Seeking advice on bed wetting, my 5 year old is fully potty trained except at night, I use to have her in pull ups but she could never tell when she was wet so it wasn't getting any better. When she turned 5 in February I bought washable liner panties so she could feel and then she would wake me up when she was wet so I knew what time this was happening, once I knew that I started waking her up twice a night to go potty and that is working fine, however that has me getting up at 1:00 am and 4:30 am every night. Any suggestions???
B.,
Things that have helped us potty train our 4 1/2 year old:
1) nothing to eat or drink an hour before bed
2) go potty last thing before bed and first thing in the morning
3) make absolutely sure he knows that it's okay for him to get up in the middle of the night and go potty if he has to.
Hope this helps you,
Melissa
Okay, so here's what helped us: Time. Radical huh? :-) Honestly, there was a point at which I thought I'd tear my hair out. Nothing I did helped. She slept like a rock. We did the basics, like no water, waking her up... it was futile, she still wet her pull up nightly. And then, a light went on (with the help of my doc and other wise moms) Some kids just take longer than others, she'll stay dry when she can.
The thing is, I was making it about me, not about her and what worked for her. When I was in that mode, there was a sense of "doing it right or wrong". How can there be a right or wrong?! I was crazy-making! There can be convenient and inconvenient but right or wrong when it comes to peeing at night? It's just how my daughter's body worked. It took til she was about 8 til it was a sure thing.
Also, when we shifted into the "whatever" mode, it took pressure off of her. I had passed my dry=good kid right/wet=bad kid wrong and now unwittingly introduced shame into the equation. Poor kid.
When her body was ready, she was able to stay dry through the night, even with late night drinks.
I hope this helps, I know she was alot less stressed.
B. - I'm in the same boat as you actually, so I'm anxious to hear other's advice on this. My 5-1/2 year old has been daytime potty trained since 2-3/4. But has to wear pull up overnight, as he has never been able to go more than a few days in a row staying dry at night.
My ~4 year old on the other hand, has been day AND night potty trained since 2-3/4, and he goes to bed just fine in his underwear with rarely an accident. So I have an older one in pull ups and a younger one not...both boys, how about that?
My oldest sleeps like a log and NOTHING will wake that kid up!! Not even when he soaks himself in the middle of the night. I have tried doing the waking thing at say 11 (before I go to bed) to have him go potty, but he is so dead asleep that it is utterly useless to try to make a sleeping person pee.
Anyhow, I too am anxious to hear other's responses. Sorry I can't be of much help to you. I have the feeling that eventually the 'trigger' develops in each kid differently, and that it just is taking longer for my 5 year old. During the day, he can hold it forever!! So I don't think it's a matter of how big/small his bladder is.
My seven year old niece is the same way. She can wet the bed completely and sleep right through it. (While her younger sister is completely opposite.) Just get her training pants to wear at night and give her the support she needs. It's probably very embarrassing for her. Some kids just can't control their urinating while their in deep sleep. It does just take time. Give her the time and support that she needs and let her know that that is how her body is and it's okay. She'll grow out of it. Just check in with the Pediatrician at her annual appointments.
