What is the best way to get my son to stop wetting his bed???

Question

He is 4 years old, and he is fully potty trained during the day, even at naps when he rarely takes them. The problem is at night. I have purchased the plastic bed sheet to put under his sheets, and I put a pull up on him at night. I stop his drinking of liquids at 8 pm, and he's in the bed by 9:30. Almost every other morning he wakes up with wet sheets. I have talked to his Pediatrician about this, and they said just keep working with him, but I don't know what to do!! He's a very smart little boy, he'll wet his bed, get up, take his sheets off, put them in the laundry room, then come & tell me. I don't fuss at him, I just tell him next time to please go to the Potty, and he says okay, but he never does. Any suggestions anyone?? Pull ups are expensive, washing sheets almost everyday is tiring, but mostly, I'd just like to see him get past this. Any help but be appreciated. Thanks!

Answer 1

My two boys both wet the bed until they turned about 6 years old. I spoke to my GP regarding their bedwetting, just so I could try and understand the condition a bit better. He informed me that if their father actually experienced bedwetting when he was a toddler/young child, your own children are likely to inherit the same pattern. He also informed me that some children, particulary boys, are slower to develop certain internal mechanisms that affect their ability control their bladder function whilst in deep sleep. Rest assured that your little boy will grow out of this eventually, and it is important that you remain 'unfussed' in your attitude towards him when he has accidents. I've heard of parents becoming frustrated with their child's bedwetting and try to punish the child by refusing them their normal after dinner sweet, and only offer them their treat as a reward after a 5 day stint of having a dry bed. I personally don't feel it necessary to either punish or reward a child in the situation of bedwetting. It's important to remember that a child does not have any control over the situation... and unfortunately nor do we as parents. Patience is what is needed here... like a lot of situations we face as a parent :0)

Answer 2

As a mom of 2 boys, one 30 and the other 21, maybe I can help. I always thought it had to do with "potty-training". I knew that my sister wet the bed till maybe 8 yrs. old, my mother till she was 16, my uncle till he was 14, etc. I worked at a hospital in medical records and we had a urologist who came there once a week and while filing, came across this problem. Never thinking to ask him before (duh) I found out that a small bladder can be the cause and hereditary, even though I had never done it. There was a medication, Ditropan, that worked very well for my boys. There may be some others now, but it would be worth asking. One thing I was proud of was the fact I never "scolded" them or shamed them for wetting the bed. Didn't work anyway. Just lots of laundry soap and patience. Let them know (if it goes on) that you understand they can't help it. I even set my alarm to get them up at night every so often (and I mean often) to no avail. Even though he is only 4, this could be something to ponder. Just remember that it is embarrassing for him, too. He clearly understands enough to help you with the sheets. So I would tend to think he can't help it. Hope this helps at least a little. Good luck!!

Answer 3

Try not giving him liquids after 7:30. He may be a very deep sleeper and cant help himself. My son used to wet the bed and someone told me not to say anything to them at all and to even change the sheets when he wasnt around. I couldnt believe it, it worked so good. He stopped within a week. Maybe his bladder isnt mature either. Try and be patient, he'll outgrow this soon.

Answer 4

Stop liquids after dinner time. This will give him plenty of time between dinner and bedtime for him to go to the bathroom while he's awake. Make him sit on the toilet for a few minutes each night before he lays down as well.

If that doesn't help, keep talking to doctors. Get more than one opinion if you have to.

At 4 yrs. old, he's still not fully capable of controlling his bladder--especially when he's asleep.

Answer 5

With my step son, there was a while that we would put him to bed at his normal time, (around 9) then when we went to bed (around 11) we would wake him to use the toilet. That kept him dry until he got the hang of waking up himself to go. It is so good that you do not make a fuss when this happens. Shame and guilt will not work.

Answer 6

I helped my daughter by determining what time she was getting up to tell me she was wet. I set an alarm to be 30 minutes earlier than the time she was coming in to tell me. I would go in and wake her up and get her on the toilet to pee. I did this for a week and then didn`t do it to see if she would wake on her own. She did, and when she had any accidents, I would do the alarm thing again and go in and wake her. I took about a month, but this really did help her to learn to wake up on her own. Her doctor said that children that wet the bed, are in a very deep sleep and do not feel the signal to wake themselves to go to the bathroom. He said this would help her to feel the signal in her sleep. It worked for us, maybe it will work for you. Good luck.

Answer 7

When I was a kid, I was a deep sleeper and bed wetter. I even used to dream that I was trying to find a restroom. My parents got me a "wee alarm". It was a pad that went on the bed - the moment any moisture would hit it, it would sound an alarm to wake me up. It helped to train me to wake-up from that deep sleep. I would have to think they still sell those - it was a simple solution.

Answer 8

When my oldest was little we would wake him up when we went to bed to have him go potty. We did this for quite awhile and to this day he still gets up in the night and goes. Hope this helps!

Answer 9

try goodnites they are overnight diapers for older kids the pull up can hold enough. he has to mature. my son is also four well four next month and is rarely dry. make sure he goes potty right before bed and cut out drinks other that a swallow or to earlier.

Answer 10

How smart he is has nothing to do with how well he can control his bladder when he is asleep. I have an almost 8 year old who reads at a 6th grade level and is in a gifted class. He still wets his bed at night too.

It's NORMAL for kids to have trouble staying night dry up to about age 10. I know it's frustrating and can be embarassing for older kids, but please know that it's totally normal.

Chiropractic and DHA supplements seemed to help my son until we ran out of money for the chiro treatments.

At age four, you can talk to your doc but they probably won't want to refer you to a urologist until he's age 5 years. Then they might do a urinalysis and a ultrasound to make sure all is in working order.