My 8 year old is still wetting the bed fairly regularly, especially this summer without our regular schedule. I do make sure he goes to the bathroom right before bed. Any suggestions?
Saw the doctor today. She basically said what gamma g said. Make sure he's not constipated. She did say try the alarm. She mentioned the medicine but I'm not willing to do that. I'm also not wanting to do pull-ups. I would think that would embarrass him. I've been trying to limit some and bought a waterproof pad. I hope the alarm helps.
As it is described below: wake up him at night to go to bathroom. Ask pediatrician about adenoids. Some of them mentioned that when adenoids are enlarged and he had apnea it could provoke bed -wetting. I just notice that any small cold raise the problem.
Have his hormone levels checked. I had a bed wetting issue that lasted into my teen years - all because my body wasn't making a hormone that would make me wake up to the stimulis of having a full bladder. I literally went to sleep and would not wake up unless my body was finally rested. I took a medication (I think it was DVPP?) for 7 years until it finally starting working... problem was, we found out a decade later the medication is only meant for SHORT TERM and now I cannot sleep longer than 2 hours a stretch because I wake up for anything now.
Urologist, endocrinologist and nephrologist may be some specialists you want to look into for your son.
My nine year-old daughter wet the bed until she was eight. Then it stopped. They do grow out of this, some just take a little longer. Hang in there!
Start a waking schedule for him. Especially since it's summer, you can set the alarm for 12 am and 4 am for at least 21 days. Then set the alarm down to just one or the other... which ever seems to be the time he needs to go. Again at least 21 days. Then stop all together. This should help train the brain and body to wake to go to the bathroom.
My pediatrician and a pediatric urologist would not suggest waking them. My almost 8 year old and almost 11 year old still have accidents. They said waking them though only teaches them to wake up during the night which interrupts their REM cycles. Not good. They need their bladders to mature. I have tried limiting fluids and making sure they use the bathroom and I'll hear my oldest use it again, but sure enough, he still has accidents sometimes. Both pretty much said to just wait it out...
He may be a really hard sleeper. If you all are stopping liquids about 2 hours before bed, going to the bathroom, it may be time to consider one of those alarms. My in-laws swore by them because all of their kids were such hard sleepers. They sell them online and I was about to get one for my 7 yo, when mysteriously (as mysteriously as he started) he stopped having night accidents. . .Just a suggestion.
It happens. There is really nothing hat helps. Limiting drinks just makes him not feel the urge to go, making them wake up every little bit does nothing either. They are asleep and not awake. It only makes you get up, adds to the laundry, etc....
We just deal with it. Buy pull ups for bigger kids and wait it out. You should consider if the child is constipated. The full insides presses on the bladder and can actually press the pee out. That is the only thing the urologist did when my oldest grandson went to see one. He didn't prescribe meds or anything. He said is was still acceptable for kids to wet until they were teenagers even.
I read today at the pediatrician that 1.5% of kids still wet the bed at 18 years old.
Have you ever considered chiropractic care? If there is a misalignment of some of the pelvic bones in can contribute to weakened pelvis support/bladder lifting muscles and can create irritation on nerves that go to the bladder. Most chiropractors, if it is a pelvis problem, can get relief within 2-8 visits. Might be worth a try. At least it is safe and there are no medications or sleep interruptions.
We bought a Malam night time alarm through Amazon.com for our 8 year old daughter and it worked GREAT!!!! She used it for a couple of weeks and no more accidents. Her urologist suggested us getting one a year prior to us actually getting it and I wished we would have gotten it sooner! We were waiting to see if she'd outgrow the night wetting and the price was bit much but it is definitely worth it!
