Bedwetting - Naperville,IL

Updated on October 25, 2007
M.W. asks from Naperville, IL
26 answers

My son is 6 and has to wear a Goodnites diaper to bed. Often, he pees in it during the night. Sometimes, he pees so much that the diaper leaks and his sheets get soaked. Other times, he keeps it completely dry. My husband and I thought perhaps it was time to have him stop wearing the diaper all together and let him pee on himself as he sleeps. We were hoping the sensation of the pee would teach him over several days to start waking up. Last night was our first night trying this. He didn't wake up until he had completely soaked himself and the bed. Am I nuts? Is this worth going through this way? Anyone have any experience dealing with this kind of stuff? My son is a very deep sleeper and a type 1 diabetic. The diabetes causes him to produce extra urine sometimes too.

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J.S.

answers from Chicago on

My daughter is 9 and just within the last few months she has finally started to make it through the night dry every night!! This is not his fault and the best thing to do is just to keep him in the pull-ups boys have even more problems then girls with this. I have taken my daughter to the doctor for it I have read sooo much about bedwetting and in the end it came down to how fast she has grown was faster then her bladder was growing. Also she sleeps so deep nothing wakes her up!!! The doctor said she would get to the point that she would begin to feel that she needed to go and it is happening. It is hard but keep up the love and He will get through it as well!! If you want to talk more just message me.

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T.R.

answers from Evansville on

Hi, I had a friend who had a duaghter who at the age of 5 was not able to last all night without wetting the bed.She too would soak the bed and still be asleep. The dr put her on a medicine that really has worked. If you are wanting to go the medicine route i could ask what it was called and get back to you.

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C.C.

answers from Indianapolis on

Hi, I have a daughter that is 7 yrs. old and wets to bed and I have the same problem, I had her go a couple nights without her goodnites and she still wet the bed she can't help it. I talked to our Dr. he says some kids body will grow faster then they're bladder and they just can't help it. They should grow out of it. I probly wasn't much help but just letting you know your not the only one and there is not much you can do but let thier little bodys catch up with thier body parts....

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R.W.

answers from Indianapolis on

It would seem to me that his medical condition makes this involuntary. I would continue to use the Goodnights to allow him some self-respect and to avoid shame and a sense of failure and frustration.

On a practical note, I would limit beverages after 6 PM, and only allow water - no soda or sugary stuff.

This may be an old-fashioned way of looking at this, but I would cover all my bases... Have you talked with him to make sure that there are no emotional issues going on that might contribute to night time wetting?

Hope this helps!

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L.

answers from Chicago on

My son did this until he was about 11. We finally used a sleep-potty alarm and it worked within a few days. You put a little pad in their underwear and as soon as a TINY drop of potty hits it, it sets off an alarm and that wakes him up and he gets up and goes to the bathroom.

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L.M.

answers from Chicago on

Hi,I had the same problem with my daughter.She was a very deep sleeper.She used to wet the bed everynight.I was walking into the grocery store one day and saw a pamphlet on bedwetting, so I sent it in and they called me to set up an appointment,any way long story short,I bought their alarm system.It was placed under her sheet and when a drop of urine hit the pad an alarm would go off and wake her up, so that she could finish going pee in the bathroom. It worked!The next time you are in the grocery store, look for the advertisment. They are usually in the entrance way,or maybe you can google it.I hope this helped. Good Luck. I know that it is frustrating to all of you.

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D.V.

answers from Chicago on

A common thread found in bedwetters is a diet high in refined catbohydrates, white flour and white sugar products. Picture someone who is drunk Alcohol is the most concetrated sugar there is and B complex must be present to metabolize this sugar. Without enough B vitamins hangovers and headaches occur. One of the physiological effects of too much alcohol or sugar is "blown" muscle control. That is why a drunk can't walk a straight line and his speech is slurred.
Without enough B's present the bladder muscle loses control.

If you are interested in knowing a a product that works, let me know.

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N.R.

answers from Elkhart on

My son is 7 and is still bed wetting. I have tried everything from goodnites to alarms. Nothing worked! I recently found out he (and many others like him) has a deep sleep disorder. It makes complete sense to me after reading about it. I am now working with a program that guarantees success. Please don't let someone tell you they can grow out of it. My nephew was 12 before he grew out of it. That is a lot of embarrassment for a child to go through and it isn't good for their self esteem. The Enuresis Control Clinic has the best price for their program. It is a fourth the price of another clinic. There is religious funding to make the cost lower. If you want info. go to www.enuresiscontrolclinic.com

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K.W.

answers from Chicago on

I have two daughters 7 and 5 who both wet at night. We do not have diabetes. We also do not wear pullups or goodnights as the research I have read is it gives kids a sense of security and they are more likely to wet than if in underwear. That being said, my kids sleep right through wetting it's only when I wake them up that they know they are wet! There is a lot of information on the internet about nighttime wetting which is different than if a child wets all day. I don't know how the diabetes interferes with your child but with chronic nighttime wetting there are a couple of things you should know...first it's genetic and I know that my mother-in-law wet until she was nine! I also know one of my husbands cousins wet until she was 7. Second, it's hormonal. There is a hormone that allows mature bodies to produce less urine in the evening hours. In my daughters this hormone is lacking, underproduced...etc. I have bedwetting pills that I can use when we fly, sleep at a hotel, they go to sleepovers...etc. it's a hormone replacement. It works but only after three consecutive nights of use so it has time to build up. It is not recommended for daily use - only special occasions. We also read a book called "Dry All Night" and have a ritual we do every night - it sometimes works for weeks and then we'll go through an entire week where they'll wet one to three times in the night starting as early as 10pm (two hours after bedtime when I know I made them empty their bladders last thing before turning off the lights). I am very frustrated and tired of the laundry. I wake myself up at 1 and 3 am to "walk" them to the toilet every night just so I don't have to do two loads of sheets and blankets the next day. This waking them is not recommended by pediatricians but it's the only way I keep my sanity. I also have an 8-month old who I am sure is going to walk in his sisters footsteps. I give him his last bottle 30 minutes before bed, change his diaper and he always wakes up soaked. I wash his pj's and sheets every day too. My girls were like this at his age. My pediatrician tells me this could go on until they are 10 and in some awful cases 2% of kids at age 18 are still wetting. Hope my info lets you know it's not his fault and there's nothing you can do about it but wait...

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J.C.

answers from Kokomo on

I have the same problem with my son. He will be 6 in acouple of days. I've tried everything as well. I've even tried keeping any kind of liquid from him after a certain time, but he will wet at night, not all the time but a good part of the time. I've never really been to concerned about it, my brother was the same way. He wet his bed until almost 9 or 10. My son is also a deep sleeper so I figure he doesn't realize it until its to late. I've tried having him wear underwear to bed but like you and your son, he's soaked by morning. If you do find anything out that helps your son, would you please pass the info, I would appreciate it.

Thanks

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J.M.

answers from Bloomington on

My son is 11 now, but between the ages of 6 and 8 we struggled with bedwetting as well. What finally worked was a strategy proposed by our pediatrician. Over the course of a few weeks, during the day, we gradually increased his intake of water. This allowed his bladder to be more active during the day and eventually strengthened his bladder enough that he stopped wetting the bed at night. Plus his increase in urination during the day reinforced the 'I've got to go' signal in his brain, so now he wakes up in the night and heads to the bathroom when his brain gets that signal.

Hope this helps!

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J.C.

answers from Fort Wayne on

I agree with a lot of the other moms. It's not important that he's having accidents a lot of nights. What's important is that it doesn't make his self esteem suffer. I would explain to him that there are a lot of kids who have the same problem, and eventually as he grows it will get better. Tell him how his diabetes may be the cause, and also how even kids without diabetes have the same problem due to their body growing out of sync. I definitely wouldn't make big deals out of it and I would always start out by saying "it's okay, honey, it's not your fault". It's easy to just cover the mattress with plastic and double up on sheets so that all you have to do is grab the blankets and clothes and throw them in the washer. Maybe even make sure the night before that everything is all set out in case of accidents, fresh clothes, blankets, laundry detergent, etc. That way it comes with as little stress to YOU as possible. I bet it's very frustrating at times for you, but it's definitely not his fault, and he's going to look at your reaction and learn to respond to the issue from you. He can either let it scar him, or he will look at it as just being a natural part of growing. I would pray pray pray for the patience in the middle of the night when we're all at our worst and getting woken up. It must be hard to consistently not allow yourself to seem annoyed by the inconvenience.

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D.P.

answers from Indianapolis on

My 6 year does too. I did until I was 11. My Sunday school teacher is a doctor and he said that sometimes the brain does not produce the chemical to slow the making of urine in your sleep and your body doesn't know to wake up. There is a presript he suggested. I can't think of it right now but I was thinking of getting my son on it as well.

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S.D.

answers from Indianapolis on

Please stop punishing him for something he CANNOT control. Making him pee on himself is a punishment. If he can't feel it in the pull-up, he can't feel it on the sheets. Only positive solutions are going to help. If pull-ups are getting expensive, go to cloth alternatives instead. Believe me, he doesn't want to do it any more than you want him doing it and you are setting him up for more problems by shaming him like this.
Have you even talked to his doctor yet? 6 years old seems like a long time to wait before seeking professional help.
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Good Luck :)

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H.C.

answers from Indianapolis on

I have lived through this twice actually. My little sister, who is 2 years younger than me, wet the bed until she had surgery at age 11. They had to stretch her urethera. Now, with my step-son, who is now 15, but from the time he was out of diapers until age 10, he wet the bed almost every night. We made him go to the bathroom right before bed and restricted his intake of liquid, these things only helped on occasion. He is a very sound sleeper, sometimes he even sleepwalks and talks. He got a prescription around 8-9 yrs old and that did really help, but it was like $80 for a month supply. I don't remember exactly what it was called, but your son may not be able to take something due to his diabetes. I think it is very common for boys to wet later than girls. My nephew who is now 17, used to wet the bed until he was about 10 yrs. also. I think some of his issues were emotional, so there are sooo many things that can make a child wet the bed. I'm sure you have one, but the plastic mattress covers make sheet changes a little less painful because you don't have to wait for the mattress to dry. I would not go without the pull ups because if the sensation that he has to go does not wake him up, once he feels the wetness, it's too late anyway.

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T.C.

answers from Chicago on

Your son's self esteem is more important than dry sheets and you and your husband's time table. Let him wear the pull ups for as long as is needed. Some kids just take a while longer to sleep through the night and stay dry. With your son's diabetics and knowing he produces more urine anyways, you should not be pushing for no pull ups. If you and your husband keep making this an ordeal, he will have self esteem problems, etc. Just let nature take its course - it will be ok. As long as he's not wearing pull ups on his wedding night - he'll be fine.

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L.F.

answers from Chicago on

Please please stop trying to get him to wake up when he urinates.

There is nothing that you can do to get him to wake on his own at night. You will have to wake him and take him to the bath room. I do not think it is ok to give him the drugs that adults take that empty their bladder before we go to bed.

I know it is hard to wash the bedding and his clothing daily. He has to shower or bath each morning. I know all this is very trying for you. Your son has heath issues that add to the smell and amount he urinates.

Instead of trying to change the bedwetting find a new way to cope with it. My brother and cousin had the problem. My brother slept like a rock. He did out grow the bedwetting. My mother coped by placing a shower curtian ans towels in the bed with the beding. They would not let my brother drink after dinner. He was taken to the bathroom bedfore my parents went to bed. We never made a big deal out of it we just simply gather the bedding and put in the washer. We coped and did not ingore the issue. My poor cousin had a terrible time. Her urine smelled strong and it was the whole bed. Her mother was ill when she had her so that might have contributed to the issue. Bedwetting is very tramitic for a family.

As a parent with a busy life I understand your exhausted with the process. As a big sister I know how ashamed your child can feel. I do not find the situation embarrasing. I find it a fact of life. I know that he cannot help it. I wish society did not have so many health issues that they cannot face. Breast cancer, bedwetting, after birth issues and the list goes on for what people suffer in silence. We should never have to suffer because of the ingorance of doctors and society.

Laura Bush just went to the middle east. Do you know that 40% of the woman under 40 have breast cancer. They cannot seek treatment because the doctors and technicians are men. This reminds me of the 1960 here. When will we all take care of each other regarding illness with loving understanding instead of how the illness effects everyone arround us the world will be a better place.

I am happy God believed that you were strong enough to be the parents of such a wonderful child. When you go to bed tonight know that you have the strenght to deal with this and a lot more. I send you my love and understanding knowing both sides of the issue. I believe that you are brave to talk about the issue and wonderful to keep trying instead of giving up.

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A.

answers from Chicago on

I too have a son who is 6 yrs old and wetting the bed. He comes from a long line of bedwetters...so anyway, I took him to the Dr. and he prescribed a pill that he takes each night before he goes to bed. It's called desmorpressin. We've only been using it for almost a month. He still has some wet nights. If they are 6 and still wetting the bed...the parents need to do something about it. Goo Luck!!!

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P.D.

answers from Chicago on

M. W -

consider allergies...

P., RLC, IBCLC
Pres. Lactation Support Group, Inc.
www.lactationsupportgroup.com

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J.

answers from Chicago on

I have a 7yr old daughter with the same problem. She is not a diabetic. We have tried every thing alarms, wetting the bed, sleep training, kegel exercises etc... She just does not wake up. We are going to keep her in pull ups until she grows out of it. I sugest you do the same, a lot of kids go through the same thing. Get some of the crib matress pads so you aren't changing all the sheets if the pull fails. Good luck!!

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S.A.

answers from Chicago on

I had the same problem with my son until he was 5 and a half yr old. Then I started to use a bed wetting alarm (there are several but I used the one called MALEM). The science behind using an alarm is that it reinforces the connections between a full bladder and the neurons that tells the body to wake up and use the bathroom. There is lot of information about it on internet.
Initially it was very stressful to use and we gave up and went back to goodnite. But then we gave it a second chance as I was getting increasingly concerned about him being in wet diapers the whole night. Its very stressful for first couple of weeks, but with my experience its worth it.
Its been a more than a year and my son wakes up by himself to use the bathroom.
Good luck!

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S.M.

answers from Chicago on

Hi,
Before I read the part about the diabetes, I was going to say that my sister's youngest daughter wore a pull-up until about 6 as well and she finally outgrew needing it and started waking up dry. She had really bad bladder infections when she was young though.

On another note, I am a type 1 diabetic, am now 34 and have been since I was 17. The only time I remember drinking a lot because I was always so darn thirsty and urinating a lot was at the very beginning before I was diagnosed. How are your son's blood sugars? If they are high a lot over night and he is drinking a lot before bed, then, his body is not going to use much of the nutrients he's taking in and it will just be urinated back out. Do his doctors have him higher overnight so his blood sugar doesn't get too low? Can they adjust his insulin a little so, he is in a lower range, yet still a safe range overnight. My target range is different, since I'm an adult, I have an insulin pump which makes everything so much easier and I have a blood sugar target all day of 100. Talk to his doctors about it (hopefully you have a good endocrinologist). Let me know if you have any more questions about diabetes.

Good luck!

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F.J.

answers from Chicago on

Well I know its a pain however I do put my kids to bed in undies and sometiems I change a lot of sheets. My son will get up at night now and go to the bathroom but he still has accidents. My 6 yr old son has much less accidents then my 5 yr old son. Its a pain but at 6 he can get up and change his pjs and sleep on the floor or help you change his sheets. I have never restricted water near bedtime which I realize most parents suggest to cut them off at a certain time. I jsut simply feel if they want water they shoudl have it. I am sure he will learn it will jsut take time... I hate washing sheets all the time but I don't know that they learn in a diaper.... Is it worth it... ask me in a few months!!! :)

Warmly,

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S.W.

answers from Chicago on

My son is 11 and still wets the bed. We have tried everything. I wash sheets EVERYDAY! (or should I say, he washing sheets) At 11 he is old enough to clean them himself. We have tried the alarm and it did work for a while. We also wake him about sometimes in the night. Now he is on and has been on different medications but nothing works. The only reason we used teh medicine is because he is 11 and he has sleepovers. If we are lucky he has one dry night every couple of weeks. If there are no signs of a problem he will out gorw it. That is what the doctors have been telling me since we started going at age7. It is a pain and not the greatest thing to change sheets but if he wakes when he is wetting that is a start. My son never even wakes up. Stick in there is should get better.

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S.B.

answers from Chicago on

I have to tell you, my daughter Lauren is 9 and still wears goodnights to bed. We tried doing what you wanted to try and you know, it just does not work at all. She peed in her bed every night practically. I know it is frusterating.

S. Bailey CLD
Aurora
www.tendermomentsdoula.com

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M.O.

answers from Chicago on

What are his blood sugars before bed? Do you check again before you go to sleep. He may be really high to be wetting like that. I'm a Peds RN that works with Diabetes and have lived with my sister who is a diabetic for 10 years. I would recommend even waking up around 2am to check his sugar for a few nights, just to see where he is. how are his numbers during the day? If he's on NPH maybe his night dose needs to be increased. Talk to your endocrinologist about this, most likely this is a diabetes issue. You can email me if you have more ____@____.com

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