how do i stop my deep sleeping child from bedwetting?

Question

my son is seven years old and wets the bed about 50% of the time. he is such a deep sleeper, so a bedwetting alarm will not wake him. i understand that i am to hear the alarm and wake him. but by that time, hasn't he already completely wet the bed???

Answer 1

After supper limit the amount of fluids and make sure that before he goes to bed he goes potty. Unfortunately there's not much you can do they do grow out of it, my son did!! Just whatever you do don't punish him for it!!

Answer 2

My brother had the same problem, he was (and still is) a very hard sleeper but he also grew out of the bedwetting. It's very difficult for him and please do not belittle him. I know the waking up to get him to pee is hard on you, and it won't necessarily help him to wake up. Why not try those new disposable underpants for him so he at least won't have a wet bed to deal with. You also should take him to a urologist to make sure that it's the heavy sleep and not some other issue. Check out the site below for some help.

Also, if the alarm is waking you too late, then set it a little earlier. I was not a bed wetter, but I remember when I was very little dreaming I was at the beach and woke up peeing. It's just something you can't control while you're sleeping. If you can't fix the problem, you can at least lessen the damage.

Answer 3

A bedwetting alarm will not stop bedwetting. I didn't even think they sold those anymore! Bedwetting is a physical mauturity problem. First, I would exclude any medical problems such as a bladder infection. Then , just allow him time to outgrow it.

bedwetting is much more common in boys and runs in families. My own son is 8 1/2 and still wets every night. Instead of making a big deal out of it and making him feel bad.,we just buy Good-Nites and he puts one on every night before bed.

Answer 4

You have two choices (1) wait until he grows out of it or (2) use a bedwetting alarm. All children with bedwetting are very sound sleepers. A number of things contribute to bedwetting (medically known as nocturnal enuresis) but in general, it is a delay in developing the "brain-bladder connection". For children who wet at night, about 15% grow out of it every year (and 85% don't). The only medically proven way to cure bedwetting/speed up the clock as they say, is to use a bedwetting alarm.

A bedwetting alarm gradually conditions the child to awaken to the signal from their bladder. Initially children sleep through the alarm and must be awakened by a parent. After a few days or weeks of this, the child learns to awaken on their own to the alarm. Later they awaken to the signal from the bladder prior to the alarm going off. This is a big misunderstanding about how alarms work. Yes, initially expect them to sleep through it, but stick with it and they learn how to stay permanently dry. (about 80% of children who use the alarm get dry in about 10 weeks).

Don't us tricyclic drugs (too dangerous for kids) and desmopressin (DDAVP) is a hormone that just shuts down the bladder at night. When you stop DDAVP, your child will start wetting again - you don't solve the problem....

Answer 5

You might want to speak to his doctor about it and see if he'll prescribe for him a tricyclic antidepressant prescription drug with anti-muscarinic properties (i.e. Amitriptyline, Imipramine or Nortriptyline). Another medication, Desmopressin, is a synthetic replacement for the missing burst of antidiuretic hormone. Desmopressin is usually used in the form of Desmopressin acetate, DDAVP. Whether used daily or occasionally, DDAVP simply replaces the hormone for that night with no cumulative effect. These types of drugs can be used for up to three months and are usually very helpful.

Psychologists also suggest bladder training exercises, dietary changes and mental imagery (i.e. imagining yourself dry in the morning). Stress reduction (if he's under any) can also be helpful.

Combining the above with an alarm is usually very successful. Keep in mind that bedwetting is considered a normal part of development, even though not everyone goes through it. Your son is only seven where most experts say that bedwetting usually ends by itself by age six. Maybe he's just a little behind the curve and he'll stop on his own soon enough. Hang in there. ;)

Good luck!

Answer 6

They do say most children will outgrow this but have you talked with your doctor about checking it out a little bit more. Just to make sure there is not other issues that are impacting this.
My situation is different since my daughter was never dry at night and to get two days in a row was a great accomplishment.
Even at 2 years when potty training is to begin, she was not dry at night. Finally at age 6 the pediatric doctor sent us to a urologist. Now it has taken me some years through different ones to finally get to Children's in Cinci and a Doctor that is addressing the problems. She is almost 13 and we have lost a year because her Dad thought it would be outgrown like his was. He has finally admitted that this is a medical problem. (gee I knew that six years ago - so did he if he had paid attention). She has an overactive bladder that did not completely empty. It does seem to empty correctly now but she still cannot stay dry at night. It will be a long road but we are getting somewhere.

Good luck and just keep working with your son. Remember that it is something they cannot control. We do restrict her fluid intake within 2 hours of bedtime to help with it.

Answer 7

i does no longer provide her beverages some hrs b4 she is going to mattress and get her to bypass to the potty b4 she lays down. Is she already potty educated she only pees in her sleep? If she is that old she could already be potty educated. She would only be so used to haveing a diaper on or have a bladder project.

Answer 8

my son was a bed wetter the doctor told me to give him lots and lots of fluids during the day it will fill his bladder and train his his bladder on holding it and limit the drinks 2 hours before bed time this worked for us after about a month I hope it works for you good luck

Answer 9

i had this problem too with both my oldest many things could be causing this i was told that if they didnt grow out of this by age ten then i should look further into it however you should not enable this by using pull-ups and you should limit liquid intake about two hours before his bedtime that should help..by the way my oldest did stop this right about age ten and my other is not yet ten so we will see

Answer 10

I really feel for him, I went through the same thing as a small child. All I can say is eventually he will outgrow it.