How do you stop bed wetting when you have tried everything?

Tal - posted on 05/10/2013

All about Bedwetting (Enuresis):
A guide for the perplexed parent
By Dr. Jacob Sagie, Enuresis expert
www.bedwettingtherapy.com

If your child wakes up in the morning, soaked in urine, and you feel helpless and frustrated, this article is designed for you. Everything you wished to know and didn’t know who to ask. This guide includes information on the causes of bedwetting and recommended ways to cope with the problem. We will cover many of the FAQs, discuss some common myths and misconceptions about bedwetting, and provide information on the various treatments that are available.
Definition
Enuresis, the clinical term for bedwetting, is defined as involuntary urination after ages 4 or 5 years old and may be either nocturnal, diurnal, or both. An enuretic is an individual who persists in daytime or nighttime wetting past an early age. There is a distinction in the literature between Primary Enuresis, a child that has never stopped bedwetting or was dry for only a short period of time, and Secondary Enuresis, a child that was dry for at least 6 months and relapsed.
Prevalence
Enuresis is one of the most prevalent and frustrating disorders of childhood. A child is expected to sleep through the night without wetting the bed between the ages of 2-4. However, at age 4 approximately 25% of children still wet the bed, at age 5 - 20%, at age 6 - 15%, at age 10 - 8%, at age 14 - 4% and at age 18 and over- 2% of the population are still bedwetters . It is estimated that 5-7 million children worldwide are suffering from bedwetting.

The Gender Factor
Bedwetting is more common among males; approximately two thirds of enuretics are males, while one third are females. As the age progresses, the proportion is changes and gradually is equal in adolescence. Among individuals ages 17 and up, two thirds of enuretics are females while one third are males.
Some of the possible explanations for this gender differences is that in early ages, girls mature faster than boys and in later ages, boys close this gap. No explanation was found for the female higher proportion in older ages (17 and up). It is possible that in those ages we might find more emotional factors that effect bedwetting in females comparing to males.

The Genetic Factor
There is overall agreement among researchers that bedwetting has a clear hereditary element. Among parents of children with bedwetting who came to our clinics, 75% reported that one or both parents or siblings wet the bed in childhood. When we examine the second genetic circle (grandparents, uncles of first degree, nephews) we find over 90% history of bedwetting.
One shouldn't jump to the conclusion that this genetic factor indicates the existence of a medical problem. Bedwetting is characterized by the lack of ability to recognize the signal that is being sent from the filled bladder to the brain during sleep. As a result, instead of contracting the sphincter muscle, the child relaxes the bladder and starts to urinate. This may be corrected by learning preventive measures.
Occasionally, I'm asked by parents: "If there is a genetic factor, how can treatment help?" My answer is that there is no relationship between the genetic factor and the treatment’s chances of success. The purpose of the treatment is to correct the malfunction in the reflex system.
Some parents, who had bedwetting problems until adolescence and outgrew the issue with no treatment, avoid seeking treatment for their enuretic child. They assume that when he will reach adolescence, he will also outgrow bedwetting. There is no basis for this assumption; unfortunately there is no guarantee that a child will stop wetting the bed with no treatment. Moreover, even if the parents could be assured that the child will outgrow bedwetting at adolescence; there is no justification to let him suffer from bedwetting during his whole childhood. Bedwetting affects a child’s quality of life and timely treatment improves quality of life.


The causes for bedwetting
The conventional train of thought among both parents and many pediatricians is that bedwetting is a medical or psychological problem. Often, the patient undergoes a comprehensive and unnecessary medical assessment with no findings. However a medical, neurological or urological, problem is only the primary diagnosis among 2% of enuretics. A psychological cause, such as family problems, social adjustment, or fears is a factor among an additional 20-25% of the patients.
In fact, the majority of enuretics (75-80%) do not have either anatomical or psychological problems. For most enuretics the primary source of the issue is unusually deep sleep. These are normal, healthy children who have not learned to activate the appropriate reflex system during sleep. Typically, when a person sleeps and pressure is built up inside the bladder, a signal is sent to the brain. Among enuretics, the signal is not recognized by the sub-conscious reflex system and instead of contracting the sphincter muscle, the circular muscle that keeps the bowel closed, the child relaxes the muscle and urinates during sleep.

Depth of Sleep
Among parents of enuretics 97% report that their child is an unusually deep sleeper (based on a study with 30,000 parents). Parents describe attempts to walk their child to the bathroom during the night akin to dragging a sack of potatoes. They report that their child is disoriented, does not feel that he is being taken, and in the morning has no recollection of the event.

Dribbling
Among enuretics there are individuals who suffer from involuntary drops of urine discharge during the day. This typically appears in children age 4-8 years.
Dribbling generally happens when the child is busy in an activity which requires mental concentration (TV watching, computer games etc.). He does not recognize the signal from the bladder, relaxes the sphincter muscle, starts to urinate and stops immediately by contracting the sphincter muscle. The consequences of this behavior are the constant wet spots on the child clothes.

Understanding the Enuretic child
Knowing the causes for bedwetting is not enough. It is essential that the parents will understand what it is like to be a child with a bedwetting problem. Since it is a genetic issue, many parents have suffered from bedwetting themselves. Even this is not enough of a preparation to deal with their child's issue.
What is going in an enuretic child's mind? The following story will illustrate the typical situation;
I received a phone call from an ex-patient who is 25 years old. He told me that when he was 9 years old he came with his parents to my bedwetting clinic. His parents accused him of not trying hard enough to deal with the problem and then he reminded me of my response to his parents: "What do you want from him? Why do you blame him? He does not wet the bed on purpose; he doesn't feel when he is wetting the bed ". The young man said, “For the first time in my life, I felt that someone understood me". Although many years passed since this meeting, he remembered every single detail from this session and was so grateful. By the way, he outgrew bedwetting after only 3 months of treatment.
If parents will realize what is going on in their child's mind they will certainly act differently by showing understanding, sensitivity, empathy and support.

Common Misconceptions
Waking the child at night:
This is the most common mistake. By waking up your child at night the responsibility for staying dry is transferred from the child to the parents. The child empties his bladder regardless of the pressure within the bladder. There is no learning process and the child becomes accustomed to emptying his bladder during sleep. It is important for the child to take responsibility for staying dry.

Fluid restriction:
Fluid restriction before sleep time accustoms the bladder to function at night with a small amount of fluid.

Punishment:
Bobby, a 7 year old, returns home from the playground crying bitterly. In an attempt to increase his son’s motivation to stop bedwetting, his father talks to him in earshot of other children in the playground, and asks him if he thinks normal children still wet the bed. Bobby is both embarrassed and miserable.
Many parents have good intentions, but they make the mistake of punishing or embarrassing a bedwetter thinking that it will lead to modified behavior. Parents need to know that the primary sufferer is the child. Urination during sleep is an unconscious activity and is not done on purpose. When a parent shows disappointment or punishes the child, it only aggravates the problem.
Forcing a child to wash his wet bedding and pajamas
The "logic" behind this idea is that the child should be responsible for his deeds. If he wet the bed he has to wash his wet bedding and pajamas. This way he will learn to avoid urination while he is asleep. Unfortunately, this "advice" is being given by professionals that assume that the child is not making enough effort. The child is humiliated and frustrated. He does not wet the bed on purpose and feels that nobody understands. He is punished for something which is not his fault. This also increases the feeling that he disappoints his parents. It is needless to say that this is not going to solve the bedwetting problem but might create tension between the child and his parents.
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Overprotective parents:
Another way of dealing with bedwetting is by overprotection. Instead of helping the child to cope with the problem, the parents wrap him with layers of protection. They feel guilty that their child is suffering from bedwetting and they don't allow him to deal with the problem. The parents take responsibility, sometimes they deny the problem’s existence, or they are scared of offending their child. In the clinic, when I refer to the child, they answer instead of him.
Occasionally we find overprotection with children that suffered at an early age from a severe medical problem. Although the child has fully recovered, the parents feel the need to protect and compensate him. We also find that this behavior is more common among parents that had a child after many years of infertility.
Overprotection is not a solution because it is important that the child take responsibility for his actions and his own body.

Ignoring the problem:
Some parents completely ignore the problem’s existence hoping it will just go away. They ignore their child's distress. The child needs his parents' support and understanding. When the parents ignore the problem, the child feels that he has no one to rely on.
Comparison between siblings:
Sometime, a younger sibling is already dry. Obviously an older child suffering from bedwetting feels embarrassed, jealous and even shameful about the situation. A common mistake is comparison between siblings. The parents assume that if the 5 years old younger brother has already outgrown bedwetting, it means that the 8 years old sibling is wetting the bed on purpose. The older child is accused of being lazy or apathetic: "If your younger brother could do it, you can do it too". This parent's attitude leads to the child's frustration and helplessness. This comparison adds a great deal of pressure and will aggravate the problem. It can also cause emotional problems.
Using pull-ups
An easy but wrong method to deal with the bedwetting problem is by using pull-ups. It is perfectly alright when pull-ups are being used with 4-5 years old but when it is being used with older children, it is a big mistake. It suppresses any motivation to become dry; the message delivered by the parents is that they anticipate that he will wet the bed and that they do not expect him to cope with the problem. Instead of coping with bedwetting they perpetuate it. There is no learning process. As the child's age progresses it might lead to low self esteem, low confidence and additional emotional problems that could be avoided.

Treatment Methods
Unfortunately, many treatments are advertised on the internet and in health magazines with high price tags and little or no research to back them up. So what really works?

Medication:
There have not been any new developments in pharmacology for bedwetting since the early eighties when the latest drug was developed. The drug, Desmopressin Acetate (marketed as DDAVP Nasal Spray, DDAVP Rhinal Tube, DDAVP, DDVP, Minirin, and Stimate Nasal Spray) is an anti-diuretic hormone that is most commonly prescribed for enuresis.
However, in 2007 the FDA posted an alert that Desmopressin intranasal formulations should no longer be prescribed for the treatment of primary nocturnal enuresis. Desmopressin works by limiting the amount of water that is eliminated in the urine. A healthy body needs to maintain a balance of water and salt (“sodium"). If the sodium levels fall too much (“Hyponatremia”), a person may have seizures and, in extreme cases, may die. Children treated with Desmopressin intranasal formulations for primary nocturnal enuresis were found to be particularly susceptible to severe Hyponatremia and seizures.
Other drugs for enuresis are Imipramine and Oxybutinin. While the advantages of medication are its easy administration and that considerable progress is seen during the initial stages of drug usage, there are disadvantages. In addition to the side affects of the drugs, there is a very high relapse rate (60-90%) when the patient stops using the medication.

Alternative Medicine:
A number of alternative treatments including Homeopathy, Reflexology, Acupuncture, Shiatsu, Hypnosis, Fluid absorbed diets and other methods have been tried but by and large they have not been shown to have successful outcomes.

Psychotherapy:
Psychotherapy has only been found to be effective when the primary source of the problem is a psychological one. The treatment in those cases does not focus on the enuresis itself but on the psychological causes for the behavior. Psychotherapy for a child without psychological factors for enuresis might cause damage as the lack of progress will increase the sense of failure and frustration.

Behavioral Treatment:
Behavioral Treatment is considered the most effective therapy for bedwetting. The child undergoes a learning process that is designed to teach him to activate the continence mechanism. The child sleeps with an enuresis alarm which starts to ring when the child starts to urinate. The purpose of the ringing is to activate the reflex system and create a learning process.
Unfortunately, many parents, who use this device, terminate the treatment after a short period of time because they claim that their child does not wake up when the buzzer goes off. This is a common misconception; the goal of the buzzer is not to teach the child to wake up at night but to teach him to restrain himself. When the child does not wake up, the buzzer acts on his subconscious reflex mechanism. The buzzer is an essential component, to measure the reflex response and asses the child response to the treatment.
Treatment with a bedwetting alarm is the only treatment that has been found to be effective with 40-50% of patients.

Dr. Sagie's Multi-Modality Behavioral Treatment Model for bedwetting
An extension of the behavioral treatment method, The Multi-Modality Behavioral Treatment Model was developed by Dr. Jacob Sagie in the 1980’s and is designed for those children who need to learn additional techniques, beyond the enuresis alarm, to stop bedwetting. The treatment model is unique in that it is tailored to each individual and takes into account all of the various aspects of enuresis including frequency of episodes, the patient’s age, day control, dribbling, sleep depth, and personal motivation.
The treatment is based on a personal face to face relationship with the patient. A lack of personal contact makes the enuretic treatment technical. A personal relationship between the patient and therapist is vital for the treatment's success. In cases of geographical distances the treatment is conducted via video conference using the internet.
The model encompasses behavioral therapy of enuresis, including the enuresis alarm, short and mid-term positive reinforcements, measurements of reflex and awakening response and daily training to increase bladder capacity and strengthen sphincter muscles. In some cases, the model utilizes additional therapeutic techniques, such as forced intake, relaxation, and placebo.
The treatment model is based on clinical and research experience with over 30,000 enuretic patients age 4 – 35. This treatment has been found to achieve over a 90% success rate within 3-5 months and is suitable for patients over 4 years old.

Megan - posted on 04/21/2013

I remember so well how frustrating and helpless I felt to help my son stop wetting the bed. He 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 want to go to sleepovers. 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. 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. So I would wake him. Sometimes several times in one night. But 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 you pediatrician to treat your child for constipation and see if this helps. If not, I would strongly recommend the bedwetting alarm.
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!

Bree - posted on 03/26/2013

Becky, the important thing to know is that you're not alone. Many of the kids on our block struggled with bed wetting. And, upon further research, I've come across many moms who write about their kid's struggle with bed wetting. I know many moms who have had success with bed wetting alarms. Nytone just launched a new alarm that looks super tiny and I think they guarantee that it will work, or your money back. Here's their new alarm: http://www.nytone.com/

Janet - posted on 03/02/2013

I'm 12 most doctors say that bed wetting is from ages 7-12 and I've tried to stop I've limited my drinking after 7:30 and use the bathroom before I sleep but I wake up and I'm wet and I can't have people stay over and I'm tired and my mom doesn't know wat to do

Sarah B - posted on 02/26/2013

Anyone having bed wetting problems go to a urologist....there's a medication called ddavp....it works....bed wetting has something to do with the brain, this med aids the brain to do what it's supposed to....kids can have sleepovers, adults can dream...good luck!

Drew Nicolette - posted on 02/26/2013

i am 11 and im a girl i have bed wetted all my life and my younger sister has stopped 2 years ago and im never available for sleepovers because of this help

Magala - posted on 02/20/2013

i heard a doctor advising a patient one day that some times bed wetting is caused by a small bladder especially to kids but as time go by the bladder enlarges to accommodate enough urine so just be patient it can go. the problem i have is with my sister who 29 but she wets the bed some times i dont know if her bladder has a problem.

Kim - posted on 02/20/2013

Have you tried a bedwetting alarm. We used one for my son. He would need to use it for a few days and then he would be dry for a month. Then he would need to use it again. He didn't like it, so the Dr told us not to make him use it. He is still wetting the bed at 13, sigh. There were a lot of family members that wet the bed until they were older, but not as old as him. He sleeps very soundly too so that does not help. This like what we bought, but it seems they have newer ones without wires http://bedwettingstore.com/malem-bedwett...

Magala - posted on 02/20/2013

my sister is 29 years old but she some times wet the bed she can not go more than three months without doing it. it comes like a dream. she's scared she might be having a bladder problem what can she do

Sarah B - posted on 01/26/2013

Dod you son stop?I wet the bed for a long time....figure out when he pees in the bed and try to wake him up before...example I used to pee around five am...I'd set the alarm for three...have yo gone to a urologist they are a big help too....there are many contributors to bed wetting anything to the bladder the medulla and sleep patterns....be very supportive and patient.

Lori - posted on 01/25/2013

Hi my name is Lori Cain. and my son Dylan who is 9 years old. He has troubles with bed wetting.I did many things for him and nothing has happened.And doctors out there help me and other boys and girls that need help with this trouble.

Stepanie - posted on 12/08/2012

Hi i have a 7 year old and a 14 year old and dont know what to do

Help

Megan - posted on 12/03/2012

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

Amy - posted on 11/26/2012

Go to the doctor at this point.

Patricia - posted on 11/25/2012

I would continue to see various uriologists until you find one that can help you. Something is wrong when you are doing this at your age.

Stacey - posted on 11/24/2012

hi my son startead that so i startead putting him in nappies and he still is in them at the age of 18 from stacey

Jami - posted on 10/28/2012

I'm not a mom, I'm a 16 year old girl. I've been bed wetting since..well pretty much since I was born. I've been to the doctor a few months ago and got an ultrasound to see if anything is causing the bed wetting. but nothing appeared to be wrong. the doctor said it could be a mentality thing tht is making me think I have to wet the bed, but I cannot figure out how I am mentally thinking I should pee myself. I mean I'm stressed a lot in life and I get depressed, but thts something tht won't go away. They did say to stay away from caffeine bcuz caffeine irritates the bladder. but even when I stayed away from caffeine and even drinks in general before bed, I still wet. I've tried everything. I'm 16 and I have a boyfriend I'm planning on marrying and living with, and this issue is really embarrassing and won't go away. I almost wanna give up.

Griffin - posted on 10/16/2012

make sure your son is drinking lots of fluids during the day and go to the bathroom at least twice in two hours

if you son has sounds of water falls or an natural sound remove them if he has a fish tank the bubbling will make him wanna go to the bathroom

make sure your son gets at least 8 hours of sleep cause if he gets only 5,6, he will fall into deep sleep and he cant wake him self

i am a 11 year old boy i have an IQ of 280 email me at griffin123heisner@gmail.com if you have any problems what so ever

example:quotis (sex)



please contact me with any problems have a good day



Sincerly Griffin Heisner

Patricia - posted on 10/02/2012

Have you spoken to the doctor about this to rule out any problems?

Ash - posted on 10/02/2012

I've also heard good things about the Malem alarms. You can get them at http://bedwettingstore.com/wearable-alar... They have a really helpful tips and advice section too

Megan - posted on 10/01/2012

Also, I found the alarms and waterproof mattress pads at this webstore:

http://astore.amazon.com/bravandgrac-20

hope it helps!

Megan - posted on 10/01/2012

Hi! I remember so well how frustrating and helpless I felt to help my son stop wetting the bed. He 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 want to go to sleepovers. 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. He slept right through it at first -which is typical of a child who wets at night. So I would wake him. Sometimes several times in one night. But gradually he began to awake 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

Good luck and God Bless!

Jo - posted on 09/19/2012

First make sure that he is not constipated.. Stool left in the lower intestine, or rectum, can push against the bladder and reduce its capacity to hold urine..I found this very interesting article under CONSTIPATION AND BEDWETTING....the study also appears online in the journal UROLOGY...hopefully this will help.....JJ/RN

Tim - posted on 09/04/2012

What really worked for us was a bedwetting alarm and implementing a reward program.

We also found this book helpful.



http://www.amazon.com/How-Stop-Bed-Wetti...

Razmiya - posted on 02/26/2010

Try 2 gv him less liquid @ night.. that'll help him...

Angela - posted on 02/09/2010

Have you had him checked by a doctor? My brother wet the bed until Grade 7, and when she took him in, they found that the chemical in his brain that stimulates the bladder was constantly firing, making him feel like he had to go all the time. The doctor couldn't really do much, only advised that he would grow out of it, which he did. But this was 25 years ago, so maybe there is something that could treat this.... Hope this helps...

Christina @ Nurlina Khairunnisa - posted on 02/09/2010

Thank you.

Elizabeth - posted on 02/09/2010

You have to be patient with him. Try also waking him to go the bathroom like three times in the middle of the night. It works somehow, i do the same to my 7yr old son. Goodluck.

Rosario - posted on 02/02/2010

Gosh your story just brought memories of my son and I 3-4 years ago. Tried everything you did, even setting my alarm at 3 or 4 am so we could wake up and go just to learn that he wouldnt potty. I even tried running the water in the sink so it would make him go potty, but it was useless. At times it worked and others didnt and he would sleep right through it all, and the following day, he had no recollection of the previous night. I also tried to wake him by washing his face with a wet warm towel, according to my mom- he needs to be awake to remember what he is doing (because how else is he going to know he got up and went, right?) Wrong. My son was awake but the following day he didnt remember anything of the previous night. It was very frustrating for my son because he saw that my other son (4 years old) would wake up dry the following day or never wet the bed. What did I do then???? I stopped waking him up and he wore pull-ups till he was 10 (thank God they made XXL size) My friend, who is a nurse, told me that nothing that I would do would work because boys have a muscle or muscles around their bladder that need to develop. And is composed in three parts or 3 stages. Each one at a gradual level will develop as the boy gets older and some take longer than others. The last part of the muscle (or last stage) is the one that makes them be able to hold it at night until they wake up on their own. I did not google it or anything like that because I believed my friend and she knows all that stuff. I am not sure about the 3 parts- or stages- of the muscle, but that is the way I made sense of it. The one sure thing is, that it is a muscle that needs to develop fully before he is able to wake up on his own. It would break my heart when he would ask why his baby brother could do it and not him. He wanted to go to sleepovers so bad, but was embarrased that his friends might find out he still wore pull-ups. This post may not solve your problem but I hope it comforts you in a way so you can support your son and make him feel its ok and that it will happen soon. Sorry for the long post. Hope it helps.

Tarolyn - posted on 01/30/2010

My daughter will be 5 in April and still wets the bed almost every night. Does not matter if fluid is restricted or not and doesn't help to wake her up. I've been doing some reading on the internet about it being a deep sleep disorder. These kids enter into deep sleep very quickly and stay in that phase much longer than normal. While in this deep sleep, the brain isn't able to respond to the bladder's signal that it is full, so therefore, they wet the bed. A program I read about will do some type of biofeedback to help treat the sleep disorder which they feel is the primary disorder. I'm considering doing the program if she continues to wet the bed past her 5th birthday. I will re-post with the information.

Samara - posted on 01/30/2010

My doctor told me that if you wet the bed as a child, it's likely that your child will also. There is a medication that you can give your child and it will help stop it, talk to your pediatricition, I don't remember what the name of it is, good luck :)

Robin - posted on 01/30/2010

My 37yr old wet till he was 15yrs, the grandson in my care is 11yrs and is now having long stretches with no wetting, I sent him to a camp, where the had a group of kids the same. They advised me with holding drinks at night does not work, neither making a fuss about it. He was nine at the time. He still wet. I bought pull ups and bided my time. He now has a continence sheet for the occassional accidents. He will stop when the time is right for his body and mind to connect. I know it is a hassle , but it will come to an end. Support him and dont make a big thing of it.

Lisa - posted on 01/29/2010

I also have a 9 year old boy and I too have tried EVERYTHING! But the one thing I have found that helps at home. We got a second alarm clock and I set it for 2am so he will get up to use the bathroom and we VERY rarely ever have accidents anymore. It's been so nice not to have to wash sheets everyday. Hope this helps you.

Sarah - posted on 01/29/2010

I had a bed wetter until she was 8 then it stopped overnight. I contacted the school health visitor and they will intervene at 8 years of age. Nothing stops them until they are ready themselves.

Veronica - posted on 01/29/2010

girl I'm in the same boat as you my son is going to b 10 and he still can't seem to wake up at night to go to the restroom! I just have him wear pull ups it sure helps me not having to wash blankets every morning!

Lisa - posted on 01/29/2010

Maybe he has a weak bladder...have you told the dr.??? i would prob just put in underpants for bed(like pull-ups) and hopefully would grow out of it

Rachael - posted on 01/29/2010

my son is 8 and stopped wetting the bed only recently . The doctors told me not to limit his drinks because the bladder needs to learn to hold the liquid , which i thought was stupid , and they also said it was a very common problem , which again didn't help me . Nothing seemed to work and I was even waking my son in the night to use the toilet but he would already be wet . Recently I was called to school because my son was feeling unwell and struggling to walk because of pain in his stomach . I took him straight to the doctor who rushed him straight to hospital . From there straight into theatre , one of his testicles had moved upwards and was twisted , it had to be sewn back into place . He has never wet the bed since then , I don't know if that was the cause or he just grew out of it , but I'm not complaining . My cousin also wet the bed until being 11 , I don't know what the answer is but I know how you feel and I really hope it stops for you soon

Pat - posted on 01/28/2010

My son is 8 and for the past two months has been dry every single night. We did not do meds. I did the reward system by putting a sticker on a calendar every night he was dry. As the first month progressed I didn't say much every once in a while I said wow look at all the stickers. Then towards the end of the month I said that if he was dry the whole month he could pick between a trip to Arnold's (go-kart place with arcade) or Chuck E Cheese's. He stayed dry the rest of the month and we went to Arnold's. Now it almost the end of month two and he has chosen Chuck E. Cheese's. The main thing we found is to not make a big deal about it if he does wet the bed and have him help in the clean up/remaking of the bed. Hope this helps.

Sarah - posted on 01/28/2010

My 8 year old son has the same issue, so badly that we finally sought help from the doctor. She put him on an RX for a nasal spray of Desmopressin and the first night he was dry! We are on a six month trial run, and she said most kids stay dry after the six months, even when not taking it! Please talk to your doctor about trying this!

Gail - posted on 01/28/2010

Yes I dealt with this my 15 year old was probably 12 before the wetting stopped. My 5 year old is the same way. My 13 year old daughter never had the problem. Nothing for me really worked. Pull ups are your friend! Once my son was 12 the doctor interveined and gave me pills. They were a small fortune ($3.00) per pill and some kids require up to 5 per day . Thank God 1 did the trick. He took them for about a year. on and off (sleep overs especially ) They really worked. We would take them for a few weeks and stop and continue to do that until the peeing stopped. I know people dont agree with meds but it became such an embarrasment for our son we agreed to it.

Tabatha - posted on 01/28/2010

My son is 8 and he recently finally stopped wetting the bed. We tried rx meds from the doctor and the stoping drinks after dinner. Nothing seemed to work and he was still wearing pull ups every night and his little brother teased him all the time cause his little brother never had that problem. One day he told us that the pull ups were making him do it cause he said if I have that on why get up when I am so sleepy. So my husband and I gave him the benefit of the doubt and let him wear underwear to bed that night. He went 4 nights without wetting the bed. He had one accident and I made him wash his own sheets. He has not done it since. Hope this helps, I honestly never thought it would happen but it did.

Andrina - posted on 01/28/2010

this is known as a secondary enuresis as she has been previously dry!! usually some kind of upset can cause this migt be helpful to speak to her - maybe she was upset missing u hen she was a t dads or something else perhaps she got into trouble lots of things can coause this but need to get to the bottom of the problem 1st i think good luck x x

Andrina - posted on 01/28/2010

just another point bedwetting alarms dont work for everyone...treatment is different for different problems ....i tried with my little one and she was compliant but hated it...(and it was not what finally aided in becoming dry)..i read a book suggested to me as a health professional by another health professional called UGLY if u read it u wont use an alarm!!! providing reassurance, encouragement, and by not reacting negatively it will come
this website is the most up to date information utilised by health professionals in scotland and i know england use them too as they r based there!

http://www.eric.org.uk/

perhaps reading it will help a little but really sometimes as parents we r so upset over it and this can in turn pass to the child who will then subconsciously feel guilty!!and this wont help i really feel that taking a step back accepting the problem as well as continuiing with increasing fluids till an hour before bed(should be 1 and half litres per day-at least), avoiding caffeine and fizzy juice, no milk before bed at all (proteins need to be digested and body is working whilst child is asleep)and no blackcurrant juice in the diet at all(natural diuretic)
take care all and good luck again x x

Margot - posted on 01/27/2010

The bedwetting alarms work really well. It takes a while for the child to get used to it, and we tried two different ones. The one that worked the best for my son was the one that both sounds an alarm and vibrates. He wouldn't wake up with the one that just emitted sound -- we would hear it and wake up to get him and often it would be too late. The one with both sound and vibration worked well to get him up to go to the bathroom. It takes a little time, patience, and lots of love since their little self esteems are crushed and they don't want to have sleep overs. Try www.bedwettingstore.com. Lots of advice and support. Good luck!!

Melissa - posted on 01/27/2010

My nearly six year old son is also a bed wetter and it drives me crazy but I would never deprive my son of a drink after 5pm especially in this realy hot weather we've had and think it's more about consistency throughout the day. Lots of drinks and toilet stops during the day will help but I find with school that they hold on all day and save it up for later, thus leading to bedwetting...

Toni - posted on 01/27/2010

I dont know Becky, but I am right there with you. =( My daughter will be 8 soon and she still struggles with this too. We have tried all the home remedies AND gone to doctors. They gave us two different kinds of medicine...I cant tell that they really help.
It seems to me she is worse when she is nervous, stressed or sick. My prayer is they will eventually grow out of it.

Monique - posted on 01/27/2010

Unfortunately, he sounds like he has a small bladder. You may have to wake him in the middle of the night.
My 7 yr old has that problem from time to time.

Tracy - posted on 01/27/2010

You should make sure there is no medical problem, and can try any of those other suggestions. What will work is a bedwetting alarm, but only if your child is committed to becoming dry at night. My son and I agreed that he should try to be dry for his 10th birthday. When he was 9 3/4 we bought a Malem alarm, followed the instructions, and he fully dry in 4 1/2 weeks (with one accident within two weeks after stopping the program and none in 9 months since). Admittedly this is an expensive option, but we decided it was worth it compared to the self-esteem issues (and the cost of pull ups).

Linda - posted on 01/27/2010

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id...

I hope this helps.

Ylanda - posted on 01/27/2010

Have you taken him 2 the doctor 2 make sure there is not a medical reason 4 his bed wetting. As you said, he doesn't like it and you've tried limiting what he drinks. Maybe a child psychologist could be of some help. There may be something traumatic going on. Maybe he is afraid 2 wake up in the middle of the night by himself 2 go 2 the bathroom alone, there could be something going on @ school or something else that you wouldn't probably think of. Good luck.