Bed Wetting Help

K.,

unfortunately, with bed wetting, there isn't anything you can do except let the boys grow out of it. I know from my personal experience. Something you might try, limit their drink about an hour and a half before they go to bed. that will give the drink enough time to work its way thru their system before bed. At about the age of 15 or 16, they should learn to control it. I know its frustrating for you and for them. If they want to stay at friends' house, maybe you can talk them into wearing the good nights or something similar to hide the problem. Believe me, if their friends find out, it will make the child feel worse than having to wear the good nites.

Hope this helps.

My daughter was a bed wetter also as was my husband when he was young. When she got to be 5 or 6 her doctor prescribed a nasal spray called DDAVP. Her body was not making enough of the hormone that slows down the production of urine at night. Right before she laid down, we would use the nasal spray and it worked great.

I too have a problem with my boys (12 and 10) wetting the bed. We tried a few different medicines over the course of the last few years with no such luck. The doctor said they have immature bladders. It is very embarrising for them to stay out or to even have someone stay over. They are wearing goodnights simply becuase I got so tired of washing sheets and blankets every single day. A psycologist friend of mine recommend putting them on Concerta. I believe it us primarily used for ADHD but she said that children on it stop wetting the bed if they did so before. I do not know if I want to put my kids back on meds again, but I also want them to be able to stay the night out without having them feel embarrased. I mean at what point will their bladders mature? Can anyone let me and K. know of any methods that have worked. Has anyone tried the Concerta? Does the alarms work? Are they worth the cost and once you have quit using them does the child revert back to bedwetting?

This is what my mother did with me when I was that age that worked:
Every night when she would go to bed (hours after I did) she'd wake me up to go to the bathroom. 95% of the time I did not even remember it the next morning! I don't remember how long this went on, but it worked.

I have an 11 yr old who is still a bed wetter. So I know what you are going through. I have taken him to the doctor and gotten the same response you have- that his bladder hasn't matured. We do all the same things- limiting fluids, waking to go, bed pads, etc. Nothing really works. He has slowed down though. He used to do it every night and now we are down to once or twice a week. My sister though, still has problems at 28 and when she went to the doctor he did some tests and found that her bladder never matured it is about half the size of an adults(she can now wake herself up in the night though). I Know it is frustrating for all of you but really, unless there is a medical problem, you are already doing everything you can. Just try to keep their spirits up and eventually they should grow out of it. Good luck.

Is the bed wetting caused from their kidney problems? Another thing is to have the doctor check their adenoids. Many doctors do not check for this in bed wetting but I read an article were the adenoids were enlarged which made it hard for the children to breath. The lessened air made it harder to fall into "deep sleep" so when the children do finally fall asleep, it is such a deep sleep that they do not wake up to go to the bathroom. It can't hurt to have them checked.

Hello K., my name is D. and I would like to give you some suggestions to try so you can try to help your boys. I would first of all keep up loving them and letting them know it isn't their fault..you sound like a great mother!! First of all I would start with streatching their bladders. a good way to do this is to give them ice tea during the day and have them hold off going to the bathroom until the very last minute. this may sound cruel but I promise it is not!! I grown kids would not use the schools bathrooms and this is how I helped them to hold their pee as long as possible and most of the time they held it all day. Tea or any drink that makes you pee alot will work and while y'all are at home you just keep working on this and it will help them during the night. next is to not let them drink close to bedtime and make sure they go to the bathroom before bed which I'm sure you do now. Are the boys sleeping on those plastic covers on their beds? If so maybe you could try using something different for a night or two and see if that helps them any.. think about how that must make them think about wetting the bed all night because of the plastic and the sound of it everytime you move in the bed. I would love to keep in touch with you and find out how the boys are getting along and if I helped out at all. So please try to keep in touch with me. Thank you and Good Luck, D.

well, not sure what all you have already tried but we were having issues w/ my 6 yo wetting bed and what we did was limited liquids w/in 2 hours of bedtime. He has a small sip of water w/ his nightly meds. He is sent to the bathroom directly before bed. He is a very sound sleeper so the urge to go to the bathroom does not wake him. Don't know if this is the problem w/ your boys or not. Does it wake them when they do wet the bed? Maybe an alarm to wake them in the middle of the night would help. Just a clock set for 1 a.m. for a potty break?

When my twin sister & I were younger we wet the bed until late also (maybe 10 or so). It was very tough to not get to go to sleep overs, etc. My parents go the alarm pad (my Dad called it the screaming bed sheet! :) ) and it worked for both of us within 1 week. It was amazing. I remember that it was expensive, too, so if there is any way you can get your hands on one (renting? borrowing? I'm sure you can disinfect it), I would recommend it.
Good luck to you!