Help! My 8 year old still wets the bed!

Megan - posted on 12/03/2012

Sending out a big hug! I remember how frustrating this was for my son. I have a child who wet the bed nightly (often several times) until he was 8 years old. At first, I just invested in a couple pair of washable, waterproof underwearhttp://astore.amazon.com/bravandgrac-20?... this webpage has lots to choose from in lots of different sizes even waterproof boxers. And used a waterproof sheet protectorhttp://astore.amazon.com/bravandgrac-20?... to minimize the laundry.

At the age of seven the bedwetting began to chip away at his self esteem. We solved his bed wetting by using an alarm. A child who wets at night has a sleep pattern in which the brain does not react to the full bladder signal. The alarm gradually trains the child's brain to react. He went from being wet every single night to completely dry in about 6 weeks. The bed wetting alarm http://astore.amazon.com/bravandgrac-20?... has given us years of dry nights.

My child absolutely loved the children's book, Prince Bravery and Grace - Attack of the Wet Knights. It is the story of a young prince who struggles with "the Wet Knights" and eventually defeats them by using an alarm. It's funny yet empathetic and gave him the understanding and motivation to end the bed wetting. The best advice for parents about how to stop bedwetting I found is the book, Seven Steps to Nighttime Dryness, by Renee Mercer. Invest in the books-they make the process so much easier, then an alarm -its the best decision I ever made.www.braveryandgrace.com

Nancy - posted on 11/29/2012

My 7-year-old daughter just reached the milestone of two weeks dry. We used a bedwetting alarm (Malem, I believe is the name), with the book that was suggested to accompany it. Search for bedwetting alarms on amazon.com, and you'll find it. It took a good three weeks of seemingly little progress, but it finally clicked, and now her brain and bladder have made the magic connection.



Re laundry -- I feel your pain. Do NOT go back to Pull-Ups. I know it's tempting, but it just prolongs the problem. Instead, get the disposable bed pads now on the market (I bought them at Target). They stick to the bottom sheet and protect the bottom sheet, mattress pad and mattress. My daughter wraps herself up in her top sheet while she sleeps, so I was washing the top sheet most days, but that's nothing compared to what you're going through.



Hang in there! Remind your son you know he isn't wetting on purpose, and empathize with his feelings. I told my daughter she was not allowed to go on sleepovers until she stayed dry at night. I also built in rewards for milestones (e.g., a movie with me after one week, an outing at a pizza and arcade place with a friend at two weeks). Try to stay positive around your son. (Vent your frustration in the laundry room :).



Good luck!

Alicia - posted on 11/29/2012

I think he have bladder controls problem , you should bring him to another doctor if this one doesn't help . They may give him some medicine to take

Hilary Chin Sie - posted on 11/26/2012

Hi all, my 8 year old son is also wetting the bed. This is not a medical problem but a 'fear', 'angst', 'afraid of missing out' problem. As a child his 'so called dad' promised him things and never get to give it to him. From there he don't go to pee because he is still afraid he will miss on things at the time he goes for a pee..

At night he wets the bed.



Send your child every 2 hours during the day to go for a pee.. in the evening make sure your child eats and drinks the last meal at least 2 hours before going off to bed, so he/she still has time to empty the bladder before entering bed at night 8:00PM.. Parents often don't go to bed so early, so just before you enter your room (11:00 PM), wake your child and take him/her to the bathroom for a 'just before midnight pee; force the peeing by opening the water pipe or making a sound like water 'sj sj sj'. During early hours after 12 many people get up to go for a pee again, wake your child and take him/her again (03:00am or 5:00 am).



Remember that babies ate at 8 - 11 - 2 and 5 o'clock; and pampie change would be right after these times, it's just the same with your bedwetter.. until he gains your trust as a parent, he will automatically get up at night and walk to the bathroom around these hours for the late night pee. Make sure boys sit on the pot especially at these late hours, otherwise hell will come down in the morning... Good Luck to you all! I did this for 3 months and we are on our way to big boys life...

Emma - posted on 11/16/2012

My daughter was a bed wetter every night and we also had a lot of trouble with toilet training until I removed preservatives artificial colors and flavors from her diet because of behavior issues. But once they came out of her system she stopped wetting the bed.



And my youngest daughter also was wetting the bed we discovered she has a residual bladder which means it doesn't empty properly which was causing infections and the bed wetting. The Dr didn't just do one ultrasound to test her she has to fill her bladder get the ultrasound then go to the toilet and then go straight back in for a second ultrasound. Always check if it is medical and if it doesn't seem right get a second opinion. I hope this helps good luck.

Tracy - posted on 11/14/2012

I am going to take my son back to the Dr and look into this bed wetting alarm!

Marcelle - posted on 11/13/2012

To quote Sherry

"my son had this issue and the dr said it was because he must have been a deep sleeper. He recommended a enuresis (bedwetting) alarm and it helped him stop. "



It did get my son to stop too. It sort of kicked in that thing in a person's brain that wakes them before they need to go. He is 14 now and still gets up often through the night. Maybe he does have other issues but at least the washing is not an issue any more. But until DS is ready to do something about it, there is not much point in doing anything.

Tracy - posted on 11/12/2012

My son is 8 and still wets the bed! I took my son to the Dr and my Dr said it is completely normal and is common in boys and can happen until age 12. He said bed wetting is only a problem if they had completely stopped and than started up again!



That is NOT the case with my son he has always wet his bed and I try to limit what he drinks before bed I tell him to go to the bathrrom before bed. I never get upset with him because the Dr said it is normal and common in boys. I simply ask him if he wet his bed in the morning. He changes his bedding so I can wash it and takes a bath. He is a really good boy and I feel bad for him because I know he gets embarrassed.



My son is very athletic and gifted when it comes to sports so it really bothers him! I just keep trying to be patient and supportive hoping that this will eventually stop!

Sherry - posted on 07/30/2012

My son had this issue and the dr said it was because he must have been a deep sleeper. He recommended a enuresis (bedwetting) alarm and it helped him stop. It's a gadget that hooks to their underwear and it goes off and wakes them when it detects moisture. You use it for a period of time and then it solves the problem. Definitely talk to your dr, and if the alarm doesn't work, there may be some other kind of physical issue. There is also a prescription the dr gave that we could give him before sleepovers so he didn't wet himself. This was only a temporary thing to save them from embarrassment, and it was the alarm tat did the trick. You can google enuresis alarms, and also ask your dr because mine had a coupon.

Roberta - posted on 07/23/2012

I agree with the doctor. I think a switch just goes on at some point and no matter what you tried or did not try suddenly they can do it. It is very very common in boys.

Taylor - posted on 07/23/2012

I would see a second doctor, but i also wonder if your anxiety over it is leading to his anxiety which might be continuing it.

Jackie - posted on 07/22/2012

bedwetting is very common. My step son and nephew both wet the bed,. if goodnites pull ups are too experince try to buy the plastic sheets it will keep you from doing so much landry

Andrea - posted on 07/17/2012

be patient. my kids are 9 and 11 and they both have the same problem. we tried the no drinking, going to the bathroom before bed,everything. they were both tested for diabetes and are fine. we tried prescriptions such as the pills and nose spray that are suppose to condense urine. no luck. one thing i would advise is NOT to wake your child in the middle of the night. my son is also a heavy sleeper. a dr. told me that waking them up but not having them fully awake is just like encouraging them to go. its horrible for kids to go through but bringing it up all the time just stresses them out even more. as much as i hate to say it, just deal with it. they will eventually grow out of it. my 11 year old son is finally having nights here and there when he is dry. i know its tough. good luck

Carol - posted on 07/07/2012

I had a nephew with the same problem. He was 12. His mom tried all the things you've described with no luck. It's just nature and it sucks for everyone involved. IMO the doctor is spot on. The vast majority outgrow it. The pull-ups and depends for older kids are a little hard to hide from other kids, but it's possible. Make sure he can handle it all himself without your assistance before you let him sleep over - or let someone know who can discreetly help out. One friend of ours didn't think to tell us that her son had the problem. We were at a CubScout overnight and the next morning the 9 or 10 year old asked my husband to wipe his butt. It took my husband completely by surprise and he was so angry to be put in that position. He thought it violated at least a couple of the CubScout safeguards so he walked out to get the mom into the men's room.

Cindy - posted on 07/05/2012

This is coming from a Bedwetter. My parents tried all types of punishments some you wouldn't even believe and nothing worked. When I was 16, yes 16, I was in a car accident and blood in my urine at the hospital. Two days later at a follow up visit with my Dr. he asked if I still had blood in my urine and I told him yes, of course he wanted to know how I knew. So I told him that when I wet the bed, there was a faint pink ring at the outside of the wet spot. He was shocked, wrote me a prescription that I took for several years. From day one on the prescription I did not wet the bed. What a relief that was for me. I honestly had no control and couldn't remember my parents getting me up at night to take me to the bathroom. Once the smoke detectors went off in our house including the one over my bed. I never heard it. My Mom was then scared for me. I was sleeping so heavy that I didn't have a clue what was going on.

As your Doctor about the prescription. My children are all bed wetters. I have 3 of them. I feel your pain, but I am also very sympathetic to them. We have tried a prescription on my oldest, but according to his Dr. it doesn't always work when they are younger.

I was also told this was a sleep disorder, just like walking and talking in your sleep.

Amanda - posted on 07/05/2012

Hey! I have a 9 year old daughter with the exact same problem, so i can relate whole heartedly.
She has been dry during the day with very few early problems since she was almost 2, but not a single dry night. I have tried the waking during the night (to the point of setting an alarm for me to wake her in the early hours of the morning) and reducing the amount she drinks between school finish and bedtime. She goes to the toilet before she goes to bed at the last minute and is aware that she can get up and go anytime she needs to. We have now been to the doctors and have been referred to a specialist at the hospital (in a few weeks) as nothing seems to work (tried charts too!). She had an ultra sound at the hospital but that showed nothing.

However, you might try asking the doctor if you can get the pull ups on prescription? I'm not sure if it works where you are, but i found out (unfortunately only recently!!) that i can get them on prescription and because she's under 18 i don't need to pay for them.

I'll let you know if the hospital specialist comes up with any new tricks to try. Good luck!! :)

Susannah - posted on 06/11/2012

He doesn't fight mwe when I tell him to use the bathroom before bed, but I get the feeling that he is not emptying his bladder. Sometimes, he'll use the bathroom but need to go again very shortly after. He has had accidents very often since he has been potty trained when he was 3 1/2 and he has never been able to go a night without peeing in his pull-up. He doesn't have accidents very often now, but still at age 8 it does happen occasionally. Usually his problem during the day is that he holds it for too long and when he finally gets up to go to the bathroom it is almost too late and he goes a little in his underwear. I've been wondering if he may have a bladder control problem or something, but his doctor assures me that some kids (often boys) do in fact have bed wetting problems that can go on until their pre-teens. She also said that it is a gentic problem and his dad also had some problems with night time accidents as a child, though I don't think they went on quite as long as my son's have. I was just hoping there nay be a solution other than waiting it out. I had somewhat given up on pushing the issue with my son. I do not allow him drinks before bed and make sure he uses the bathroom before he goes to bed. I had been thinking about a reward chart, but if this is truly a problem he has no control over, I would feel bad that he would not earn any rewards for being wet at night. I may also talk to his doctor again and see if they can examine him again and maybe run some tests to make sure it is not a physical problem.

Katherine - posted on 06/10/2012

He obviously has a bladder control problem. The doctor sounds like he/she doesn't know what they're talking about IMO. I would get a second opinion if I were you. How long has this been going on? Has he been tested for an infection? That's just ridiculous.

Tell him he HAS to go before bed. Is he fighting you on this? If so do a rewards chart. If not don't let him go thirsty but I just don't even know what else to say. It sounds like he physically has no control. Does it happen during the day?