How do I get my 3 and 4 yr olds to quit wetting the bed at night??

Lisa - posted on 08/28/2010

Lay off of the milk products in the evening as those create more urine. Also, if this is a boy, have them sit and pee just before bed. The way that the pelvis is positioned when sitting makes the bladder empty more. Always have them pee before bed time.

Manuela - posted on 08/27/2010

I have a 4 year old that has the same problem. What helps her is if I take her to the Chiropractor and have him adjust her back, lower back and neck. Then she stops with it and when starts again, I do it again. It could also be that they have some urinary track infection, my sister had that, she could not feel it coming, never ever till she got the right treatment and meds to clear the infection

Brandi - posted on 08/27/2010

I mean 6oz every meat time and whenever in between. Not throughout the "Whole Day" sry for the confusion.

Brandi - posted on 08/27/2010

Try giving them a min. amount to drink throughout the day. Maybe like 6oz id think. And then stop the drinking an hour prior to bedtime.. Its worth a try. ;)

Vanessa - posted on 08/26/2010

Pull ups - and my mother used to wake my brother about midnight and walk him to the toilet and put him back into bed then again at dawn. It worked!

Vonnie - posted on 08/26/2010

Have you consulted a pediatrician to see if it's a physical problem?

Amy - posted on 08/26/2010

Keep in mind to that a lot of professionals will tell you that bed wetting is hereditary, if either you or their father were bed wetters..chances are they will be too, and if you or he did you should look at what age you were when it it went away, that will give you at least a bit of a time line to look at...

Tasha - posted on 08/26/2010

unfortunately there is really nothing you can do. when my daughter was younger i i had the same problem and did all the things you've tried. i realized that it was something that you grow out of. you have to just keep training their bladders and be patient and it will correct itself. good luck and remember be patient it takes time.

Sue - posted on 08/25/2010

My daughter was in pull ups till she was 41/2 its really not that bad. Alot of children will stop when they are ready. I used the reward system for my daughter so when she needed to go to the toilet she would run to the toilet. I congratulated her a gave her a treat for making a really big effort. She was out of the pullups by christmas that year.

Iridescent - posted on 08/25/2010

Limiting fluids when they're less that 10 years old can actually cause a lot of damage.

They may not be mature enough yet. It's based on brain development, as others have posted. Either or both may have constipation causing it (very common). Food allergies will also cause bedwetting. Deep sleep cycles, and needing to be woken during the night, may cause it. Give them time to grow.

http://askdrsears.com/html/7/T071200.asp

Abbie - posted on 08/25/2010

Sounds to me like physically they may not be able to. Do not punish them for wetting the bed, that will only make it worse.

Catherine - posted on 08/25/2010

Dr. Ferber's sleep book actually has a chapter on bed-wetting that is really interesting. He talks a lot about the medical side of it and the causes of it, and it may help you figure it out.

Britnie - posted on 08/25/2010

thank you all very much...very helpful. one thing though is the oldest ( the girl) about 8 moths ago, didnt pee in the bed for like 2 mths and then we started potty training little brother and she started all over again...so that part stumps me but i will try the plastic sheet thing and continue to keep them pottying before bed

Rhea - posted on 08/25/2010

Things I've read about and tried (that haven't worked for my ss but might work for yours)
-drink a lot during the day and before bed so their bladder is full (supposedly if its full enough the brain gets stronger signals and they wake up)
-no drinks before bed
-no sugary or caffeinated drinks at all (both weakens the bladder)
-drink cranberry juice
-getting enough sleep (supposedly if they're not getting enough sleep, they'll sleep deeper and just not wake up)
-wake them up at intervals during the night (I didn't like this because he didn't get his required uninterrupted sleep)
-dampness alarm (attaches to sheets or underwear and goes off when it feels dampness)

I just use plastic sheets. No pull-ups. If they know they can pee in them, their brain won't get trained to wake up when they have to go. Also, get them involved in stripping their bed and getting the linens washed (not as a punishment!--you can make it into a game).

Jenn - posted on 08/25/2010

Put plastic sheets on the bed. Kids know they can pee in diapers. Waking up with all the sheets cold and wet is uncomfortable. I think it triggers them faster to stay dry. My kids grew out of bed wetting really fast, because once we put the plastic sheets on the beds, the diapers were off.

Jodi - posted on 08/24/2010

Maybe they are not ready yet? All kids are different, and it is not uncommon for children to be still wetting the bed at that age. I'd just put them in pull ups at this stage and continue encouraging them to go to the potty before bed, and all the other things. You will know when they are ready to make a bigger effort at night time dryness - they will start being dry in the morning on a regular basis, even with the pull up on.

Teresa - posted on 08/24/2010

Put them in pull ups and let their bodies mature. It WILL happen when they are ready.

Rebekah - posted on 08/24/2010

My four year old still does too. Through reading reputable websites, I've discovered that it is apparently normal for many children to still wet the bed at night until they are 5 or even 6. Their bodies have to produce a hormone that will inhibit the production of urine overnight. You can't rush that happening, unfortunately. In the meantime, do what you are doing to minimize the amount of leakage--that's what I do. Otherwise if they are sound sleepers, they may not wake in the night to use the bathroom (mine doesn't). Some moms make the effort to get their kids up in the middle of the night to do that, but as desperate as I am for sleep (and not wanting to mess with my kid's sleep), I just can't talk myself into doing that. So I deal with the pull ups and the periodic wet sheets until his body is ready to handle it.

Tracy - posted on 08/24/2010

What I do is make my 3 yr old go potty one more time before I go to bed. She hasn't had an accident in months because of that. It's not unusual at this age for that signal in the brain to not work yet. Some kids it won't kick in until 8 or 9. Just take a deep breath and take them pee one last time before you hit your pillow