Potty training problem? My son WETS the BED. What should I do?

Melissa - posted on 09/19/2010

He may be a really heavy sleeper, so if you get him up, he will get even less of that good sleep. Underjams look sort of like boxers and come in bigger sizes. He's not wetting the bed to upset you. Some boys take years to be night trained, but it's not anything they can help. Try getting up shortly before he's supposed to and check the bed. Sometimes kids will wake up when they have to go but still be partially asleep and have an accident, especially when they're young.

Sabrina - posted on 09/14/2010

We had the same problem and I started waking him up and taking to the potty in the middle of the night at first I did it 2 times a night and then I eventually started doing it once a night. Now he occasionally gets up on his own in the night but. I am pregnant and have to get up myself a few times a night so I just wake him up when I am up it seems to be working. Hasn't had an accidents since. He even stayed at a friends house and woke himself up to potty in the night so he wouldn't have an accident. Good luck I know how frustrating this is.

Moniqueca - posted on 09/12/2010

My daughter went thru this or maybe still going through this since we haven't hit our three month mark yet. The bedwetting has been on n off for 1.5 yrs. When it strtd I freaked out, surfed the net, talked to friends/doctor...who ever could help but....my pediatrician told me he could not doing anything until my girl turned 5 so I have tried alot of different things to see what helps her.

Keep ur son hydrated through out the day but after 5/6 ish depending on his bedtime cut the liquids. Give him one glass at dinner and try not to give him foods that are high in liquids (fruits). Sit him on the toilet before bedtime. As long as my daughter has enough fluids thru out the day she will be okay with a cutback in the evening. On the days when she wanted more, I would give her no more than a cup (measured).

I ,also,woke my daughter up between 12-2:00am and led her to the bathroom, I carried her but thats more work and shes still asleep so her body thinks she is wetting the bed. I held her hand n made sure she was alert enough to know she was on the toilet. The accidents stopped of course and once I stopped waking her up they began again.

So I tightened up the liquids at night and put her in pull ups. We made a big to do about putting her in pull ups -- we would talk to her about "big girls" use the potty all the time and don't wear diapers. It has been hit or miss until about 5 wks ago, I went to put give her pull up and she said "Mommy can I wear my panties, I'll try real hard..I'm a big girl." Fast forward --so far so good. She has been getting up on her own or waiting until the morning. In saying all this, try what works for ur family and give him a lil time- it may be an immature bladder or heavy sleeping. When he turns 5, if the problem still exists talk to ur pediatrician.

Darby - posted on 09/12/2010

I still have my daughter in a pullup at naptime and bedtime. She frequently wakes up dry from naptime but hasn't yet with bedtime.

Nikeda - posted on 09/10/2010

Try waking him up in the middle of the night routinely. My son had the same problem and now he's hasn't had an accident in the last 6mos. Make sure he does stop drinking a couple hrs before bed as Carisa said....It really helps.

Sherri - posted on 09/10/2010

DO NOT wake your child at night. Pediatrician says it is detrimental to wake them at night it breaks there sleep and it just leads to exhausted kids and it doesn't work anyways.

Brandi - posted on 09/10/2010

With my 4y/o I have him go potty before bed and I also get him up at midnight to potty.You might want to try every few hours to start with then gradually get him up less often until it's once a night or so.My son hasn't had any accidents since I started doing it 6 months ago.

Sherri - posted on 09/08/2010

NOT TRUE TAMICKA!!

Avoid lots of fluids before bed
It is important to keep your child hydrated. Drinking enough water helps the body function properly and helps keep the kidneys healthy. However, encouraging your child to drink most of his or her water intake earlier in the day so that less water is drunk in the hour or two before bedtime can help ensure that the body does not produce lots of urine at night.

Remember, though: Encourage your child to drink more fluids, not less, even if it does mean some wet nights. Drinking fluids helps the bladder and kidney function well, which will help ensure dry nights in the long run. Dehydration and lack of fluids will not solve anything, and may make the problem worse as people with smaller bladder retention have a harder time staying dry at night.
Watch what fluids your child drinks
Some fluids cause more problems that others. While your child is trying to overcome bedwetting, it is often best to stick with water. Colas, dark teas, and coffee all contain caffeine that irritates the bladder and also may increase the urgency to urinate more frequently. If your child is older, alcohol may also affect bedwetting by ensuring that motor controls (needed to wake up) are affected while the need to urinate is increased.

Apple juice also seems to cause increased urine in some children, thanks to the two substances, patulin and gallic acid, that it contains. Encourage your child to eat apples during the day, but do not serve apple juice or applesauce in the evenings.
Watch what your child consumes
Some parents have also found that sugary foods, carbonated drinks, milk, yellow cheese and other products containing these foods. Try cutting specific foods from your child’s diet for a while to see whether these foods have any effect on bedwetting. Monitor what your child eats before bedtime closely and eliminate any foods that seem to contribute to bedwetting, or at least limit these foods to morning.

Remember: When limiting specific foods, take great care to ensure that you child eats a balanced diet that still includes plenty of foods from each food group. Bedwetting is a minor problem compared to vitamin deficiency.

Tamicka - posted on 09/08/2010

stop giving him liquids at night.

Alison - posted on 09/07/2010

Sherri, I have always thought it felt ridiculous to wake a sleeping child to use the toilet. If it was all up to me (and it is not), I would leave my girls in Pull-ups until they start waking with a dry diaper. Once the bladder control is there, it seems to take care of itself.

Be patient and do not punish him for wetting his bed.

I also had a discussion with another mom yesterday (who wet her bed for a VERY long time) and she and I agree that it is cruel to deprive your child of a drink before bed. Limiting may help, but I think it all comes down to bladder control.

Sherri - posted on 09/06/2010

DO NOT wake your child at night. Pediatrician says it is detrimental to wake them at night it breaks there sleep and it just leads to exhausted kids and it doesn't work anyways.

Elizabeth - posted on 09/06/2010

It really depends on the child, my 7 yo still wets the bed (about once a week) even though we get her up to go to the toilet before we go to bed. My 4 yo on the other hand is fine he doesn't need to be woken and rarely wets the bed (only if he has fizzy drink or cordial in the afternoon/evening). If he's wetting every night, I'd try taking him to the toilet before you go to bed, if that doesn't work put a pull up on him and try again in 6 months or so. I know a few kids who wet the bed almost every night until they were 8 or 9 so there's no rush.

Sherita - posted on 09/05/2010

we parent usually stay up after we put da child 2 bed so u tym him n wake him up u knw pick him up rather n take him 2 da bathroom n tell him 2 use it keep doin it every 30 mins until u feel all dat liquid is out n until u go 2 bed yourself i have a 3yr old n he wakes up n goes 2 da bathrm n i did eveythyng i'm tellin u dont get me wrong cuz sumtymes dey has an accident but dats ok they wait 2 da last minute wen dey think they r missin sumthyng like havin fun n sumtymes i might 4 get 2 make him go 2 da bthrm b4 he falls a sleep n i go 2 sleep n don't get mad i blame myself cuz i shouldve gotten up but i b 2 tired wat i'm sayin is dat it happens don't put no pull ups on him dats like u goin bacwards again once u take dem out leave dem out he's doin gud wen he's up n u said he wipes hisself very well so he is a big boii nw i always say 2 my son big boys do big thyngs i say dat 2 him 2 show him dis is wat big boys dont do piss n da bed or on hisself n he tells me i want 2 b a big boii mommy lol its cute but it helps u n him from being frustrated u knw n keep talkin 2 him dont put no trainin pants on him basd thyng n wat u need is 4 daddy 2 show him or a big brutha u knw cuz dis is dey thyng da daddy thyng

Michelle - posted on 09/05/2010

Try pull-ups and cut down the last drink before bed. If he has it just before he goes to bed then try 30 mins before if that doesn't help try and hour before. He might just be too tired to wake up and go to the toilet. Keep a potty in his room to help if he doesn't quite make it. Maybe if he's too tired try and get him to bed a little earlier which may help. Then he might just suprise you!. Don't worry it's not a big thing some children can hold it or wake just enough to make it to the toilet. ALOT of childreen wet the bed sometimes into teens but don't be discouraged. I know it's hard as i am a mother of a 4yr old. I have trouble teaching my son to wipe properly but just remember he's just a child. They have soooo much to learn just be patient. Good luck and let us know how he does. xxx

Sherri - posted on 09/04/2010

His little body is immature. He can't make it through the night. He will out grow it but not until his body is mature enough. Put him in pull ups until he is little older. It isn't his fault and he will out grow it but it may be a day, month or a few more years.

Carisa - posted on 09/04/2010

Put him in a diaper or overnight underpants...it is very common for kids to wet the bed at night...if he is a really heavy sleeper he probably can't wake up when he needs to go...Also, make sure he goes to the potty before bed, and don't give him liquids a couple of hours before bed.