Just when you think you’re done with diapers and potty training, your child can’t stay dry during the night. Is this normal?
Bed-wetting or night time wetting is a normal part of a child’s development. Also known as nighttime incontinence or nocturnal enuresis, your child may still be developing nighttime bladder control. It may take years before your child can stay dry all night long.
Nighttime wetting can be embarrassing for a child and overwhelming for a parent. You’re not looking forward to washing yet another set of sheets, and your child hates waking in the morning feeling embarrassed and ashamed.
For some, nighttime wetting may be an inevitable part of growing up, but it doesn’t have to be distressing. Through education and a few simple tips, you can help ease the stress of nighttime wetting for both you and your child.
I had the opportunity to learn more about nighttime wetting with GoodNites® at Great Wolf Lodge, a topic that our family has had to deal with too! Michele Kambolis, clinical therapist and mental health specialist also spent some time showing play-based activities to help ease the stress and anxiety associated with nighttime accidents.
More common that you think
Did you know that nighttime wetting is more common than you think? In fact:
- Up to 15% of five-year-olds and 8% of 8-yearolds experience nighttime wetting
- There’s a 77% chance that a child will wet the bed if both parents did as a child
- Nighttime wetting is more common in boys than girls
- While children generally achieve some level of nighttime dryness by about four years of age, accidents can happen even into puberty
Children who continue to wet the bed beyond the age of 6 may not be producing enough ADH hormone at appropriate times or may not yet be attuned to their bodies’ signals, or both.
What can you do to help your child with nighttime wetting?
The best thing you can do for your child is provide them with the tools they need to cope with nighttime wetting. Here are some ways you can help:
Be supportive
Help your child understand that nighttime wetting is not their fault, that bodies develop at different rates and it’s something that will pass. I found that having your pediatrician speak directly to your child about the facts, can help tremendously.
Find ways to talk about the condition to eliminate the ‘secrecy’ that goes hand-in-hand with nighttime wetting. For example, start talking about it with your child during the daytime when there are no accidents to help open up a dialogue and decrease the embarrassment.
Monitor fluids
Make sure to monitor fluid intake before bedtime; two glasses of water right before bed might not be a good idea! Encourage one or two extra glasses of water in the morning or afternoon, allowing evening drinks to quench thirst only.
Develop a routine
While it may not be easy or effective for parents to wake children during the night, routine bathroom visits may prevent them from unintentionally holding their urine. Make sure kids empty their bladder right before bed.
Overnight comfort
If your child is dry all day but sometimes has nighttime accidents, GoodNites® Bed Mats are a great choice. Specially designed to be worn lying down, they’re plush and super absorbent to help keep kids dry and comfortable all night, no matter what sleep position they prefer. Plus, the discreet design looks and feels like regular underwear with graphics that children won’t mind wearing.
For older kids, GoodNites® TRU-FIT Underwear provides real-washable, underwear-like discretion. Working in tandem with absorbent inserts, its soft fabric underwear with disposable protection that keeps your sons sheets and PJs dry all night.
GoodNites® Bed Mats are also helpful to keep parents from having to wash and change sheets often. All you do is place, peel and protect for a better night, every night.
Waterproof mattress covers are also helpful, to protect your mattress from possible leakage.
What about older kids?
As kids become older, a bed-wetting alarm can help. Enuresis alarms sound in response to wetness, and they have a cure rate of 75%, according to a study published in the journal Pediatric Psychology. There is also medication as a ‘last resort’, however expensive, to help once children are older and want to enjoy sleepovers.
I hope these tips will help your child in dealing with nighttime wetting. Have you experienced nighttime wetting in your family?
