HELP Habitual Bed Wetter!

One thing you might look into if you haven't is food allergies or sensitivities. I have read some info about the connection between young bedwetters and food sensitivities and I remember when my son was doing it I worked with the diet a little and noticed a change. It was a long time ago so I cant say where I learned it but you could explore it with a practitioner or just try elimiating some basic common allergens like dairy gluten eggs, soy and see what that does.
Also, she is not to young to kindly help with the washing, not with any tone of punishment, just as a helper of what has to happen.

I have 4 kids and all of them potty trained well. The youngest of my twin girls would wet at night only. I tried everything. The doctors told me that some kids take longer to out grow it. She is finally dry at night but she didn't start till she was 6 and 1/2 years old. I would just stick with the pullups and get some sleep. I waited to take them off until she had stayed dry for 5 nights in a row.

Hi,
I'm a mom of 4 & these things helped me. (I have 3 potty trained). No milk at night. So if she goes to be at 7pm, no milk after 5pm. I also started waking them up a couple hrs into their sleeping & had them go potty. it seemed to help, & eventually with the routine, they wake themselves up. I also double make the bed. Literally put a waterproof pad & bottom sheet on, then another waterproof pad & bottom sheet, before the top sheet & blankets. This way, if she does have an accident, you only have to strip off a layer and toss it in the wash! I stay away from pull-ups - they backfired on me with my 2nd child. He was not having accidents & doing great, but I was afraid of him wetting the bed, so we put them on him at night - to him it was like a diaper, so he just started going in them at night instead of waking up and going into the bathroom. We literally had to start potty training all over.

Hello D. -

The most important thing in this situation is to NOT create shame around it. If she feels shameful about it she may continue even longer and it could affect her for a lifetime.

In situations such as this I think the best approach is to look for ways to work WITH her body and her needs and to meld yours to fit those. Given that you have identified 6 a.m. as the crucial time, I would suggest setting your alarm for 5 or 5.30, getting up then, waking her, taking her to the bathroom, then tucking her and yourself back into bed. Perhaps you could even fall asleep with her in her bed and have it become a really lovely morning ritual for the two of you to wake together.

Granted, waking at 5.30 isn't the most attractive idea for most people, but it sure beats doing a load of laundry every day and the time spent stripping and remaking the bed. Most importantly though, it shows your daughter that the two of you are a team, that you are not ashamed of her, and that you will find ways to support her and care for her around the challenges/problems she faces.

I offer this advice as the eldest sister of a brother who was a bedwetter until age 12, so please know that it is offered with understanding, empathy, and a sincere desire to see your daughter and you get through this unscathed.

Be well-
D.

D.,
My oldest is 13 and still sometimes has an accident if he's really tired. I was a bedwetter until I was 12. Bedwetting is usually caused by a part of the brain that hasn't matured yet. There isn't much you can do about it unless you go the drug route, and I have no idea how successful that is.

I WOULD suggest getting some water-proof pads that are washable, and place them under your childs top sheet. I used to layer my sons bed with several pads and sheets, so it made middle-of-the-night changing easier. I think you can get them at the medical supply places or online. Also, try wearing a Goodnight pull-up on her. That way if she doesn't wake up to go potty- she will at least not wake up cold and wet.
My son wore Goodnights until he was about 7 or 8, and then after that it was on occasions when I knew he was really tired or had gone to bed later than normal.
There is no "teaching" a child to wake up when they have no control over it. I am sure she doesn't like wetting the bed just as much as you don't like washing the sheets everyday.

So hang in there momma! Be compassionate, and get some water-proof pads.
Here's a link that explains some of the reasons children wet the bed.
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/par...
~S.

D. I just have to say I feel your pain. My darling Daughter is going to be 8 years old this year she is still wetting the bed along with her almost 5 year old brother. Its expensive buying pull ups for both of them and also diapers for my almost 2 year old.

We have done everything too for my daughter and sometimes she can go up to 10 days with no bed wetting and other times she wets every single night. I have taken her to the pediatrician we have been on the medicine for it, done the alarms, gotten her up at night nothing seems to work. I really hope she out grows this. I can't imagine having a teenager that wets the bed but sometimes it really does feel like its taking forever and that they will just be bed wetters forever. It's really frustrating for us and so embarrassing for them. My daughter cries every time it happens. And I honestly don't know what to do for her anymore than just encourage her when she is dry and tell her its ok when she isn't. I think for some kids it just takes a really long time and their bladders just need to grow.

Also have her try to strengthen her bladder by doing some urine exercises where when she is using the restroom have her stop and start her flow of urine. It's one thing that my pediatrician recommended we do and said it would take awhile for the muscles to get strong enough to stop the bedding wetting but out of everything it seems to have done the most for us since she can sometimes go for 10 days without wetting where before we saw the ped. she never had a dry night.

Good luck and if you find something that works PLEASE let me know too.

~K.

D.
we had to go through the same thing with our middle child. I t can be very frustrating and embarrassing for the child. Our middle child sleeps through anything and is hard to wake up. We had to do the night time pants until she was 7 yrs old. I thought she would never get out of them but eventually she did. Now we haven't had a broblem and she is almost 9. Good luck.
S. mother of three girls- 12yrs,8 1/2 and 4 1/2

It's not your fault or hers...

I have 3 daughters, 13, 10 and 3, and another baby on the way. I was told by several pediatricians that it's hereditary, which I believe to be very true. My mom had accidents well up to puberty, as did I. My 13 year old still has an occasional accident, which has almost stopped, she has an accident maybe once a month now. She wore Goodnights up until her 13th birthday, then the doctor gave her the "bed wetting pill" which worked great. The 10 year old has never had a problem, but the 3 year old, fully potty trained still wears an overnight pull-up at night. The bed wetting pill has it's side effects, that's why the doctor and I decided to wait as long as possible to give it to the oldest. She'll grow out of it, she just needs a little time. If she's a hereditary bed wetter, no bells, whistles, alarms, waking her up in the middle of the night, cutting off liquids will stop it completely. Trust me, we tried it all! We found the Goodnights and waterproof mattress pad to work the best. It's just her bladder not growing as fast as she is or her urethra getting the signal or strength it needs for her to wake up with the urge to go. (The Goodnights also made it possible for her to stay at a friend's house or Grandparents overnight without being embarrassed with a wet bed in the morning, and explaining to her it was something she couldn't help and would outgrow, helped her understand it wasn't her fault.)

Tell her teachers! They are more than willing and understanding to put a couple extra bathroom passes in her desk that she can use without having to disrupt the class or feel embarrassed that she had to raise her hand in front of everyone to go potty again. Having an accident at school because your teacher doesn't believe you or says no because you just went is very embarrassing, I had that happen to me a couple of times growing up. Times have changed so much, and I've found teachers are so accepting and appreciative that you let them know about the problem. I hope this helps, and I didn't ramble on too much! Best of luck!

My first daughter got this figured out at age 2.5, my second daughter took till almost 6. I would put her back in the pull-ups and get some sleep! There is no shame in that. She will learn how to do this when she's ready. Good luck!

You may want to get her checked out for any possible food allergies. My niece had the same issue. Finally it was determined that she was allergic to milk. Once she switched to soy milk she never wet the bed again (unless she snuck ice cream or some other milk product.)

Hi D., I know the frustration that bed wetting can be. I have a 6 year old boy who wets the bed every night. I've also tried everything including offering incentives for dry nights. The truth of it is, that there is a physiological reason for bed wetting. After exhausting every method I could think of to curb the problem, I've returned to using goodnights and continue to make a HUGE BIG deal about dry mornings, but refrain from punishing him if he's wet. All punishing did was humiliate him and make him feel like there was something wrong with him. When I questioned my doctor about it, all he had to say was "hang in there, all children outgrow this on their own, some sooner, others later."

Try looking online at WebMD or About.com for information. You'll just drive yourself batty if you continue on your current track, as I did for a long time. It's not giving up, or allowing them to "misbehave" by resorting to pull-ups, its understanding the reasons behind the problem and simplifying your life in the meantime (so you're not laundering bedding every day). So, hang in there and keep encouraging your daughter. This will pass with age, sometimes as late as 9-10 for girls (longer for boys). I hope this encourages you if nothing else.

i am sorry for your troubles with your little girl. I can only speak from experience. I am a 27 year old mother of 2 with one on the way. my oldest is 3 1/2 and she kind of potty trained herself at night. she just said no more pullups. I was ready to deal with it for a very long time because I personally wet the bed for years ( like till I was 12 or 13) and still had occasional accidents into my late teens. strangley my later accidents were only around the time of my menstrual cycle. I went to tons of doctors and they suggested many different was of treatment some completely ludicrous. but I grew out of it and hope my daughters follow suit with my oldest one. I have since learned I have a very very small bladder like the size of a 12 year old. and i used to be an abnormally heavey sleeper. the two combined just did not let the signle that I had to pee get through and i was not physically able to hold it. I don't have suggestions as to how to fix it but pullups may not be so bad if it gives your daughter self esteem and you more sleep. just a thought adn good luck. A.

D.,

My five year old boy still wets the bed as well. We have chosen to not pick this battle and just let him wear pull-ups. I know kids develop sensitivities to peeing at night at different times and maybe your daughter's just has not developed yet. Our eight year old wore pull-ups until he was six, so I don't think this is too unusual.

Sounds like you have your hands full with your job and many other responsibilities. I would encourage you to just put her back in pull-ups so you can get some sleep.

L.

D.,
It's time to see the doctor. Not that he/she will be able to stop the nocturnal wetting, but you will get some reassuring wisdom and some good advice on how to get your life into a normal rhythm. Every child matures at her own pace and in her own way. Your daughter is at an age where she still wants to please you, so I doubt that this is a control or discipline issue. I'm not a doctor, but I do have three kids whose personalities and developmental paces are uniquely their own, and my advice is always, "Do what makes the mama happy. 'Cause if the mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" If that means having your daughter in pull-ups until she goes off to college, so be it. You think I'm joking! I'm not. Just a little tongue-in-cheek.

It's difficult to see how much what's going on with your child is controlling how you live your life, until you multiply that by three or more. Just think, if a mother of six children was having this problem with one of her children, would she be waking up in the middle of the night several times to toilet her child? I don't think so. We moms are much too resourceful and creative to allow that kind of havoc to be wreaked on the lives of the rest of the family.

It may seem selfish, but being selfish is sometimes the best thing we can do for our children. What do you think your daughter would rather have, a mom who is sleep-deprived with no energy for humor or discovery, or a well-rested mom who is able to support her, comfort her, and have enough energy to make her sandwiches into funny shapes? I think she'd gladly wear a pull-up to bed and even see the doctor in exchange for a mom that resembles the latter.

So, TODAY, call your pediatrician for an appointment. Follow through with a urologist if necessary. Use your best mom judgment to decide how invasive the tests should get. Don't let the doctors make these decisions for you. Tonight, put your daughter in a pull-up and get some @#**&%$ing SLEEP. Tomorrow you will be thinking clearer and know better what's best for you, your daughter, and your family.

Hugs all around,
D.

My third daughter had nighttime issues as well. I kept her in pull ups at night long after she was potty trained. She would also have some accidents during the day at 5 and 6 years old. It turned out that she has UTI's. She just couldn't feel the urge to go until it was too late.

We started having her drink a glass of cranberry juice a day and I kept changing her sheets. She only now at 7 has stopped bed wetting.

I would check with her doctor to see if there is a medical reason for it and just encourage her in a positive way. We would mark down each day she woke up dry (sometimes there were many days in between) but she was proud each time she could check off a day.

okay my mom was the same way you were doing. But as I got older and taking psychology and biology in college I was learning a lot and with my children. I also learned a little bit or a lot about children. All children or different. My brother had this problem growing up. If your daughter is tiny there is so much the bladder could hold and night time is hard I know. If she is fine during the day that's cool and she know because she is alert. Other than that it could be she is a real hard sleeper and her bladder hold and holds and lets go right before she wakes up. As far as the weening and her having a headache and tummy ache. Her bladder is probably immature. (meaning her body is not in sync to her brain. her body/and or bladder is not with her brain age or in sync.) That is the best that I can explain it. She is yes smart yes functional and knows about the potty during the day and where to go. (think of this this way you are 40 years old and people think you are 30. they see it physically but your mind feels 40, even though you look different to the world.) Also the brain while it is a asleep it goes through sleep states of light sleep deep sleep and dream state..REM>) It's the same with people in general but different as far as dreaming and stuff.) So she could be a deep sleeper in a state where she doesn't notice. I know a few of my friends who had your problem and their bladder matured and they were find and stopped at 7 years old of the night wetting.) give it time and patience. There is nothing you can to speed biology and nature or your child. Frustration and anger just makes it worst and your kid scared. Do not take it out on your son or daughter. It's not their fault they are that way. Bribing won't help it will hinder because they can't control that. They are 3, 4 years old. or 5 years old. You just have to be the adult and deal with it. Its not your fault its not your childs. No hitting or spanking will turn them around. You just have to let it run it's course. I am not into drugs or hormones for this ... especially when they are young because I don't know if in the long run this will mess their biology and pyschology. I go all the way with no meds, no hitting, no hormones and be grown up and know my child is learning and everything is an experiene. Please do not tell them it';s their fault. Just say this happens and your body at night just some way or another lets go. I understand your frustrations and mommy is learning to be patient and waiting for you and you are waiting I know you don't like it. I know you love your daughter and she means a lot but don't take it out on you and think you are a bad parent. Or that you have the wrong child. Do not make a guilt trip about it or feel remorse. Get a time a out for yourself it is that bad. Let her know and go on with your life. All you can do is just do her bed sheets and her bed. Go to a pediatrician... a doctor. Or even a child psychologists maybe something changed and she was not used to it. Did you move recently and things changed like you work and you were home before. Who knows questions and answers think out of the box. YOu8 know your child and you are the person for it. Even if you don't think are it will all come a long. If you want you can call me at ###-###-#### ask for J..

Wow - 41 responses. Well, I don't have time to read all of them, but just wanted to add my 2cents. I teach diapering and toilet teaching classes and I've found the book "Mommy, I have to go Potty" by Jan Faull very helpful. It talks about night training and it really is a completely different ball game than day time. And, she doesn't recommend waking them up. She explains that there it is not uncommon for children to still wet the bed at night - even up to age 6 or 7. Maybe you could check it out at the library. Good luck!

Hey, I am stay at home mom of 5 and have delt with this alot. Don't worry about it. It is natural for a child up to 6 to still have problems at night. They are just deep sleepers. If you make it an issue with her it will only get worse for her and you. My son didn't potty train until 3 1/2 and still wore pull-ups at night until 5 1/2. by then we let him decide whether to wear them. He was the one who decided he didn't need them anymore. I asked my doctor and he said that it was normal. Also sometimes a chiropractor adjustment can help. Let the stress and worry about it go and let her use the pull-ups she'll eventually get there and you both can sleep. good luck

Hi! I'm sorry to hear you are having such a hard time. My niece is 8 and started wetting her bed every night. My sister did the waking her several times a night to establish a ritual, and stopped letting her drink fluids hours before bed, they basically tried everything you have for several monthes. Finally, they talked to the pediatrician and she said the only way the bedwetting will stop is when her body can tell her brain to wake up on it's own. It is a matter of maturity. I'm sorry to not have a remedy besides pull ups. My niece wears them again at night per the doc's recommendation. Now they must wait until she starts waking up dry again. Good luck and I hope both of you can get more sleep soon!

We did the same thing, my son has a bunk bed, and he just goes to the other bed (after changing his clothes) my son is 6, i took him to the drs to see if there was anything "wrong" with him and he said we were doing everything right, he also sort of jokingly said, have you ever heard of a 16 year old boy wetting the bed? he'll grow out of it. and with us, in the morning our son will just tell me he has bedding to wash and he helps me load it in the washer (along with his wet clothes) and then switch it to the dryer before work. then when he gets home, we make his bed... either way, hang in there!

Before doing anything else, see a doctor. Perhaps she has an organic problem that needs to be solved. Once you find that there is no physical problem, or you have taken care of a physical issue that has been found, move back into modifying her behavior.

Unfortunately, I do not have any good, specific ideas as to how to go about this. It may have begun as attention getting and become ingrained in her behavior. I do not know.

I will add a piece of advice for others: start from the beginning shaping behaviors with an eye to the future. Habits tend to be ingrained early and are more difficult to change as time passes. God's speed!

Get some sleep dear - just let her wear the pull-ups/overnighters. You'll both be well-rested and she won't still be in them when she leaves home, I promise! Kids' bladders and brains do not develop at the same time. (We did the alarm thing for my oldest - it woke US up but he slept right through it. His body just wasn't ready.) You can't make her body do something it's not ready to do. Good luck to you and sweet dreams soon, whatever you choose!

D.,
I think getting her up multiple times at night is making her too tired and she is in a deep sleep when she goes in the bed. I would limit the drinks and maybe only getting her up once in the night and letting her get more sleep. At five she should have pretty good bladder control. I hope things get better soon.

HI D.-Some kids bladder grow slower than others and my son was one of those. He did the same thing your daughter did, at three he was compleatly potty trained and then around five started wetting the bed. He continued to do so until 11 1/2 years old. We used training pants until he was 10 then we started going to a urologist for help. He put him on some meds to help him some. There are also underware you can get on-line that have alarms in them when they get wet. We did not try them because Dakota has other problems and we did not want to make things worse. Also if he did have an wet the bed he was the one who changed the sheets and washed them. Accorce this was after he was eight. Hang in there. Shan

Hi my name is H., I can kind of relate.... I have 3 children two boys (10) and (4) and also a baby girl who is (2). But my 4 year old has the same issue as your daughter, I have gone to his doctor with my concerns she stated to me that sometimes kids take up to be 10 years old to break that habit, and that a lot of kids have that problem. My son sleeps very sound, he could have everything happen around him and still he wouldnt wake! I hope that helps, take care

Hi, I have a seven year old girl who still can't hold it through the night and doesn't have any feeling or notion of getting up. Come to find out her pituitary gland is not functioning and she is now on growth hormones. Her body stopped growing at age 5 and we didn't find this out until age 6, at her well baby check-up. We are hoping once her body catches up she will eventually be able to hold it all night. I would consult your pediatrician to make sure everything is truly okay and get their opinion on what you should do.

Hello
My brother really struggled with this when he was younger, and he was wetting the bed for a long time... older then 5 yrs. I have a friend who has 4 little boys and the two oldest still wet the bed and they are 4 and 5. I say this in an attempt to encourage you that you aren't the only one. Here are a couple of suggestions. Make her change her bed in the mornings when she has an accident. Oversee and help if she is incapable, but make her do as much of the work as she can. Putting her own sheets and pajamas in the dirty clothes, and whatever else it entails. Once she realizes how unpleasent it is it might encourage her to stop. It is also possible she really just can't wake up to go and she needs to be trained. They have alarm pads that you can buy, you put them under the sheets and when they get wet an alarm goes off and wakes them up. This might help train her to wake up when she has to go.
The other thing to realize is that maybe she is really incapable of waking up on her own at this point but she will grow out of it. Out of necessity. Any child I have ever heard of who has had a bed wetting problem has grown out of it. Bed wetting runs in my family, so I've heard of a lot of them. I know it is really discouraging, but be of good courage; and continue to be understanding with your daughter. Especially if it is something she really can't control. I hope she grows out of this stage quickly. For your sake.
A.

Can you take turns with your husband so at least you're getting a good night's rest every OTHER night? Also, if this getting up every three hours isn't actually helping, why bother? This does not strike me as the type of problem that should require you to lose your sleep, health and sanity. I would focus on changing YOUR response to the problem, not on changing the problem itself.

Hello D.,
Have you investigated food sensitivities or allergies. Wheat, dairy, and corn are the biggest culprits. Try an elimination diet (have her only eat foods that do not belong to the wheat, dairy, or corn categories) for at least 2 weeks, then introduce one type of food at at time and see if you see any effect?. Does she have eczema, had chronic ear infections, or asthma? Is so...you are looking at a food allergy.
Have her see a Naturopathic doctor
Meanwhile, you can get waterproof fabric pads that would be comfortable in the times she might wet the bed, and get some sleep. There will be nothing on the sheets that a washer and dryer can't fix. No one can give you back your sleep.
M.

D., I understand what you are going through. I am a mother of 3. My son 8yrs. old, daughter 5yrs. old and a 5 1/2 mo. old baby boy. I feel very blessed to have all three and they have taught me a lot about myself. My son was difficult to potty train both during the day time and evening hrs. He started to potty train at 3 1/2 yrs.during the day but would often have accidents because he would easily get distracted and not want to stop playing or watching TV to go potty even though I would often remind him or encourage him to go. It was not until he was closer to 5 that he became more consistant with potty training and had less accidents because he didn't want any embaressment at school. He would rarely have accidents in public situations at 5 but he was just ready and set his own mind to it for duing the daytime and nighttime bed wetting. Yes I would use incentives to motivate him or I would encourage him always but when it came down to it, it all depended on him and when he was ready to take responsibility for his own bladder control especially for the night time bed wetting. My daughter was much easier to potty train during the day & she actually initiated to be trained, however her night time bed wetting took longer. She started potty training @ 3 and did really good during the day but it was harder at night for her to stay dry. This is really not all that uncommon because bed wetting at night is the hardest to break for most children. Some kids are really sound sleepers and have great difficulty waking up. She would often where a pull-up because sometimes it is not worth it to push it on them or stress yourself out trying to make sure that they wake up to go or do so much laundry because they are not ready yet to make it dry through the night. Especially with my baby I was not about to stress out about the night time thing, I was just delighted about the daytime good potty habits that she did have. I believe when they are ready they will stop it, it does not have to be this huge battle or pressure to dot it by a certain age. She too is potty trained now at age 5 and did it on her own. She is telling me not to put the pull-ups on her anymore and begs me not to put them on her. Bing!!! This is clearly a sign that she is truly now a big girl and is ready to sleep dry. You can encourage them & find ways to motivate them but in the end they choose to take that control over their bodies and believe me they will be potty trained. So don't get discouraged & relax one day she will no longer use a pull-up at night and just be thankful that she is dry during the day when it really counts. Sometimes the more you push the potty training the longer it takes them to get it down and I did experience that with my son and I learned from that and became more relaxed with potty training my daughter and put her in control of it when she was fully ready for the night time moments. I would keep using the pull-ups and every time she wakes up dry in them praise her and give her a little something to strive for. Find out what she likes alot. When you go dry at night for 3 nights straight then reward. Make goals that are attainable to her and build on that as she slowly gains more control of her body. When she has a set- back continue to stay positive in motivating her that she has come so far and to keep up the good work. The more positive you are the less stress you create for her or you and the more positive the results will be in the long run and she will get there sooner. Continue doing all the other things like no more liquids past 7:oo PM and go potty before bed time but I would not stress out waking her up during the evening to go potty. Good Luck and remember Relax that is the Key. God Bless, O. O.

Hi D.,
My middle daughter has the same problem (she's 10). She potty trained with no problem and we've been dealing with this for about 6 YEARS! We went through all of the same things. We just finally stopped fighting it and just stuck with the pull ups. We've called them her "special panties". It's worked. Whenever we had to spend the night somewhere we just bring them with. It was never made a big deal of. We taught her how to be discreet about it and how to take care of it herself (or with a little help). We explained that her body was just growing at different rates and it wasn't a big deal. We had taken her to the doctor a number of times and all they would say is "you're doing everything right, she'll grow out of it". It was just something that we learned to live with and never made a big deal out of it. I kept special panties in my car JIC we ended up spending the night somewhere and my girlfriend kept some at her house for the spur of the moment sleep overs. Like you've said "accidents happen".
When it became an issue for her and she came to me and said "Mom, isn't there anything we can do?" is when I took her to the doctor again. I also don't like to give my girls medicine unless I HAVE to. When the doctor suggested a medication I was hesitant but I let Allie make the decision. In a very adult way she told me "Mom, if it'll help I want to try". So we did. The doctor said that it isn't a forever thing and that after a few months we'll talk about weening her off. That the medication (I can't remember the name at the moment - I'm not home to look)would "teach" her body how to "hold it" and that eventually she would be able to do it on her own. We kept up with the special panties until they ran out and didn't buy anymore. After just a couple nights she was waking up and telling me "mom I was DRY!" The confidence that she's gained has been amazing! She's even taken the responsibility of coming to me to ask for her medicine before bed. She's so proud of herself.
Now, my daughter is almost 11. This is not something that we were willing to do at 5. She may grow out of it - and soon. She may not. Bravo for the things you are doing. I know how frustrating this can be and how exhausting. For now this may just be a part of your household routine. We tried a few brands of the nighttime pull ups before we found ones that she felt comfortable in - ended up being a generic brand Kroger. There is an end to this. Eventually. Just hang in there! And good luck!

I agree with Amanda and Julie. Act as if wetting the bed is no big deal. At 6 she can take care of it herself. Give the responsibility back to her. If you want, put her back in pull ups. But don't scold or even notice when they're wet the next morning. Do praise if they're dry.

I'd guess that somehow wetting the bed is some sort of power struggle or attention seeking

behavior. You both need to sleep thru the night. Make it happen. Pay very little attention to the "problem." It really is no big deal.

Unless she does have a medical problem. Then she needs medical attention and understanding from you.

Here is my experience with my granddaughter. She wore pull ups, starting around 3, until she was dry for several weeks. It was her decision as to when she'd quit. When she quit wearing the pull ups she did have a couple of accidents. I'd put down a waterproof pad and so it was really no big deal. We had several pads from her crib as well as a couple like they use in nursing homes that my mother had used. She didn't wake up when she had the accidents and so everyone was able to sleep. All I had to do was put on a dry pad, perhaps change the top sheet and give her clean jammies the next night. She had a 3-4 accidents and has been dry ever since.

Just relax and let continence take it's course.

My daughter is doing the same thing I had to buy big kid diapers for her size and they do keep the bed dry everynight I remind her if she needs to go potty to get out of bed and use the toilet!! Some kids just have accidents for a long time! It won't help if you hold liquids at night. Just be patient and use the big kid diapers not pullups cuz they don't work. It will end soon Good Luck!

Believe it or not some people have trouble into their teenage years with bedwetting. But there is help out there to manage this problem. Talk to your pediatrician and have your daughter examined. Best wishes.

I was a bed-wetter until I was 7! My mom put a plastic sheet on my bed to minimize the damage to the mattress. I would actually dream that I was on the toilet and the dream was so real that I wet the bed.
Perhaps she has a medical issue and a visit to the pediatrician or naturpath would be in order. there may be a medication she can take or an herbal remedy that would help her.
Blessings for a good night's sleep soon!

My grandson, at age eight, was still wearing a pull up at bedtime. He was taught how to use the washer when he needed to wash his sheets. I think if you can just accept it as something that will pass with time, and relax, it will get easier for both of you. I'm afraid your daughter knows she is disappointing you, and can't help it. My MIL claimed her nephew wet the bed until the night before his wedding.I don't know if it was true or not. She tended to exaggerate. Focus on what is wonderful about your daughter and tell her how important and special she is.

I have a 5 and 9 year old boy that still don't wake up at night. I recently purchased something called the Potty Pager and have yet to use it but I've been told it works wonders in usually less then two weeks. So you could look into that. Some kids just sleep too soundly and don't wake up. I have a 8,7 and 4 year old that wake up just fine. I don't make a big deal about it and just let them both wear pull-ups to bed. My 9 year old is proud when he wakes up dry but it's a rare thing.
Good luck!
C.

My son had that same problem and I also tried everything from getting him up several times a night to not giving him liquids. I took him to the doctor and found out that he was just a very heavy sleeper and the urge would not wake him up. I wound up getting him this pad that he slept on and when even the smallest amount of urine touched it, it would buzz and wake him up. Unfortunately in my case my son passed away before I could find out if this would of worked for him but it is an idea for you. Good luck.

This works great and fast! I wish I would have known about it sooner.
http://store.matchlowestprice.com/wet-stop-2.html

Be careful with how you react. I doubt she wants to wet the bed. She probably is sleeping too deeply to wake up. This alarm will do the trick, and fast too. Don't punish her, but you can reward her when she has been dry in the morning for a week, or whatever you feel. Be encouraging, sensitive, caring and patient. Start the alarm on a Friday night.

Response:
You might think the alarm is ghastly now, but don't lose the website, because you might think it a good thing for a nine, eleven or thirteen year old. I too didn't like the idea of the alarm. Now I wish I had. Best wishes.

Have you talked to her Dr? My brother wet the bed well beyond 5 (8 or 9 I think) It wasn't that he didn't want to stay dry, his brain just wasn't picking up on the signal that he needed to go in the middle of the night. He did eventually learn though. All children develop at different paces, and the ability to stay dry at night is another physical milestone.

My third son wet the bed until he was 12,and so did my husband. I bought this system, very expensive at the time, that when he wet the wet an alarm sounded and he had to get up and change the bed himself and keep a record, had to go so many nights in a row. It worked, it took three months, it was worth every penny. Heis now 35 years old. Also, his oldest daughter had a problem, but it turned out that she had two urethras, they mirrored each other so did not show on an ultra sound, have your daughter checked for any physical abnormality. Good Luck, Sincerly, S., mother of 4 boys, grandmother of 11

D., check out the article at this site
http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/topics/child-training/bed-wet...

I wouldn't worry to much about the bed wetting, but talking to her doctor is a good idea. Sometimes kids just have a hard time, and sometimes there is a medical reason. My son had problems wetting the bed till he was about 6, and outgrew it. My daughter had problems with it but she has medical problems that added to it, though she outgrew it for the most part (still has a accident every once in a while, usually when she is overly upset) and she is 7. A friend of mine tried everything imaginable to break her son of bed wetting and nothing helped, he eventually outgrew it.
So my point is as frusterating as it may be, don't make a big deal about it (though you are not with your daughter, it is still weighing on your mind). You are doing the right thing by contacting her doctor to rule out any issues. Hang in there, it will pass!!!!

Hi, my sister had the same problem with her 6 yr old daughter and she put clean sheets and new bedding by her bed and when she wet in the middle of the night she had to put the new bedding on. after 2 nights of that she stopped wetting.

Hi,
I think there are some good suggestions on this already. Including the food allergy idea. My son had a similar problem. He was 8 or 9, maybe even 10 before this stopped. I did not focus on it or make a big deal about it. I got a waterproof cover for his mattress and then I let him use the pull-up night pants. He eventually just out grew it.

If you can relax about it and let here wear the night time pull up pants perhaps she will outgrow it. I did ask my son's pediatrician about this when I thought it might be a problem and he said some kids just sleep so soundly they just do not wake up when they need to go to go pee.

Relax about it if you can, the more you focus on it the more it will make her feel like she is doing something wrong. Get your sleep, let her use the night pants, and perhaps she will out grow it as her neurological development grows.

Hope this helps.

E.

I don"t know how far the technology has come, but I had a step brother with a severe bed wetting problem. What worked for him was a device that is in the bed, below the sheets. When it would sense moisture, a light would go on waking him up. Seems to have taught him he had to get up instead of sleeping through it. I think that once the brain made the connection between the sensation to urinate and waking up he was fine.

Hi,
My son was a very early day-time potty trainer, but night-time was much more difficult. We did a lot of the same things, pull-ups, waking him often and washing lots and lots of sheets. I asked our pediatrician and family doctor, both saying that it really isn't a concern at this point yet. My son was seven and still not getting it, but we tried not to make it a big deal because that can make it more stressful for them. I had heard about a company called the Bedwetting Store, www.bedwetingstore.com and we ordered an alarm. These alarms are not cheap, but it did work and he now stays dry 95% of the time. Check out the website, it really worked and built his self confidence as well. Good Luck.