Stop Bed Wetting
Wetting the bed can be very upsetting and embarrassing for your child. You might feel the same way if your child has this problem but it’s important to remember that it’s a very common problem and nothing to be ashamed of. Around half of 3 year old children wet their bed so it is likely that your child will. The good news is that most children grow out of this minor problem. However, this will remain a problem for some children, typically boys, which can last for several years.
The problem is mainly a physical one which is due to their small bladder. As this grows they tend to grow out of the problem. If your child is over six years of age and are still experiencing night time bed wetting or if they have previously experienced dry nights and then started wetting the bed again, then the problem is most likely an emotional one rather than a physical problem. In a small number of cases bed wetting can be caused by a medical condition so it is important to seek medical attention if the problem persists.
The short term solution to bed wetting is for your child to wear a nappy during the night. If you child is a bit past wearing nappies they can try pull up nappies which are more like underwear. Your child can probably try going without a nappy at night if they show the following signs:
- No or few night time wettings
- Your child wakes up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet
- Your child stays dry during the day for up to 4 hours
- Your child doesn’t need changing after naps
Once you see these signs your child can probably sleep through the night without a nappy and have a dry night.
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Our five year old boy has rarely been a bed-wetter until recently and I feel that there may be a cause which I would appreciated to be confirmed or negated…
During the summer months, when we would encourage him drinking plenty of water during the day and also eating fresh fruit especially watermelon that has a high water volume, my partner regularly woke him to take him to the toilet to empty his bladder. Although the positive was that he slept in a little, I have the feeling that we have now programmed his body to NEED the pee before the end of the night. Have we done the wrong thing and caused him the night time wetting?
Hi
I have been reading loads about night time wetting as my 4 year old still has wet nappies every morning and am expecting my 3rd baby in May so want to get him dry before the stress of a new baby.
From what I have read it is not generally advised to wake the child at night for them to wee as it stops the bladder being trained to hold it until morning.
You could try taking him when you go to bed and making this earlier until it is at his bed time?
Good Luck