nighttime diaper. If it were me I would ask the Dr. if it continued to 8 years old, but before that only if I "felt" that something was wrong.

Good luck, hang in there I know it is frustrating!

It could absolutely be medical. My older daughter still has constant bedwetting issues and I hesitated to take her to the doctor. Like you, we had tried stopping liquids at dinner, made her go to the bathroom right before bed, anything we could think of to help.

On a visit for something else, I mentioned the bedwetting to her pediatrition. He asked a couple questions: has she always wet the bed or did she potty-train and then start wetting the bed? With my daughter, the pediatrition said "primary enuresis" is to blame, not our daughter. The way he explained it, this means that her brain doesn't get the message that her bladder is full when she's sleeping. He said there is medication that could help, but at her age, he didn't feel it was necessary and she should grow out of it. He said we were already doing the right things by not chastising her for her accidents because they truly are accidents.

Hope this helps! I know it can be very frustrating...all the laundry adds up when your child has constant accidents. Hang in there. And if the doc says it's going to last a while, I definately recommend a full plastic mattress cover, it will definately ease the clean-up.

L.,

Yes, it could be medical, but there is nothing the doctors can really do about it. My son is 13 and still wets the bed. It is a chemical balance in his brain that does not tell the bladder to hold in urine. For my son, it really will not go away until he hits full puberty, but that is not to say he will not still have problems when he is older.

I would suggest trying a buzzer at night. You can get one over the internet. Just look up bedwetting on the net. they will give you many options. All you so is place it next to their ear, and have the clip on their pajamas close to where they wet themselves.

Try this. I hope it works for you.

J.

http://www.mamasource.com/request/9738853008074080257

And read my reply there and the others who had some great ideas.

I must say if they had that alarm thing for bed wetters when I was a kid I might have quit sooner.

So good luck I know its hard just try and be calm and be patient. It will come in time.

Hi L.,
Had the same problem but it did eventually go away. My son's bladder just had to get big enough. Sometimes it's a problem of them sleeping too deeply and there are machines you can get that work by waking them up at the first sign of wetness. A family counselor who specialized in this recommended it to us, but gave us the option of letting him grow out of it before we tried it. He also was in charge of changing his sheets, not in a punitive way, but that I'm sure was a deterrent. Good luck.

Dear L.:

This is a really important subject to me. As I said on another post: "I come from a family of bedwetters...embarassing but true! Many of us had this problem until age 6 or 7. (Some until much older!) Here is what worked for me: TONS OF WATER before bed! This way, the bladder fills quickly and the pain wakes you up!

My two children NEVER had a problem with bedwetting (like I said UNIQUE in my family!) and I think it has something to do with the enormous water bottles next to each of their beds!"

Listen to what your other advisors said because a lot of those methods work (the alarm, checking for infection, etc.) but all those things were tried in my family when I was a child and the one thing which worked was what I mentioned! Weird but true! It was not medical in our family; it was just deep sleep.

Best wishes,

M.

My daughter is almost 10 and she still has to wear a pullup (Goodnites). We have taken her to the doctor and she has taken medicine for this but she still wets at night. We have cut off her liquids also but she still wets. We tried wearing underwear in hopes that it would get her up to go but that hasn't worked either. I just support her and try not to make a big deal out of it. Some kids have this problem and I hope to god she will out grow it soon. It is so hard when she goes to a sleepover and I feel for her. I know how mean kids can be, but she presses on. I have heard it is hereditary and my ex wet the bed also. They also have a device you put on the childs bed and it buzzes when it detects wetness, may you could try that. It is kind of expensive (that is why I never bought one and not sure if it works). I guess you could read the reviews of it. I say just don't make to big of a deal, because the stress they feel might make it worse. Good luck, I know how you feel!

Hey L.,
It might just be genetic. People have told you to get the buzzer, the potty pager, medications, ect, and if that works, then great.
My suggestion is to let it run its course. My daughter wet the bed EVERY night until she had just turned 8. I had wet the bed until I was 9, and so my mom told me that it was no bid deal. Luckily, we have pull-ups now and what helped my daughter is knowing that other kids have bedwetting issues too.
I talked to a few moms and they said their daughters had problems, and I told my daughter and she felt better about it.

After a while, she only wet every other day, and I would wake her up to go in the middle of the night.
Then it was only once or twice a week.
Now she has been dry for months, and I am so happy we can all sleep now! She finally started waking up on her own. She is still up sometimes 3 times a night to go potty, but she doesn't wet.
Hang in there, they will grow out of it!

Hi L.,

I read your reply and have no insight on the bed wetting but in your "a little about me" you mentioned the asthma and allergies. Have you tried alternative medicine for the allergies? My mom says she stopped counting at 30 sneezes per morning... I would sit on the edge of my bed and sneeze with burning eyes every morning. These allergies lead to ear and sinus infections, etc. Through holistic medicine and pain-free allergy testing we were able to eliminate things worsening my allergies (bur bur carpet) and desensitize me to other allergens.

My life improved dramatically and so I wanted to share!

L.

My son is 6 and still wts almost nightly, sometimes through his pull up. There is medication available if you want to try that route ask your doctor. We limit drinks at dinner and after. It is very helpful when we wake him to go potty before we go to bed around 11. The doctor said immature bladders are very common, especially in boys.

I just had a check up for my 5 yr old son who is still in pull ups at night, that are wet every single night. The nurse said there is some hormone that develops eventually as late as 6 or 7 years, happens a lot earlier in others of course but it made me feel better. For now, I'm sticking with the pull ups 'cause there is no way I am washing sheets every day!! Good luck.

There are many advanced ways of dealing with bed wetting now. It happened to lots of boys in my family and my husband did it until he was 12 as did my son. Save yourself the laundry and put pull ups on them. For my son (the only one of twins that had the problem) there was a nasal spray that he could use. They will grow out of it, don't make them feel bad and save yourself all the pulling them out of bed at night. We did all sorts of barbaric things to my sister that the Dr suggested long ago and that was one of them. It will pass with time. Tell them that and find information to share so they don't feel bad. NO teasing or hollering. Become informed.

I know someone who had this issue when he was a little boy (older than 6 years old.) He was bedwetting every night. The Doctors determined that he was lacking some kind of hormone. Eventually he developed the hormone and stopped bedwetting altogether.

Another friend of mine bought some sort of body alarm for her son to help with this issue. The idea was the alarm would sound off and alert her son at the first sign of moisture. She said it only woke her up, not her son because he was such a deep sleeper.

For the asthma and allergies, several things have worked for us. The first was going under the care of a chiropractor. Yes, chiropractor. We have been under the care of a chiropractor for 5 years now. My youngest son has been getting adjusted since he was 2 years old. It cured both my boys of their asthma and allergies. This is the healthiest my family has ever been. These past 3 or 4 years..my sons have only gotten sick once or twice a year. And when they did, the illnesses didn't last long at all. We also take probiotics (acidophillus, daily vitamins, etc.) We stay away from high fructose corn syrup, red-dyes, and have removed dairy from their diets. We are also following the GFCF diet. (gluten free, casein free). If you have more questions, you can email me directly. If you want my chiropractors phone number, let me know. He is soooo great with kids.

Blessings,
J.

It's normal. Some kids even older than that still have occasional "accidents."

My daughter is 5 years old...every once in awhile, she has an accident, and especially if she is sleeping very deeply. Once, she had an accident, and she told me she was dreaming she was on the toilet. It's fine, don't make a fuss about it or you will stress them out, or they will get a hang up about it.

Just put a waterproof bed pad under them when they sleep...that way, you won't have to wash the entire bedding and sheets everyday. You can find it at any toys r us store, or at www.amazon.com

Good luck,
~Susan

It is normal for kids that age to still wet the bed. Their bladders have not grown as fast as the rest of them so they wet the bed sometimes. I would suggest having them wear pull-ups at night. They now have ones for older kids that look and feel more like underwear.

Hi, my son is going to be 8 years old and he still continues to wet the bed. I have talked to his pediatrician and he tried giving him some medication for it but it didn't work. I have done some reading up on it and I did read that for some children they are in such a deep sleep they don't know to wake up if they have to use the restroom. I'm really considering checking on having my son being seen by another pediatrician. He wears a pull up every night but I know that he does get embarrassed. Hope this helps. Keep in touch.

My little 6 year old is having dry nights, but still has occasional accidents. I found a book once that suggested increasing water consumption during the day to help the bladder stretch??? Sometimes that helped to have a dry night.

I suppose it is hereditary, bladders arent large enough to hold during the night. My children were bet wetters, and now my grandson. While other children sleep through the night, and never have an accident.
Someday, he will have a dry night then another...
I have never used the pull ups, he doesnt like them when he has to use on sleepovers. NOw that he is a little older, he doesnt sleepover to avoid having to use a diaper.

H L.,

Some kids sleep so soundly that they don't realize they are needing to pee. It could be medical but probably just a development issue since they are young. I'd put them in pull-ups to sleep so you don't have to wash the sheets every day. It sounds like you aren't blaming them, which is great.

V.

The kids you are referring to are not "older" in terms of bed wetting. You need to do some research on this subject. Bed wetting is usually genetic. Or in your case it may have to do with allergies. Did any of your siblings, or your husband's siblings wet the bed, or the previous generation? One of my sons was a bed wetter, and I learned that my husband and several of his brothers and sisters had been until well into their teen years. It is not a "medical problem". It is simply a developmental issue. Their bladders mature later rather than earlier. The important thing to remember is this - to avoid any type of psychological damage you must drastically minimize the issue rather than drawing attention to it. Do not make them think that anything is wrong with them. Just as you would not blame a 6 month old baby for not being able to crawl - just as you would not blame a 14 year old girl for not having her period yet - you cannot blame a child for wetting the bed. It is a developmental issue and nothing more. The necessary change must be within you. A few more loads of laundry a week - so what? Accept that as a fact of your life. Change the sheets as inconspicuously as possible, do not draw attention to the issue, and know that about half of all bed wetters grow out of it by the age of 9, and the others grow out of it sometime in their teens. The most important thing - MINIMIZE!!! Use Pull-Ups at night if the kids don't have a problem with that, but do not call them diapers. Make sure the kids know that lots of kids have the same issue, and that there is absolutely nothing wrong with them. Hang in there! My son is now 21, and nothing matters less about his childhood than the fact that he was a bedwetter.

Oh my gosh I am totally going through the same thing with my 5 year old boy. I am so glad you asked cause sometimes I wonder if there is something wrong with him too. I have him in pull-ups now & he goes through phases of wanting to try getting up in the night & when it doesnt work out he says he is ready for the pull-ups again. So I pretty much go with his flow (no pun intended) and I dont stress on it like I used too. And I tell him he is fine & it is normal & when he is ready he will start being able to wake up to go. So even though the price of pull-ups can be a burden it is worth having my son feel ok about himself.

Pull ups!!!! My 5yo (almost 6) wears them at night and she pees a lot! I wouldn't dream of having her wear underwear. I just read this weekend in a potty training book (working on my 3yo) that you should not wake a child to go to the bathroom. You are disrupting sleep that they need. It is not uncommon at all for a child to wet at night. I believe age 6-7 is when you should talk to your Dr. to rule out any kidney issues. It is also hereditary, do you know if anyone in your family or their Dad's family that wet the bed? I did until highschool!

For now, I highly recommend you use pull ups, that way your child isn't loosing sleep from waking up wet and you aren't doing laundry everyday.
Best wishes,
M.

A HUGE percentage of kids wet the bed up until they are tweens. The best advice I've gotten from adults who are former bed wetters: whatever you do, don't make a big deal out of it. That will cause much more damage than some wet sheets.

Be sure that the bed clothes are easily washable so that you don't go crazy. And consider GoodNites. I found it interesting to check out their website chat room with kids of all ages writing in to give each other ideas about how to handle sleep overs, camps etc.

And don't worry!

i was the "pee pee lady" as my brothers so lovingly referred to me until i was goin on 7yrs old. i was scared to get up at night so i'd rather pee in the bed than get up.

how close is their bathroom? are there night lights lit up?

rah