Still night time bedwetting in 7YO w/ Asperger's?

Megan - posted on 04/08/2013

I remember so well how frustrated and helpless I felt to help my son stop wetting the bed. So please know you and your child are not alone. My child wet every single night until he was 8 years old. He just used pull ups when he was younger. I kept a no big deal attitude. When he reached age 8 the bedwetting began to lower his self esteem. He worried that his friends would find out and he wanted to go to sleepovers.My doctor recommended using a bedwetting alarm. So I talked with him about using a bedwetting alarm and we read the book Prince Bravery and Grace-Attack of the Wet Knights. He wanted to try the alarm. I purchased the malem with alarm and vibration. For any child who might really have a hard time with the loud alarm, there is also one where you can record the sound or music that wakes the child.
He slept right through it at first -which is typical of a child who wets at night. Typically the childs brain does not recognize the full bladder signal while sleeping. The alarm trains the brain to react to the full bladder signal. The alarm goes off as soon as it detects moisture, then I would wake him and send him to bathroom to finish and change. We had the bed set with several waterproof mattress pads. Gradually he began to wake by himself. And in less than three months he went from wet every single night to dry every single night. I found a lot of positive information about bedwetting and alarm use at www.braveryandgrace.com
Also new medical studies have linked constipation to bedwetting, don't overlook this as a contributing factor. Ask your pediatrician to treat your child for constipation and see if this helps. And try soy milk for a couple weeks to see if that helps. If not, I would strongly recommend first getting the Prince Bravery book, then a bedwetting alarm. The look on my son's face when he realized he had overcome the bedwetting was worth every single second of lost sleep.
Good luck and God Bless!

Also, I found the books, alarms and waterproof mattress pads at this webstore:
http://astore.amazon.com/bravandgrac-20?...
hope it helps!

Linda - posted on 03/27/2013

I had the same problem with my grandson. I purchased a Bed wetting alarm from PottyMD. It's an alarm that fastens to their underwear/pull ups. When they begin to urinate an alarm goes off and wakes the child to let them know that they need to wake up and go potty. After about a month his brain recognized the sensation of having to urinate, and he would automatically wake up. It's worth a try. We had fantastic results with it.

Shelby - posted on 10/13/2012

I have a 10yr old boy who still has bed wetting issues - imiprimene really helps him and then we simply made it into 'rule' - if he wets the bed he has his routine and bags up wet stuff, showers, changes and remakes his bed. He actually prefers to have 'responsiblities' and it makes life easier for me. He has gone from wetting every night to maybe once a month so that is awesome. Although, until the 'rule' was made, he saw no need to shower or clean up if he was wet... he would also not mention anyhing and just go back to bed the next night with dirty sheets and pj's. Totally baffles me. He's never in trouble for having an accident.... it just didn't occur to him until I explained why and made the 'rule'.

Gladys - posted on 10/05/2012

My son son is 8yo with no problems. His doctor said he will grow out of it, but only after the meds they put him on didn't work. My son sleep right thru it. He will pee twice a night and is with a every 4hr wake up to go to the bathroom.

Susan - posted on 07/31/2010

Hi I have an 11 yr old daughter who we hd tried everything you could possibly think of meds, which made her worse or so emotional that she was a basket case every day/night, to bed alarm which traumatized her betond belief, we had ultrasounds, cystoscope procedure ,you name it we tried it and failed. oh yah her tonsils/ adenoids removed thinking sleep apnea she was tested and did not have it .
We were at a loss, until I read in my local newspaper, that a milk sensitivity could be the culprit AHA finally the light went on we removed the milk from her diet replaced it with soy/almond milk and have not had a wet night since January 2010. Woo Hoo mommy figured it out .!!!! Hope this helps at least one child and or parent

Andrea - posted on 07/27/2010

My son was also diagnosed with a sleep disorder for which he takes medication. He sleeps so soundly that he is unable to wake himself at night to go to the bathroom. Does anyone else have experience with sleep disorders and bedwetting? My son is 5. We don't make a huge deal out of the pull ups so that he won't become anxious about it. Just wondering how long this may continue. Thanks.

Michelle - posted on 11/29/2009

My sons were both wetting the bed well into their teens - then it just stopped more or less dead - my youngest is 17 now, he has probably been completely dry at night for not much more than a year. I am sure it is something to do with the sensory disorders that often go hand in hand with AS. I am just thankful that it is finished now - it was the worst thing to deal with especially trying to prevent the feeling of humiliation it would cause them...........

Sandy - posted on 10/23/2009

My asperger's son had trouble with bedwetting and we tried all of the above suggestions to no avail. my doc finally suggested one of the battery-operated alarms. He was resistant at first, and when that thing would go off at the first sign of moisture, it would sound like a train whistle. I swear i thought it would wake the dead. But it would wake him, and after wearing it just a couple of months, the bedwetting stopped. I kept the alarm, and in the next couple of years, we did have to go back to it a couple of times for a week or two when he would re-lapse, but by the time he was approaching age ten the alarm and bedwetting was just like a bad dream.

Kelly - posted on 10/22/2009

Kids with Aspergers tend to sleep heavier than normal (that's after you actually get them to sleep) Because of the heavy sleep, they tend not to be in touch with the sensations most people feel. They aren't very in tune with their bodies anyway. It will get better and there may be some relapses but all the things that may or may not work will just frustarte you more. There are some things you can't modify, it will happen naturally.

Gina - posted on 10/22/2009

I don't know whether this has something to do with aspergers or not, but my hunch is that it does (sensory issues). And I agree with another reply about the brain/body connection. My son didn't stop wetting until he was almost 10. We had sleepover issues as well and he was mortified for anyone to know he wore a pull-up. What we did was set up a plan with our son before a friend came to spend the night. Having a plan seems to help him not perseverate on something. We agreed that he would put on his pjs over his underwear. Then he put the pull-up on during the last bathroom visit before actually going to bed. I don't remember pull-up-in-movement sounds ever being identified by his friends. Then immediately when he woke up the next morning he would go to the bathroom and change again into his underwear and either stay in pjs or get dressed. I would be on "standby" and promptly discard his pull-up incognito. It worked well enough for us. Best of luck to you, and bedwetting will stop someday! P.S. Acting like its no big deal was the very best thing we could've done - use this to teach him how to problem-solve and move on!

Sharon - posted on 10/22/2009

Hi,
I have a twelve year old child with PDD who is still wearing a pull-up. I have tried everything to night train him to no avail. I think some children just have weak bladders, I keep hoping he will outgrow the problem. Every few months I try again. Just know you are not alone! Good luck!

Cathy - posted on 10/22/2009

My 16-yr-old with Asperger's still wets more than occasionally. This has nothing to do with Asperger's. About 15 percent of all children still wet the bed after age 5, and generally about 15 percent of them stop each year. Time will tell, though in my son's case, puberty helped. So did patience and teaching him how to run the washing machine (at about age 7). As for sleepovers etc., use a pullup. He can put it on in a sleeping bag. Give him a bag to wrap it in (so it doesn't smell the next morning), and encourage him to shower/wash every day. You can try drugs. DDAVP in either pill form or nasal spray works for some. Or imipramene works for others (up to 3 pills) but 10 pills are fatal, so keep them locked up. There's one other drug that I don't know the name of, but my son had bad reactions to it -- night sweats, sleeplessness, etc. There are also bed alarms, but then you don't sleep either. Ask your husband and his brothers or your brothers if they were bedwetters. Genetics plays a huge role in this. Then, grit your teeth, buy lots of extra sheets for his bed, and be prepared to wash them often -- like nightly. He can't help it. But he can help clean it up!

Amber - posted on 10/22/2009

Mine too- goes right through pull up, we use hospital grade fabric/plastic bed pads from med. supply store. Dr. says he will grow out of it, if there is sleepovers he can be put on meds, but he already takes enough meds-dont want to do that.

Nancy - posted on 10/19/2009

My typical daughter wet at night sometimes until age 9, outgrew it. My autistic son, on the other hand, never wet at night after age 5, but we could not get that boy to poop in the toilet consistenly until age 9!! I wouldn't be concerned if the doc is not - he will most likely outgrow it.

Holly - posted on 10/18/2009

My son is 9 and still wets the bed. He is in goodnights and even will pee thru them, and the blankets/sheets. I think he is a sound sleeper with the meds he gets at dinnertime. Also--genetics. Dh was wet until 12y. But then--he is also Aspergers. One of my NT kids was over 5y before she was dry.

April - posted on 10/16/2009

There are some very good cloth training pants out there that look like regular underwear...even some boxer shorts. My aspie son who is also 7 still occasionally wets the bed. We have something to protect his mattress and I think it helps that they feel they are getting wet instead of wearing diapers or pull ups. Its a pain at first to get up in the middle of the night and change them but the instances of wetting have decreased dramatically.

Heather - posted on 10/16/2009

I had trouble with my son wetting the bed as well. Then, when he was about 9, he started sleepwalking at night, and wetting in his closet. We tried all sorts of things to try and resolve this issue, but eventually he stopped on his own, around age 11.

Karen - posted on 10/15/2009

My son was wetting the bed, at least occasionally, until he was 10 or 11. He wore pull-ups to Scout camp. They do sell the ones that are more like underwear. I know that one thing that helped my son was treating it like no big deal, letting him know that other kids go through it, and he would grow out of it. His doctor felt that his medication was the most likely cause of him sleeping so soundly. He wouldn't even wake after he wet the bed.

Margaret - posted on 10/15/2009

my son was wetting the bed until recently. He was taking along time to fall asleep so when he finally fell asleep, he fell soundly and wet the bed. He is now on full strength melatonin. He is asleep by 8.30am and no longer wetting bed. Could your issue be similar? (my son is 9)

Sheila - posted on 10/12/2009

Hi, bedwetting can be a result of an "immature" connection between the brain and the bladder. A chemical increase of ? makes the bladder "hold on" through the night. This sometimes doesn't kick in until 12 or 13. There is medication that can help, but really a urologist should prescribe it (ideally, a urologist who specializes with children...very specific). The only thing that concerned our doc was was there every a lengthy period of time where we got through the night dry? Answer NO, so no backsliding, just is what it is...check family history on both sides, find out if there are bedwetters OR any adults who were bedwetters...increases the odds that your child will be as well. I am sorry I don't remember the specifics, as we had this conversation with the doctor almost two years ago....and I am describing my typical child. My child with ASD goes dry REGARDLESS of fluid intake! Go figure that!! LOL.



Good luck and don't worry! That bladder brain disconnection is more common than you would think!

Gayle - posted on 10/12/2009

Thanks! I have him in "goodnites" so the sheets are okay. We have really tried limiting, he doesn't drink after 6 pm! He goes to sleep about 8:30 and pees right before that. I'm sorry you're having the same problem. Does your pedi. seem concerned?

Bethany - posted on 10/12/2009

i have the same issue with my 6 year old with the same diagnosis and the same issue, they sell sheet protectors, that are plastic that are sold at most dollar stores. they work really well, also, limit liquids after dinner, so that there is nothing in the bladder, and have him try going before he goes to bed, so that the bladder is empty

Gayle - posted on 10/12/2009

Quoting CRYSTAL:

Have you tried increasing fluids? We push water and mostly water. I recently had a lab done and they thought my kid had got toliet water in the cup. I had watched him pee. It was so clear (which is good). At first adding more water means peeing more but after about 2 weeks the toxins are flushed and even myself need to go less. It helped my son overcome the bedwetting battle. Every now and then he has a relapse but it usually means he's getting sick.

I have not heard of that!!! I will try it and see how it goes. Very interesting. Thanks!

CRYSTAL - posted on 10/12/2009

Have you tried increasing fluids? We push water and mostly water. I recently had a lab done and they thought my kid had got toliet water in the cup. I had watched him pee. It was so clear (which is good). At first adding more water means peeing more but after about 2 weeks the toxins are flushed and even myself need to go less. It helped my son overcome the bedwetting battle. Every now and then he has a relapse but it usually means he's getting sick.