6 Y/o Still Wets the Bed

My son wet the bed until I found out he was alergic to the fabric softners I was using to wash his clothes (It was my fault, not his). A lot of chiropractors use a system called NAET to verify and eliminate alergies. It can be done in one 60 minute session withOUT sticking any needles in thier little bodies!!!

My son did this also. He sleeps so deeply that he just doesn't wake up to go to the bathroom. We solved it by waking him up when we would go to bed and have him go to the bathroom then. It didn't take long and he started learning to wake up to go on his own.

You could have been talking about my 8 yo daughter. She soaked the bed every night until she was 6. Nothing worked. Then we found out it might be a milk allergy and eliminated all traces of milk (not just the milk products) from her diet and she stopped within two days. Whenever she accidentally ingests something with milk in it, she wets the bed. Otherwise she is totally dry!

Hi A.,

My son is going to be 7 in June and he still wears pullups every night. My husband was a bed wetter as a child. Honestly, it's the least of my worries. I mean, I hate spending the $ on the pullups, but I would hate to have to change bedding every single day more. We don't even mention the wet pullups. I just put a clean one out each night with his pj's and in the morning he throws the wet one in the trash. It's just part of our routine. If he's still wetting the bed at age ten, then I'll get worried, but for now, it's just part of having a boy who's body isn't ready. Good luck to you.

I went through this with my daughter until she was 7. After testing her for everything, including diabetes, I finally went to see a Naturepath. What she told me worked immediately to stop the problem...

The Problem: The bladder releases when blood sugar drops so keeping blood sugar levels up is the key to kids sleeping through the night and having more awareness around needing to pee during the day.

The Solution: Making sure your child is eating a high fat, high protein diet, low sugar diet throughout the day and giving a large high fat/low sugar snack before bed. Water should be given liberally throughout the day and before bed also because dehydration releases the bladder as well (the brain thinks it is starving and blood sugar drops when dehydration sets in).

Bedtime snacks: Cheese with bread or crackers (or just cheese), peanut butter or nut butter with bread or crackers, bean and cheese burrito, fish ~ tuna on toast... what ever you child will eat that is high in fat/protein and low in sugar (make sure your peanut butter is not sweetened).

Water, water, water ~ the more water your child can drink the better.

You won't believe how well this works. Start today and he will be all over the bed-wetting and daytime accidents by next week.

Our pediatrician said that it isn't a worry until the child is 8 years old. Maybe give him some time. I know its frustrating washing sheets all the time, so you could go to a medical supply store and buy those large rectangle disposable blankets that cover an area of his bed sheet (they use them in hospitals - you probably remember from having kids). That way if he wakes up wet you can have him clean up the mess. I knew someone that did this and she said they cost just as much as pull ups.

Just an idea........good luck.

One of my boys wore pull ups at night until age 6 and the other was age 7. It is not considered a medical problem for a child to wet at night until about age 7, I've even heard age 8. I know it can be frustrating, but he is not alone! He is probably just not developmentally ready to hold it through the night yet. It sounds like he's a really sound sleeper too and the feeling of having to go to the bathroom doesn't wake him. I would try to be patient, supportive and tell him he'll stay dry through the night when he's ready. Try to encourage him that it isn't anything to be embarrassed about. I would stop waking him 3x at night. That will really interfere with his sleep and add stress, which may make staying dry more difficult. How about a water proof mattress pad if you don't want to use pull ups? My boys wore pull ups, but then if we were at the family cabin or a hotel, etc. I would also put down a waterproof pad or mattress pad. We mostly avoided sleepovers with friends; I'm not a big fan of them at that age anyhow. My youngest did stay at a friend's house at age 7 when he was mostly staying dry, but still having the occassional accident at night. I told the mom that he still sometimes had accidents at nights and she was very understanding. She said there was a waterproof mattress pad on the bed where he would be sleeping. My boys are 8 and 11 now and hold it a lot longer at night than I ever could! Good luck.

A.-

I am so sorry you are experiencing this
frustration with your little one.

I highly recommend a chiropractic adjustment.
Most times when children are wetting the bed,
there is a nerve pinched or blocked in their
spinal column.

This nerve is the nerve that sends a message
to the brain that one needs to go to the restroom.

I am not sure where you are located, but I know
a wonderful pediatric chiropractor in the
Urbandale, IA area. Please let me know if you
would like their information.

Peace-
A.
www.mygreenhealth.com

It is NOT his fault, he is NOT lazy, and he should not be made to feel guilty. He will grow out of this. Stop trying so hard and let him sleep, let him drink!

I might try the diet changes suggested by another writer, but he doesn't even have to know you are doing that, just suggest and offer different foods/snacks.

Hi A.!

I don't have any personal experience with this, but I did have a coworker once who did (a long time ago & we haven't kept in touch or I would talk to her for you). At that time, her son had undergone adenoid removal surgery, according to her Doc: adenoid issues, very deep sleep patterns and bed-wetting were all connected. It was shortly after the surgery, and things had been improving in their situation. You've mentioned that he was a deep sleeper, you might want to check into the adenoid thing.

Good Luck!
D.

I don't really have advice--just empathy. My son, who just turned 10 is in the same situation. he is a very hard sleeper. we've tried medication which makes him vomit, we've tried get him up, which is next to impossible--i think this is the real reason it is so difficult for him. what is important to us and our pediatrician, is to continue to be positive. my son has successfully had many sleepovers (just changes by himself and brings a bag for the soggy pullup). i plan to discuss w my pediatrician again at our appt at the end of the month.

I had the same feelings as you. My son is a VERY deep sleeper and I tried all that, no drinks after 7pm, waking him up at night, rewards if he woke up dry....NOTHING WORKED! I took him to the doctor she said there's not much I can do. Finally just after turning 8...it slowed to 3-4 times per week then 2x a week then 1x and for about the last six months maybe a total of 2 accidents. So I have to agree that it is just something they grow out of. My son also had sleepovers and things in 1st and 2nd grade and he was not the only one wearing pullups, which made me and him feel a little better! Goodluck!

Not much good advice other than to be patient. Our 9 year old is still having the same problem and we have tried everything and all the doctors that we have went to have told us to just be patient he will eventually outgrow it...what a hard answer that is. Not only h*** o* us as parents, but for him and his self-esteem and confidence- therefore we do not push the issue at all. We do the praise if he stays dry and if he wets do the "oh we'll try again tomorrow night". Its very hard!!! Good luck!! Any other advice I'm open to some also!!!

I've been there! You could try a bed alarm. It is an alarm that you put in the underwear and as he starts to go the alarm goes off. It is VERY sensitive and with just a small drop of wetness it goes off. The sound part is on the shoulder of the PJs by the ear. You can get one over the internet. Now as I say this I also think it may not work for your son. He sounds like my daughter. The alarm could go off and everyone in the house heard it but her. IF you are waking him up there is one important thing....MAKE SURE HE IS AWAKE, TRULY AWAKE WHEN HE GOES OR YOU ARE JUST LETTING HIM GO WHILE HE SLEEPS. This is what worked after a long time of trials and errors.....every person produces a hormone when they go to sleep. Kids that wet may not be producing the hormone. My daughter too a med, I believe it was called, DDAVP. It was the hormone that her body wasn't producing. It didn't always work, but we increased the dose until we found a good dose for her. The good part is that when they go through puberty MOST times the hormonal change is enough to stop the bed wetting. That is how it was for my daughter (age 11) and my nephew (age 12). They both stopped wetting the bed at that time. I know that is a looooong way away. Talk to your Dr about the hormone meds and try a bed alarm. Good luck!!!!!

My son is exactly the same way and I would be interested in any advice anyone has. I finally gave up on the pull ups as they just soak through and I too felt like they were a crutch. I am a single mom so the middle of the nights waking up didn't last long because I need my sleep too. I am at my wits end becuase he also has developed a bad habit of leaving his bed for the couch and he wets there. The couch is completely ruined and I have no idea what to do. I haven't tried anything medical because I just keep thinking he would outgrow it. My mom did tell me that my little brother had the same problem and it turned out to be a medical issue that resolves itself with age.

Hey A., I am with you!!! My son just turned 7 and up until about a month and a half ago he still wet the bed at night. He has been potty trained since he was 2 1/2. He just finally was able to make it through the night. He wore Goodnights every night before now. He still has had handfull of accidents but nothing like before. He would fill his Goodnight AND leak out of it and soak the bed completely. Our son was a really deep sleeper as well. Our pediatritian said that it is still VERY normal for a boy (especially) to be wet at night. It will get better. I just kept being told that it takes time. I know that there are some children who do eventually need meds but I think sometimes meds are given too quickly. My brother needed medication for a really long time to get it under control. He was an adult still taking the medication. I remember wetting the bed through grade school myself. Maybe give it 6 more months or so before giving him possible unnecessary medication. It sounds like you are doing a great job. Just keep in touch with your pediatrition. Hang in there. Sounds like you have experienced a lot in your life. I know you will make it through this - wet sheets and all. Good Luck.

Hi A., We're in exactly the same boat with our 6 year old and I had posted a similar request a couple of months ago. I was assured that this is very normal for boys and that they will outgrow it and we should focus on making sure they don't feel bad about it since they really can't control it; it's not a matter of not trying but not being able. While that was comforting to hear, it didn't really solve the problem. A number of people recommended seeing a chiropractor and we're going to give this a try. My mother spoke to her chiropractor and he explained that often kids get out of alignment when they fall down frequently as a toddler and that the nerve between the kidney and the bladder can't communicate fully - something to that affect. He said it would take about 3 visits to correct it and many have had success. We'll see. We figure it can't hurt so why not give it a try. Good luck!

You say he doesn't respond to an alarm, so this idea may or may not work. But have you tried a bedwetting alarm specially designed to wake heavy sleepers? Somehow these alarms sense the wetness before your child fully releases, and alert your child to get up. The downside is they are kind of expensive. But for what it is worth, you can check out this one at:

http://www.pottytrainingstuff.com/ntrainer.htm

I'd also check with your pediatrician to see if they can perhaps recommend a cheeper brand..there are lots out there.

Some children, especially boys can wet the bed until they are 13 or so, many times it is genetic. It has to do with bladder size, and the inability to wake up to go. The worst thing you can do is to allow him to feel bad about it. It is simply who he is like the color of his hair or the color of his eyes. They have larger and larger size pull ups just for this issue, use them. Let him know that all children develope at different rates, and when his body is ready, he will stop wetting. Getting frustrated helps nothing. When his is physically able to go through the night he will, and he is definitely not a baby. My son was well over 6 before he could go through the night. Once he stopped wetting, he just stopped, it is a physiological issue. Until he was 8 or so, I knew when he was getting sick because he'd wet the bed again. It is frustrating, and I woke my son up for 2 years to go potty at night because he refued to use a pull up once his sister stopped needing it, so count yourself lucky he will still wear one.

Hi, A.,
My son is ten and still wets the bed. He is also a VERY heavy sleeper. If I am up late I wake him to go before I go to bed, but he is not awake when I do! He looks like a zombie and I have to remind him what he is supposed to do five times before he finds the bathroom. I wet the bed until I was a teenager. I remember how hard it was to wake up. Sometimes I thought I was dreaming and then all of asudden I was wet and cold. What made it worse was my older brother and his friends found out about it and teased me to no end. What we do to help our son is to have two waterproof mattress pads. This way he can take off his wet bedding and put in in the laundry room in the morning before anyone even knows he has wet. Then I make the bed for him if I see it is empty. He shares a room with his four year old brother who is completely potty trained even at night. And I know he feels bad because he is older. I just remind him that I was older than he is now and still wetting the bed, and he feels much better about it. My mom wet the bed up until the second year she and my dad were married. It is hereditary. He will out grow it. I know that it took longer for me to out grow because I had several severe bladder infections as a child that caused the feeling or sensation of urinating to go away for awhile. I even had an accident at school, while totally awake in the fourth grade that I remember I did not know was coming. Just be patient and understanding. Stop going in to wake him so much. Have an extra set of bedding to help out when you do not have time to get the wet ones washed right away. You can even buy the bed covers that sit right on top on the sheets that hold up to 6 cups of water. Then if he wets you just pull off the top layer, change his pjs, and tuck him right back in. Mine does this himself. If the top layer is not there, he changes his pjs and climbs into bed with his little brother. I don't even remeber how I out grew and got over the bed wetting. It just all of a sudden stopped. Even into high school I would sleep right through my alarm going off. Thank goodness I shared a room with my little sister or I never would have woke up on time for anything! Good luck!

My son is 10 and still has this problem. We have tried the nose spray (which didn't work), the bedwetting alarm (didn't wake up to it), waking him up several times (still woke up wet, and TIRED) and limiting liquid intake. We have even taken him to a specialist at Mayo just to see if anything was wrong internally. His father had the same problem when he was younger, so we are kind of taking the wait and see approach. The strange thing is that when he has a lot to drink before bed (usually when grandpa and grandma are watching him), he wakes up dry a lot of the time. The main thing is that we keep telling our son that it is NOT his fault, and we are not mad; it is just something we need to try to keep working on.

Does anyone else in your family (your side and/or your husband's) side have a problem with wetting the bed? Usually it is a male that has problems but they say that if a father had problems then the chances of the son having the problem is pretty great. Anyway, we have a nephew on my husband's side who is 13 years old and has to wear pull ups to bed every night. That can be rough when he has sleep overs etc. but it is a lot less embarrassing than wet sheets. I know how you feel about him not feeling any remorse. We used to tease him hoping he'd be want to prove us wrong but nothing worked. We thought by making him do his own laundry to wash his sheets every day that the chore of that would deter him from wetting the bed, but that didn't work. Then we found out it was a real medical problem (but not a bad problem) and so we felt bad that he couldn't help it after all. I think using the pull ups are less of a crutch than waking him up throughout the night because he needs continuous sleep to do well in school, have energy and be alert and so a pull up may not be so bad after all. Some do not outgrow this "medical need" to urinate at night or early am until adulthood. Hope this helped.

There are a couple things that come to mind here, When my son pees the bed, we know that he needs adjusted, chiropractically speaking. We did not realize this until we dove into the neurology of the problem. When taking a look at the control center and communication pathway to the functioning of bladder control, it functions though the posterior ponticals of the brain stem. If your son has an anteriorly postioned C1 misalignment, this could cause a disruption pattern in his awareness of nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting) by hyperexciting the nerve pathway or even blocking th communications.

Some we contribute this to 'Normal' behavior that th child will grow out of. what will happen in this case, is the child will adapt to it and make other compensations. The problem with this however is what other compensations is your child making in his development. I would love for all the mom's on here that feel this is normal, to have their children checked by an upper cervical specialist. If you do not know where to find one, let me know and I will pass this to my husband so he can make a referral to you.

We just want the best for all children and to make sure they are not sufferin from a misalignment that would be restricting thier life energy in growing into their full potential.
Blessings, C.

Hello, My grandaughter who is 6 still has the same problem your son is having. She wears pull ups every single night and they are wet each morning. It doesn't bother her either. Her Mom has put an alarm on her, but that hasn't worked either. She isn't bothered that this happens, just makes sure to tell her Mom when the Pull Ups are getting low and to get her more. Not only is it expensive, but we wonder if she will ever outgrow it either. She has a 18 Mo. old sister who sleeps in the same room, so now I am sure there is no way an alarm will work at all. If you hear any good ideas, I would like to relay them on to my daughter about it. It really is a problem. Good Luck to you.

A., we are in the exact same boat with our 6 y/o boy. He wears Goodnights to bed everynight. They are meant exactly for this purpose. Although it is frustrating for our son and I wish he didn't have to, I think this is just the way it is for now. (We also tried avoiding liquids a few hours before bed and waking him up. Both were torture for all.) My husband wet the bed himself until he was in grade school as did his siblings. Its just genetics. We also have a friend with a 7 y/o boy that doesn't make it through the night.
Instead, keep avoiding the liquids late in the evening, and let this go for now. He will grow out of it -- its very common. Hopefully the both of us will be done dealing with this issue sooner rather than later - just remember - it's worse for him than you. He's probably embarrassed. Try not to make a big deal of it so he doesn't feel like it's bad. He just can't do anything about it now.
T.

I am a grandma, but my niece had the same problem which lasted untill about 13. It is a weak bladder, i would try things that are natural to strenghten the bladder including cranberry if the drink alot of soda. Sometimes meds help but if you are seeing the same doctor try a specialist. Dr's have a license to practice medicine. Nowhere does it state they know everything and their word is gold. The key word is "practice". Limit the drinks after 8:00 to sips of water, or ice chips, this may help. Visit a health & vitamin store.

I have a 7 year old who still wets the bed. He wears pull-ups most nights, but he sometimes asks to wear underwear. He can go sometimes for weeks without wetting, and then he starts again. I think that he is such a hard sleeper, he doesn't know he is doing it. We have decided not to make a big deal out of it. He was worried about staying at a friend's house one time, but he did stay and told us that his friend also wears pull-ups. Sounds like it is a common problem, so you are not alone.
We have a daughter who had the same problem. She got her tonsils and adenoids out because of numerous throat infections. It is strange, but she never wet the bed again after her surgery. It makes me wonder if tonsils and adenoids can have an effect on bed wetting.

Totally normal alot of kids don't outgrow this problem til closer to 10years old. It's a physical thing with their bladder. Be paitent and buy some pullups or overnights. There is nothing you can do to rush this phase.

DONT wake your child up 3x a night, he needs a good solid night of sleeping not a constant waking. Your only going to make him feel something is wrong with him and scar him.

I just have to second the one poster who shared her experience with the alarm that attaches to the underwear and shirt.
My son was and STILL is a heavy sleeper. He was cured of bedwetting after just 3 nights with the alarm(disclaimer: Results not typical. It usually takes a little longer). I had to WAKE him up and get him up for the first 2 nights to go potty and help him quickly remove the wet bedding and put him back to bed (you're already getting up in the middle of the night now), but on the third night he was up and into the bathroom by the time I got to him after I heard the alarm.
It's not training his conscious mind since they're sleeping. It's training the unconscious mind to tighten the muscle to hold the pee in and THEN wake up and go potty.
This system FULL price cost a little over $100, but you will save so much on pull ups and peace of mind!!!
Don't hesitate to use an bedwetting alarm because he's a deep sleeper. It will work!!
Yes, he'll probably outgrow this with time, but there are some pro-active things you can do. I'm a very laid back kind of person about these things, but when my friend told me about the success she had, I jumped on it. Gratefully, it worked.

My son wet the bed regularly until he was almost 12, then less and still does occasionally at 13. We have had wonderful support and tried everything in the book to help him get through the night dry and comfortable. I've been told that it is hereditary, and that they do outgrow it. The fact that he's such as sound sleeper is a good thing, but certainly contributes to the problem. My son didn't wake up when we had bed alarms when he started wetting and we heard it from across the house. We are firm believers in Pull-ups and not making a big deal about it. Our son was finally prescribed the DDAVP? and had to take 3 pills at night to have an effect. Along with fluid intake restriction (which really is no fun, but neither is laundry at 4am) - the meds did seem to work for us as he got older. I was more worried about the social/emotional impact that the situation would have on my son, but as far as I know, he's sensitive about it, but realizes that it's just his body's way of reminding him that he's not all grown up yet! Good luck.

We are in the exact same situation with our daughter, she is going on six and wets the bed every night. We too, think she is just become dependent on the pull ups and has stopped really trying ("I peed because I thought I had a pullup on!") . I have decided to no longer use pull ups and wait it out. I am willing to go for a good 4-6 weeks to break what I think might be dependence on the pull ups. We just started a few days ago so I cant give you a progress report, sorry. I am working hard to not show her my anger or frustration when she does wet, just a simple "Ok, get changed and go back to bed". Good luck!

My son who is now 13 didn't stop wetting the bed until he was 9. He was very embarrassed by it and wouldn't stay over at friends overnight. I tried everything. I used a palstic sheet under his bed sheets and he didn't like the feel of pull ups. Nothing really worked, he just out grew it. I noticed if I got mad about it, then it got worse. Just be patient. My husband, who is now my ex, always fought and I think that bothered my son. When I left my husband then my son stopped wetting the bed. He would wet once in awhile at his dad's, but not by me.

Goodluck

I have a friend with a 9-year-old who still wears a Pull-up-type thing to bed. He's wet nearly every night. My brother was the same way. I've been told some kids--especially boys--take longer for their bladders to mature and there's really nothing they can do about it. Eventually it will stop. Unfortunately, I don't think there is a quick fix...

Hi A.,

I feel your frustration. Find another doctor and get to the source of why he is sleeping so hard. That would scare me.

By going to several different doctors, you get several opinions. By reading your question, it looks as though you have exhausted every thing any of us would try.

I was mis-diagnosed by several doctors for several years.
The one thing I learned is that doctors, God love them, but they all have different experiences, different training.
There is obviously something going on here. Why not find someone who will listen to you & do something.

God Bless!

J.

My almost 11 year old still has issues. DDAVP did not work for him. He sleeps too hard, we just to get him up once or twice at night and it wouldn't work because he wouldn't wake to the brain signal to get up. What worked is a Malem Wearable bed alarm. It is a little pager that clips to his pajama top and a cord that attaches to the front of the underwear. When your son begins wetting, the alarm goes off. This worked in 4 weeks for us, we have to wear it every now and then as he has an occassional accident, but it has made a huge difference in his life. He actually wears it on the inside of his shirt, and he doesn't use the alarm, he just uses the vibration to wake him when he wets.
It is a wonderful tool and so worth the money. Check out Ebay and betwettingstore.com for the malem alarm. It works wonders. There are many different alarms, The wearable alarms are the easiest because it stops the wetting as soon as it goes off. There will be some sleepness nights with the alarm going off, but it is worth it! Good luck!

A friend's daughter had issues with bedwetting until she took her to a chirpractor for an adjustment, the bedwetting stopped. On occasion her daughter would take a fall ( like at the playground or something) the bedwetting returned and she took her back in for an adjustment and she said it
always stopped the bedwetting.

With our own children we noticed they would make little sounds or get a little restless in their sleep right before they wet the bed, we quickly got them up and brought them to the bathroom. You almost need to use a baby monitor to hear the sounds, unless they are in the room right next to you or you are a light sleeper. After a few weeks of listening for that sound and talking to them about it before they went to bed they were trained and would get up on their own. I also noticed on nights they took baths the bedwetting was worse ( I watched so they didn't drink the water -- so I don't know why this was--absorption???) Hope you find something that works!

P.S. When my boys were training, at night I put chubs (big absorbent pads) on their beds it helped not having to strip their beds so often.

If your son is as sound of a sleeper as you say, that is the problem, not laziness or too much to drink. Both my kids were bed wetters (as was I) and it was simply a matter of being sound sleepers. He will eventually outgrow this. Out of concern for my son, I took him to a doctor when he was 10 to make sure there wasn't a physical problem and there wasn't. The doctor told me that boys especially tend to be heavy sleepers and it is just a matter of time for them to outgrow it. My son was nearly 14 before it stopped. I didn't make a big deal out of it, he couldn't control that he was such a sound sleeper and waking him up at night was more trouble than it was worth (he wouldn't wake up enough and would go everywhere but in the toilet).

The best thing you can do is to help him take control of it. Buy a laundry basket just for his wet bedding and have him strip his bed each morning after he wets. Fabreze works wonders for helping eliminate smell on the bed. Perhaps a plastic sheet on the bed and show him how to wipe it down in the mornings. As he gets older, even show him how to wash and dry his own bedding and bedclothes.

Whatever you do, don't make him feel as if he's less than simply because his body hasn't caught up to him yet. This will only prolong the problem. Simply show him how to manage the after effects himself, which will give him a sense of self control, and the problem will eventually resolve itself in due time.

My son, at 16, is still a very heavy sleeper (he recently slept through the noise of a neighbors house setting on fire and their oxygen tanks blowing up and all the sirens and emergency activity that went on in front of our house for several hours. When he woke up he was suprised to find that so much had happened right outside of his window) but he has grown beyond the bed wetting and is thankful that we didn't make a big deal of it and allowed him to handle it on his own as his body matured to where it needed to be for him to control it. Your son is not a baby, nor lazy, simply a sound sleeper who needs some time, support, and understanding. The less he feels ashamed or embarrassed of it, the more quickly he will learn to control it on his own.

Both of my children wet the bed until they were 7 or 8 years old and so did I when I was a kid (until about 12 for me!). It was horribly embarrassing the older I got but luckily I had a Mom who was loving and kind and didn't treat me like it was my fault. She showed my how to put my bedding in the wash machine and turn it on- most of the time I'd put it in there in the middle of the night because I was so frustrated myself. Usually the child is a hard sleeper and they don't realize that they are even going until they have all ready gone and then it is too late. For me, I learned to sleep on my back and then I didn't wet the bed as much. For my kids, we woke them up a couple times a night for a short time and then they were done. I know it's hard to do especially when we have to get up to work, but it will be worth it. I'm not a doctor, but I know the neurons in the brain have not been developed to feel the sensation enough to wake up during the night. Once these neurons have connected like they have to do for everything else we do, then your child will start to wake up. Please be kind to him- he really cannot help it. I know it's a pain to wash him up and the bedding but he is not doing it on purpose, he is not lazy and it is very embarrassing. This too shall pass!

HI A.,
I've heard artificial colors and flavors can effect bed wetting. When we took our son off all of them he stopped. He's not the only one I heard of. For a couple of folks it was yellow 5.
Best of luck,
S.
Mamasource business listed.

I know how frustrating this can be. Between my six kids, I've seen quite a wide range. My first two were dry at night from a bit after they were out of diapers in the daytime. My third son wore pull ups until about 7.5, then all of a sudden was having more dry nights and finally was totally dry at night. My fifth is still in pull ups at night at 5.5 with and is just starting to not always have them really wet in the morning, but only once has been dry. My fifth, a 3.5 yo girl, has been dry since she was out of daytime diapers. For my two boys in the middle that wore/are wearing pull ups for quite a while, I tried all different things to help them stay dry. We'd put an X with a sharpee marker on it each morning it was dry and try to get three for a reward (wearing the same pull up the next night)once he was having some dry nights, I've tried waking them to use the bathroom, limiting drinks after dinner, etc. NOthing really seemed to work. I wanted to enjoy them rather than have negative times each day, so I decided not to worry. I figured they would not go to college in pull ups. The only thing that I punish for(with an immediate bedtime)is when he peed in the pull up while awake(before bed). For example, if he gets ready for bed then has a snack and plays for a bit before bed with the other kids. If he pees in his pull up then, he has to change it and head right to bed. And I have him remove it right when he wakes up, even if he doesn't get dressed immediately, so he doesn't get used to the wet feeling.

Once when my oldest son was having a sleep over when he was pobably 8, I asked the kids all to get ready for bed. I realized that ALL the friends(boys) in attendance, except my two oldest wore pull ups and they were all about 7-9! I was really surprised. Some of the boys got dressed in the bathrom and put their pull up in a bag and back into their suitcase in the morning so others wouldn't know, while others just threw it in the bathroom trash. So there are ways of being private about it at sleepovers. You could even pack it in the rolled up sleeping bag and have him slide it on when he gets into the sleeping bag for bed.

A.,

It sounds like your son has a sleeping disorder. The best place to get help is the Enuresis Treatment Center. Their website is www.nobedwetting.com . The good news is their success rate is 97% and they have been around since 1975. They cure the problem of your son falling into a sleep so deep he is nearly in a coma like state. They don't just try to convenience the symptoms like pediatricians do (suggesting pull ups or medication) until he hopefully someday outgrows it. You pay for the treatment only once no matter what and they will keep working with your son no matter how long it takes, usually 3-6 months. The bad news is the treatment is over $2000. They have payment plans if you can't pay for it up front.

Something to consider is that a major study in the British Journal of Urology (May 2006) concluded that if a seven-year is wetting just one or two nights per week, he has a 96% chance of wetting until at least age 15. If they wet three to six times, they have a 76% chance of wetting until at least age 19. If your son was able to outgrow this, he would have done it by now.

The people at the Enuresis Treatment Center are very helpful and they will do a free phone consultation to answer your questions and help you decide if this is right for your son.

Good luck,
S.