Ask Dr Cathrine
Dr Cathrine Neilsen-Hewett is an experienced Child Development expert. As a mother of three young children, understanding children’s development and promoting positive approaches to parenting has become both a passion and a full-time career. You have the opportunity to ask your questions now.
These questions might be similar to 'My almost 4.5yr old has started wetting the bed at night time.'
-
My 4 year old son doesn't wet when wearing DryNites, only when wearing undies. How do I train him?
The reduction in the number of times children wet the bed is a very good indication that they are well on their way to achieving nighttime continen...
-
7 year old boy wets the bed every night
Children wet the bed for a number of reasons, some do so because they produce double the amount of urine overnight, others do so as they are unable...
-
Help, five year old likes to wet his bed because its warm!
It is completely normal for parents to feel tense or frustrated and at a loss when it comes to dealing with bedwetting – you are not alone! It help...
-
5 year old still wets bed, even having peed before bed
there are lots of other mothers out there asking the very same question. Many of us feel that once our child has achieved daytime control nighttime...
-
Both my children are bedwetters. Is it because my life is based around sports and late night trainings and my kids are with me at all times. Could that be the problem.?
It is not unusual for bedwetting to run in families with studies showing an underlying genetic link. There is still a great deal of debate surround...
-
5 year old daughter is on and off with wet and dry nights
It is not unusual for your daughter to be wetting the bed at age 5 with about 15% of children still doing so by the time they start school. Typical...
-
Question from a first time mum- what do I do to stop my daughter from going at night?
There is so much to get your head around as a first time mum! Firstly, let me reassure you that it is perfectly normal for your daughter to still b...
-
My son wears DryNites every night. He never wakes up dry. What should I be doing to help him?
When it comes to coping with your child’s bedwetting it often helps to know how normal it actually is. Approximately 17% of 5-year-old children con...
-
4yo daughter - should I put her in nappies or drynites for bed time?
It is quite common for children to experience the occasional accident during the day for a couple of years after being toilet trained. Young childr...
-
my son wet himself day and night at night he will were drynites but he will where them to school what can i do
Given his age and the regularity of his wetting it is very important that you make an appointment with your GP so that they can investigate the c...
-
my son is going to be 6 next month. he wets his pants during the day. Sometimes he is really wet and sometimes its just a little spot. Some days he can be dry the whole day. The same thing happens at night. Some nights he will get up and go too the toilet
While it is quite common for children to continue to experience nighttime incontinence at age 6, regular daytime accidents are less common and shou...
-
My grandson is almost 6 and has high function autism. He's been toiled trained during the day for couple of years now, but still wears nappy at night. His mum tried couple of times to put him to bed without nappy because he kept saying that he was a big
Unfortunately nighttime continence does not work in the same way as daytime training – nighttime wetting typically happens when children are asleep...
-
Hi Doctor, My daughter is 2 years and 2 months old and will not poo on the potty or the toilet. She has now started to refuse even sitting on the toilet for wee even though she has been weeing on the toilet for the past 3 months. My question is should I
Hi Belinda – this is incredibly frustrating but not that uncommon. The average time it takes children to become toilet trained is anywhere between ...
-
Hi my 5 year old son wets heavily every night - usually through a dry nite and onto the sheets. Recently he was prescribed antibiotics for an ear infection. For the week that he was on the antibiotics he was dry every night. The last night he took the
Hi Amanda – bladder infections are certainly one cause of nighttime wetting so I would definitely have your son checked by your GP. I would also d...
-
hi my name is kerrry i have 3 kids 2 boys and 1 girl my first boy fred is 3 and has started to wet the bed and my second boy bob has started to get up in the night and poo on the floor in the bed room he is 2 and is clean and has been for a few months. me
Hi Kerry – divorce can be incredibly stressful for all involved, especially young children. It is not uncommon for children to experience toiletin...
-
Is bowel incontinence linked at all with bed wetting? My 5 1/2 year old has never been out of night nappies as he wets every night but over the past few months he has also been pooing in the bath or shower. This only happens occasionally as he says it c
Hi Christine - Faecal incontinence in children is typically a sign that your child is suffering from constipation. If left untreated, constipation ...
-
My children have kidney reflux. Does this make them have less bladder control? i.e. more likely to take longer to have bladder control at night?
Children diagnosed with kidney reflux can experience bedwetting as a symptom of this condition. Depending on your daughters diagnosis, children wi...
-
My 4 year old daughter manages to stay dry through the night but when she wakes up in the morning she goes toilet in her pullup instead of in the toilet! please help as it is so frustrating
Hi Rachel - You certainly do have your hands full! While I would not normally be concerned about a 4-year-old wetting at night, from your explanat...
-
Hi, how long will a bedwetting episode last?
Hi Louis, I’m afraid this is a little bit like trying to answer the question, ‘How long is a piece of string?”. The answer to your question depe...
-
Is breathing through the mouth a cause of bedwetting in children?
Hi M.P., while deep sleeping is not a cause of bedwetting it certainly makes it much more difficult for children to wake in response to a full blad...
-
Hi, I have a few issues so I hope you can help. My 7 1/2 yr old son is always wet so we use the size 4-7yr drynites but he wees so much in the night that he wets through them 80% of the time. I have tried the larger size 8yr + but he wets through those
Hi Sarah, bedwetting can be incredibly challenging to manage and even more so when children do not appear to be particularly bothered by it. On one...
-
Why has my 5 year old only recently started wetting the bed?
your son’s type of bedwetting would be considered secondary enuresis (SE) – this is less common and has different underlying causes. When children ...
-
twin 4yo girls, and one is wetting her pants. When is it time to worry about this?
we usually do not consider daytime wetting to be a problem until after children have turned 4 years of age or reach a developmental age of 4 - this...
-
Hi my daughtter has been toilet trained for over a year. when playing outside she will tell me she needs to go and i tell her just to go if she needs to but instead of going to the toilet she will piss herself on her bed. At school she will just stand the
Hi Daphne – it is not unusual for children to experience some regression in their toileting skills at times of stress and certainly the pending bi...
-
Its really weird? Please help me. Please
Hi Elise, it is certainly fine for you to wear DryNites both during the day and night. If you do wear them to school you should make sure you chan...
-
Wetting
Hi Britney – nice to hear from you again! Leakage often results from improper fit, which can occur if your DryNites are too small. Check that the...
-
My 7 year old son can go for weeks at a time with a dry bed and then all of a sudden we will have a run of wet nights, He tells me he doesn't know it is happening until it is too late. He gets upset at the mention of "drynights" can you give me some advic
While perfectly normal, this must be incredibly frustrating for both you and him! Reassure him that it is very common for children as they move tow...
-
At what age should my wife and I start to encourage our 4 and a half year old boy out of pull-ups at night. It seems when he wears a pull up at night he will wet them. When I have him in undies I get mixed results. Some night dry, some nights wet. I g
When it comes to parenting, consistency is certainly the key, whether we are talking about managing challenging behaviours or bedwetting. The good...
-
My nearly 9 year old daughter is still wetting the bed
While it is true that some children are able to outgrow bedwetting on their own, others do benefit from some form of treatment. When the bedwettin...
-
My son is 7yrs, wears two drynites and still wets that bed most nights.
Hi Helen, while it is true that some children are able to outgrow bedwetting on their own, others do benefit from some form of treatment. When the...
-
I have a bright 5 1/2 year old who i love dearly. I am however frustrated each day at another wet bed, saturated usually. My son used to be dry during the night around 4, however it was around the same time i left my husband (his dad), he then became an o
Trying to manage our children’s bedwetting can be quite the juggling act. We try and hide our frustration and exhaustion at coping with the consta...
-
Hi Dr Catherine, My daughter is nearly 9 & had stage 3 kidney reflux at 7mths. She still wet's the bed now & then. Can you please help?
Hi K. C. – your daughter has very little control over her bladder while asleep, so while rewards can be very motivating during the day, they will d...
-
Hi Dr Catherine, I have a 9 year old daughter who has never been completely dry, day or night. We have been seeing a urologist and physiotherapist for 4 years now. She has been taking Ditropan twice a day for the last 3. She hasn't had a tablet for oveer
This is a very challenging situation. While you can certainly use reward systems to encourage her to drink regularly throughout the day, this is i...
-
Ask a question now...my girl is seven years old, she soaks her pullups. we have never made a big deal out of it. She has had several uti's. our doctor has said don't worry she will grow out of it. my concern is that she has started early development(breas
Hi Dianne, one of the trickiest things for parents when it comes to managing our children’s bedwetting is ensuring that it does not impact advers...
-
I have a 7 yr old daughter who toilet trained herself before the age of two! but sadly is still soaking a night nappy. Her Aunt wet bed until her teens. Not a big issue at all for me, but should we be trying harder? GP said go without nappy for a month!
Hi Delia, due to the underlying genetic link it is not unusual to find a number of children in the one family experiencing nighttime wetting. Whil...
-
My daughter is 11 and has wet the bed every night of her life. I have taken her to the Dr who sent her for scans but couldnt find a medical reason for the bed wetting. She showers every morning but i hate the thought of kids being able to smell urine on
Hi – there are a number of treatments available to help your daughter to become dry at night. While conditioning alarms experience the best outcom...
-
my daughter is 13 years of age and is still wetting the bed.
It can be incredibly frustrating when it seems like you’ve tried it all yet met with little success! While conditioning alarms continue to experien...
-
Hi, I don't know what to try to help my daughters bed wetting?
Dealing with bedwetting can be incredibly challenging and failure to respond to treatment only adds to our stress. If you have not done so already ...
-
my 6 year old daughter wets the bed every night, we have tried limiting drinks after 6 and certain foods however this has not helped. She has moved house a few times in the last 2 years however she seems to have no problems with that. She also doesnt real
Hi Fiona, the most frustrating thing about bedwetting is that there are so many potential underlying causes that it can be difficult to treat. T...
-
Hi. I have 2 girls ages 12 and 9 who have both been bed wetters since birth. They are both being seen to by the bladder clinic at Westmead Childrens Hospital suites. It has been established that the 12 year old has bowel problems and was placed on movicol
Even though it is our children who wet the bed, it’s often the parents who need the most support (and often don’t receive any!). Coping with bedwe...
-
do the drynights hold runny number 2 and a hevy flow of number 1
DryNites work in much the same way as a nappy, and can hold both fecal matter and urine. Parents of older children with significant developmental d...
-
i have tried the alarm and mirinin nasal srpay and still wet the bed every night what do i do now
It can be very frustrating and disheartening when treatments do not result in the desired outcome! Nasal sprays are generally seen as a form of man...
-
my daughter is almost 9 and still wets most nights, she is a heavy sleeper, are there natural remedies worth trying without the expense
While there is less scientific support for natural remedies, some parents and children have reported improvements in bedwetting following the use o...
-
Hi.My 51/2yr old daughter still wets the bed everynight, we have had a few rare occassions where she has had a dry night, which we praise her,ring Daddy at work to tell him etc.She has water regularly during the day, some with dinner and a mouthfull after
Hi Ruth – it really sounds like you are doing all the right things. As I’m sure you are fully aware, the tricky and often frustrating thing about ...
-
My 6 year old daughter has never had a dry night in her life.
Continence issues are often an indicator of stress in young children, which explains why your daughter returned to wetting during the day after you...
-
My 4 yr old boy, has never been dry at night, but wants to be, I have tried dry nite nappies but they are to big for him and leak so he is still wearing nappies, he is a deep sleeper, any suggestions, thanks Miranda
Hi Miranda, It is quite common for parents of children who wet the bed to comment on how heavy a sleeper their child is. Researchers have shown tha...
-
Ask a question now...my 12 year old son wets the bed every night but i cant wake him up at night because he is a very heavy sleeper and diets and bladder training isnt working either what can i do
It can be incredibly frustrating when you feel like you’ve tried it all and yet met with little success. When it comes to the more traditional m...
-
i have a 6 year old daughter that wets the bed every night and it doesnt faze her 1 bit, i wake her up twice a night to go to the toilet and she still wets please help me
Hi Jenayah – while it’s great that your daughter is not upset by the fact that she wets at night, I see how frustrating this must be for you given ...
-
Hi Dr, i have 3 boys my eldest is 13 and he still wets the bed and is attending boarding school so i took him to the Dr's and they prescribed him endep 25mg it seems to work but if he happens to miss just one tablet wets the bed!. My middlechild is 11 and
Hi Rachael, due to the strong genetic link it is not unusual to find a number of children in the same family experiencing bedwetting. When genet...
-
Hi, I am in the process of night training my 4 yr old boy. We are going pretty well, although he is not yet waking himself up. I've come online to see if there were any tips i could use and notice some advice states not to deprive of drinks of an evening
Hi Brooke - while we no longer recommend restricting fluids completely before bedtime it is perfectly fine to reduce the amount he drinks in the ev...
-
Our 6 year old son has been on and off successfully training at night time for the last 6 months. The washing of pjs and mattresses is quite constant now- do we put him back in dry nights- or will this allow him to become lazy?
It really is a personal decision as to whether or not to use DryNites. Many parents (and children) choose to use DryNites to reduce the stress asso...
-
my 5 year old keeps wetting the bed , we have tried to take the nappy off him but i found my self changing the sheets to many times in the middle of the night . he wakes up in the morning wet right threw , and he is so embrassed he hides his cloths and na
Hi Kelly, when bedwetting starts to impact on a child’s self-esteem then it is time to think about treatment regardless of how old they are! Fir...
-
hi Catherine, our girl (fosterchild) wich is 7 has been wetting the bed from day one since we got her. she is been with us for 18 months now and first thing we did was take her off the ditropan as that is what they gave her but did not do a thing for her
Hi Jack – first let me say what a wonderful thing you are doing. I have a number of colleagues who foster children and I understand how challe...
-
Hello, our daughter is 16 and wets the bed every night, sometimes twice a night. We have tried minirin and alarms but neither with success as she is a very deep sleeper, we are all at our wits end, can you offer any help?
In can be incredibly frustrating and disheartening when you feel like you have tried it all and still your child continues to wet at night. While ...
-
Hello. My Son is going on 14, yet still wet's the bed. We have tried many, many thins - the smell is strong, and its his 6th matress. What can i do?
It can be incredibly frustrating when it seems like you’ve tried it all yet met with little success! The best forms of treatment are conditionin...
-
my son is 11 and still wets the bed it smells bad what can i do to stop this
Bedwetting can be incredibly distressing for the whole family. If you have not done so already the first step is to make an appointment with your ...
-
my son is 7 and wets the bed most nights. he wears pull ups but he wees so much he wets the bed anyway. im so worried, is it time to take him to the doctors?
It is not uncommon for children your son’s age to still be wetting the bed on a regular basis; bedwetting is far more common among boys than gi...
-
Hi there, my daughter is nearly 8 years old and she has been wetting the bed from since I can remember, we have been to doctors, etc and no one has really explained or helped us with it. She doesn't just wet herself once but a few times a night, she says
Hi K.W. – the majority of children who wet the bed have nothing medically wrong with them. While doctors and researchers have been able to ident...
-
My daughter is 6, 7 in Sept and we really want to get her off her Drynites - she never has a dry one during the night?
Hi Paula - Your first step is to meet with your GP just so he or she can run a few tests just to make sure your daughter’s nighttime wetting is not...
-
Hi, my 9 year old girl was night time trained at 3 years of age, but since then, she's been having random bouts of wetting at night, worse when it gets colder, when she's gone to bed earlier than normal and when she's unwell. She doesn't have any stresso
It’s great that you’ve been able to identify a pattern to your daughter’s nighttime wetting. From what you have written it appears that you daught...
-
my daughter is 6 wets her bed on average once a week but this week 3 days in a row. We usually take her to the toilet about 2 hours after she goes to bed but sometimes she is already wet. On the plus side, once she has wet she stays dry the rest of the ni
Once upon a time parents used to be encouraged to carry their child to the toilet during the night to help avoid a wet bed. While waking or lifting...
-
..My son is turning 11 this year and really has never been out of dry nights. He has been on movicol, he has had an ultrasound on his bladder,(normal size) he's been told by doctors he is lazy and we have been told to eat healthy and do a journal and sti
Hi Vanessa (and Jye) – I am so sorry to hear that your son was made to feel responsible for his bedwetting. As I am sure you are fully aware, chil...
-
Ask a question now...My Daughter is 5 and never been dry unless I get her up in the night and thats not effective either. Isthere anything ican do to help?
Hi Emily – you are spot in describing waking or lifting as being an ineffective means of managing children’s bedwetting. Children who have achi...
-
My 5 and a half year old son really wants to wear "jocks" to bed, but he has only ever had 3 or so dry nights.
Hi M. B., the way parents manage children’s bedwetting can often make or break a delicate situation. It really is a personal decision as to whether...
-
6 year old daughter is still wetting the bed i have tried everything
Hi Cassie, given the frequency of your daughter’s bedwetting I would certainly recommend that you make an appointment to discuss this with your GP....
-
Ask a question now... Hi my son is 7yrs old and wets the bed every night. He wears pull-ups each night, and usually requires two as his urine is so strong. His pull-ups are soaked through in the morning when he wakes and he usually needs his sheets cha
Hi Gina – firstly in the short-term I would recommend trying DryNites rather than Pull-Ups, these are specifically designed for nighttime use and a...
-
We really gave the alarm a good, long try but it didn't work for us and we're over it. What next?
Hi H. C. – it can be incredibly frustrating when you feel you have given your all to a treatment and it still doesn’t result in a positive outcome....
-
My son is 12 years old and has been wetting his bed since the age of 8 He has been using drynites 7 days a week and wets the bed 3-4 times per week. He is worried he will wet his bed into adult years. Any suggestions would be great
Hi R. P., when bedwetting continues for many years it is completely understandable that children start to believe that it will never stop! Have yo...
-
what exactly needs to be done to help bedwetters except using doctors medication
Hi Antoinette, firstly, my apologies for the delay in responding … The most successful form of bedwetting treatment is the conditioning or bedwet...
-
hi my daughter still wets the bed at the age of 10 and we have tried every medication She finds it extreamly frustraing that she constantly has to say no to sleepovers.is it normal for a ten year old girl to still wet the bed?
Unfortunately while medications are helpful in the short-term they generally do not help children to achieve permanent nighttime continence. Abou...
-
1. Can I get my daughter tested to see if she has excess hormone? 2. If she doesnt have excess hormone, will it help to let her have a wet bed, ie no nappy to stimulate the brain / bladder communication? it seems waking her doesnt achieve anything from th
Hi Claudia – given your concerns I would certainly recommend that you speak with your GP and organise a full physical examination which may inclu...
-
Hi, our girl is almost 8 & still wets every night. She doesnt drink much, & wees before bed, but wets within 30 mins. She is a VERY deep sleeper.
While research certainly shows links between deep sleeping patterns and bedwetting, it is not the primary cause of why it happens in the first plac...
-
Asking information regarding Enuresis Treatment Center in USA
Hi Monica, I am not familiar with this centre so am unable to advise whether or not to pursue this further. The underlying cause of children’s bed...
-
My daughter wets the bed about 4 times per week, sometimes less sometimes every night. There is no distinct pattern. I am now trying to limit her water intake at dinner time (2 hours before her bedtime) and am feeling guilty for doing this.
Bedwetting runs in families, which means that children who have parents who wet the bed, are much more likely to wet the bed themselves. The upsid...
-
My 12 year old daughter has been a bed wetter all her life I am hoping to take her to a urologist do you think this would help.
Bedwetting can be incredibly distressing for children especially as they move toward the teenage years. Given her age and the negative impact th...
-
My 7 year old daughter has always wet the bed since she was 3 years old.
Hi Christina, as bedwetting has an underlying genetic cause, it is not unusual to find a number of children in the one family who wet the bed at ni...
-
My 5 year old girl has always wet the bed, she wees around 5 times a night.
Hi Kelly, as frustrating as this situation is, you need to be reassured that it is completely normal – with at least 1 in 7 children continuing to ...
-
Hi I have a 9 year old son who has never stopped wetting his bed, in the last few weeks it has got really bad, to the point where he wets through his dry night and wet sheet an the mattress is soaked through, i have started waking him twice during the nig
Hi Nyssa, Children’s overnight urine output can be quite variable; however a significant increase in bedwetting can be incredibly distressing for b...
-
my daughter has just turned 6, the longest she has gone dry at night time has been 10 days, then back to wetting everynight! she doesnt get drinks at night after at least 6pm, yet she wets everynight. it is most frustrating having to wash bedding etc eeev
Hi Tracy, one of the most frustrating things about bedwetting is there seems to be no clear explanation as to why it is happening, and often no mat...
-
Hi, my son is nearly 9 years old and wets his bed every night. We have ruled out any physical issues a few years ago and hoped he would grow out of it. He had several treatments with a chiropractor a few years ago who said that we were best to just wait t
Hi Tammy, as bedwetting has an underlying genetic cause, it is not unusual to find a number of children in the one family who wet the bed at nigh...
-
Should we keep our 5 1/2 yr old boy in nappy pants at night or should we let him wet to encourage him to get up and go to the toilet?
Hi Kellie – The first thing you need to do is reassure him that you understand that his nighttime wetting is largely beyond his control. Making t...
-
Ask a question now..my daughter is 11 almost 12 last year we used the mat alarm this seemed to work as for te first week she did not wet . during the use of it we had some wet nights but more dry ones every now and then we get a wet bed or couch etc some
Hi Tracy, given that your daughter is currently under the care of a psychologist I am reluctant to offer any specific advise with respect to the ma...
-
Hi my son is 13 and still is wetting the bed. He wets so much that the drynites get so soaked that they leak on him and his bed and on the protection they are all wet. I am not to sure what to do i have tried an alarm years ago but that didnt work. His pe
Hi Allison, It must be incredibly frustrating and disheartening when you feel like you have tried it all and still your son continues to wet at nig...
-
should a 12 year old wear drynites or just wash the sheets and pjs everyday
Hi Johanne – the decision of whether or not to put your daughter into DryNites is really up to you and your daughter. It is best to think of DryNI...
-
hi my name is sarah. i have a nearly 9 year old adhd son he still wets the bed even with a pull up on we have tried waking him up in middle of the night to go to the toilet but he just wnt go what can i do?
Hi Sarah, the incidence of bedwetting in children with ADHD is also about two to three times higher than for other children so it is not particular...
-
Hello, We have three young children aged 4 (Boy), 2 (Girl) & 4months (Girl) old. Somewhere around the age of three our son decided he no longer wanted to wear nappy pants to bed and so we went with it. He was ok for a little while, maybe wetting
Hi K.V., first of all, what a lucky boy to have such wonderful, understanding and supportive parents! You have obviously given a lot of thought ...
-
Our son has just turned 7 and we have been happy to wait until he was ready not to wear DryNites. We have been taking him to the toilet at 10pm and have had dry nappy in the morning for the last four days in a row. Prior to taking the night nap off, sho
Hi K.H., the decision of whether and when to remove your son’s DryNites is ultimately up to you and him. If you think he will not be bothered by p...
-
My son is 6 and has been wetting the bed since the age of 3. This is very much a genetic thing as my mother and I suffered from the same bed wetting condition. As a matter of convieniance we wake him up before we go to be ourselves and it results in a dr
Hi DB, we know that lifting to children in the toilet is really a form of management and does little in the way of helping children to stop and can...
-
Hi, my daughter is 9 years old and wets almost every night. We have been to a paediatrician and have tried the Malem alarm system and the drinking during the day and measuring volume of urine etc. Nothing is working. Please help Vicky
Hi Vicky, In must be incredibly frustrating and disheartening when you feel like you have tried it all and still your daughter continues to wet at ...
-
My son's bedwetting seems to stem from laziness. He often wee's in his pull ups after his gone to bed but still awake. He has no problem getting out of bed for various other reasons. He is 5 in Nov and is not fazed that he still wets the bed. He is dry a
Hi C.L., while it is very unusual for a child to deliberately wet the bed, however it does appear from your description to me more of a behavioural...
-
My almost 11 year old daughter mainly wets for the first wee if I don't put her on the toilet before I got to bed
Hi Alison, bedwetting can be incredibly frustrating particularly when you feel like you have tried it all and still your child continues to wet at ...
-
my son has wet the bed all the time, he is now 12 nearly 13. He uses dry nights with pants on top. limits to drinks no liquids after 6pm, has had minerin and ditropan, always has a wet sheet on and still wets every night sometimes twice, I see no end to
Hi G – this must be incredibly frustrating for both you and him! It is not particularly unusual to have experienced little success with the medica...
-
My 8 year old wets the bed about once a week, however if he has has a busy week (like when he did swimming lessons every day at school) or stays up past 7.30pm, he will almost always wet the bed. He is not phased in the slightest about his bed wetting whi
It is not unusual for children to experience an increase in wetting at times of illness or stress or when they get overtired - which explains the i...
-
8 yr old grandson still wearing night nappies
A number of studies have shown an increased risk of bedwetting among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder with approximately 11% of children aged...
-
Hi Dr Kathrine, our 9year old has always had bedwetting issues so about 1 year ago we wake her before we go to bed so she can go to the loo and it means shes dry in the morning. Should we be waking her???
Hi Manda, this is a tricky one – waking children is typically seen as a practical approach to managing children’s bedwetting in the short-term only...
-
My son is 9 years old and wets his pull ups in morning, sometimes wake him early in moring and pullups are dry. Taken him to a Childrens Chiropratic, some say there are good but most say your waisting your money.Thanks
Hi Mark, when it comes to stopping bedwetting your best bet is to try a conditioning alarm. While your son may outgrow bedwetting on his own – t...
-
I'm at my wits end. My son is 11 years old last May and has wet the bed of a night his whole life. He was toilet trained during the day from the age of about 3 and this has never been a problem, however, he wets the bed at night approximately 3 to 4 tim
Hi M.S., primary bedwetting very rarely results from psychological causes but it may in fact be the cause of emotional or psychological distress wh...
-
Hi, i bought the drynites nappies for boys from 17kgs and up, my son leaks every night with this nappy and i'm not happy...but they don't seem to have smaller size..any suggestion what to do as he is fully toilet trained but still needs nappy when sleeps,
Hi Daniella, how frustrating! Leakage can certainly result from improper fit which happens when children’s DryNites are too large or too small. H...
-
About 3-4 months ago my 4 year old son dosent wear a nappy at night. When he visits his friends and family for sleepovers he will occasionally wet the bed. Do you think it would be better to put him in the dry nites for these situations. My only concern i
Hi M.P., this is certainly a tricky situation and to be perfectly honest there really isn’t a right or wrong response. When it comes to the treatm...
-
Hi, My step daughter is 12 and still wetting the bed, so has always worn nappies at night. I'm worried when she gets her period. What age does bed wetting normally stop? Could it be she is just in a bad habit now of wearing nappy at night? She is
Hi Marcia, bedwetting can be incredibly challenging to deal with and is a major cause of stress for both children and parents. One thing to keep i...
-
My 8 y.o is still wetting the bed. He can have 2-4 dry nights in a row and then be wet again for a week ,we limit his fluid intake in the evening make surehe goes to the toilet before going to bed and even wake him up to go to the toilet when we go to bed
Hi K.T., I think one of the most frustrating things for parents of children who wet the bed is that there does not seem to be any logical explanati...
-
My 3 year old daughter has begun wetting the bed at night. Do I put her back in dry nights?
Hi Melissa, it is not unusual for young children to waiver between periods where they are dry then begin to wet the bed again. In saying this – if...
-
my grandson is neally 5 his younger brother 3 and is out of nappies, but he still wets at night he goes to the toilet through the day, is it because he is to lazy to get up through the night. my daughter is pulling her hair out. what should we do.
It is perfectly normal for your grandson to still be wetting the bed at night with at least 1 in 10 5-year-olds continuing to wet the bed on a regu...
-
My son was born with hirschprung's disease and it not only affects his bowels but also his urine output. He has and never will have rectal sensation. I don't know what to do in order to make him feel ok or as he says "Normal". We never make a big deal out
Hi Tina – it’s our job as a parent to worry about our children. Having a child with any type of physical or medical condition can be particularly ...
-
My son is 6 and has never had a dry night, he has always been a heavy wetter. However he is now too big for Huggies Junior size but all nappy pants leak (including DryNites) so I have resorted to still using the Huggies Junior or a DryNite pullup with a
This is incredibly frustrating and expensive! Bedwetting has many causes with some children wetting due to low ADH levels. ADH is an antidiuretic ...
-
Ask a question now...Hi my grandson is 4 and wets at night his parens are doing all the things you have to bo drinks after five, taken to toilet before they go to bed. He is wearing jocks to bed so if he wets he will be uncomfortable but it hasnt't helpe
Hi Sandi – helping children to achieve nighttime continence works a little differently to daytime training. Nighttime wetting typically happens wh...
-
Hello, My son is 4.5 and I am beginning to be concerned about his overnight urination. He has been day trained for almost 2 years now but he is still peeing through a regular diaper at night. He only has a drink with dinner at 5pm and uses the toilet b
Hi Jodi – firstly, let me reassure you that this is perfectly normal behaviour for a child this age, particularly boys. In fact, bedwetting is con...
-
What can I do about my son! He is 13 year old and has a drynite with 5 extra absorbant pads every night (such a hassle but he enjoys whering it) and his Drynight stinks when he wakes up. he had no mental dis or phis dis and does not want the alams, I am
Hi Kate, if you find that your son has outgrown the larger DrYnites size I would recommend that you try him in disposable products designed for adu...
-
hi there, please help me as my son is 6.5 years old and still bedwet his bed almost every night, there are night where i have to change the bedding a few times during the night, my lucky night is where i change the bed only once.i keep on waking him up al
Hi M. B, The fact that your son still wets at night is not a particular concern given the fact he is a boy and he is only 6 years of age – with som...
-
Bed -wetting
Hi Mark, it is not unusual for parents to feel a little frustrated when bedwetting extends into the teenage years. While they may appear angry I’m ...
-
My son bed wetting
Hi Martesse, helping children to achieve nighttime continence works a little differently to daytime training. Nighttime wetting typically happens ...
-
Ask a question now...Hi my son still wets the bed at night he is 7 yrs old and im not sure what to do to help him stop this. I have tried waking him 2 times a night to toilet, we limit drinks and tried undies instead of pull-ups but with no success?? Bot
Hi Vicky – there is quite a strong genetic link to bedwetting so it is not unusual to find a number of individuals in the same family experiencing ...
-
My 8 year old son wears drynites and still wets most nights, is this normal? He is a deep sleeper and we have tried to limit his drinks after 3.30pm and this sort of helps but not completely. He is getting rather embarrassed about it. We are trying Kiroki
Hi Vanessa, it is not that unusual for boys to still be wetting at night at age 8, however we do find the chances of children outgrowing bedwetting...
-
Hi my son will be 14 in October and is still wetting his bed every night. He has done so since he was a toddler. He gets very embarrassed when he has friends over. We have tried bed alarms and nasal sprays but it hasn't helped. I was a bed wetter unti
Hi D.T. - there are a number of causes to bedwetting and genetics certainly has a role to play. We typically say that if one parent wet the bed as...
-
I'm 15 and i've been wetting the bed for some time now, it gets frustrating at times but i've been thinking of buying DryNites to help with this problem, i've never used them before so i need to know if they are discrete and how much they absorb? Thanks f
DryNites fit like an underpant and can be worn comfortably under pyjamas or boxer shorts at night – some individuals choose to wear underpants over...
-
Hi there, ive recently turned 14 and bought a pack of DryNites out of curiousty to try them on. I do still sometimes wet the bed but hardly ever. Ive found that i like to wear them all day and night and have started wetting more at night. Is this normal?
It is not unusual for teenagers to experience a return to bedwetting at times of stress or emotional upheaval. Although this may seem incredibly e...
-
about i like to wear drynites
Unfortunately I do not reside in Auckland. I would recommend that you contact the New Zealand Psychological Society (http://www.psychology.org.nz)...
-
im 15 and 175 lds. what is a good night time diaper for me to use. because all the other diapers for kids and teen are to small for me. should i just use adult diapers?
Hi D.S – given your age and weight you need to look into purchasing a product designed for adults – it is important that these fit properly around ...
-
I start wetting the bed when i was 11i am now 15. the drynites dont fit me can you recomend a place where i can go get a product that will fit me.
If you have outgrown the largest DryNites I would recommend that you look into some of the incontinence products designed for adults – you can pu...
-
My daughter has always wet the bed and has a small bladder capacity. How can we thoroughly investigate the cause, it doesn't seem that she will just grow out of it. Please help!!!!!
It is not unusual for chldren who have been diagnosed with a small bladder capacity to experience nocturnal enuresis. This form of incontinence of...
-
Ask a question now...Hi my son is 3 .5 years old. My friends children are sleeping throughout the night wearing undies. I cannot imagine my son doing this. He is only just fully toilet trained with a few accidents here and there. The issue for us is that
Hi Chantell, it is perfectly normal for your son to be still wetting the bed at night so there is absolutely no cause for concern. Many children, ...
-
my near 5 yr old son sees a pediatrician i have him in drynights each night and he completely wets through them when they fit comfortably.he goes to the tiolet alot and had thyrorid checked. what can cause his constant urination during the day every 20 m
Regular urination throughout the day can be a result of a number of different factors. The fact that he also wets through his DryNites at night m...
-
My daughter is 11 years and wets the bed most nights - took her to a doctor and they told me not to worry when will she grow out of this i feel it is effecting her self esteem.
Hi Lisa, while it is certainly true that many children outgrow bedwetting on their own, this is not the case for everyone. The important thing to ...
-
Ask a question now... nappies and pull-ups arn't working my son is still wetting through these.
Hi Rachael, firstly I would recommend trying DryNites rather than Pull-Ups, these are specifically designed for nighttime use and are much more abs...
-
Hi My little man is 4.5 years old and i am wondering when he will be able to stop wearing a nappy at night
Hi Sarah – unfortunately unlike daytime continence the road to achieving nighttime continence is less direct, with many a speed bump! Unlike toile...
-
Hi my 11 year old girl wore drynites till she was about 7 then I administered a nasal spray that solved the problem within 1 month, in that she did not need to continue to wear the drynites. Now, she wakes, gets up and wets herself on the way to the toile
Hi Natasha, parents of children who wet the bed often comment on how ‘heavy a sleeper’ their child is. Researchers have shown that while deep sleep...
-
My 9 yr old boy is on Ditropan for day time enuresis. He has never been dry at night but doesn't wake up at all even when extremely wet. Our doctor says to do nothing until he is 11. Does this sound right?
Hi T.L – symptoms of Neuronal Intestinal Dysplasia (NID) can include constipation, abnormal sleeping patterns as well as incontinence of the bladde...
-
hi im 26 and i wet the bed still i have been told i only have half the size of a blader for my age the doctors have trird nose spray and my mum and dad have tried waking me but i still wet the bed when something is worring me i have been with my partner n
This must very challenging for you. In a very small percentage of cases bedwetting can extend right through to our adult years. The fact that y...
-
hi cathrine i am 14 and i still wet the bed are their any ways i can stop wetting the bed
Hi Nikole – it can be incredibly frustrating when you continue to wet the bed at night despite a strong motivation to stop. It is unlikely that yo...
-
Hi Doctor: Our (almost) 4 year old son has started wetting his bed on most night of the week for the last few weeks. He is totally dry during the day and until this started a few weeks ago, he had only wet his bed a handful of times in the previous year
Hi David – while I’m not aware of any research directly linking testosterone with bedwetting in boys, there may be an indirect link in that increas...
-
My son is 3 and a half years old, he is toilet trained during the day but he is still wetting the bed. Is there any tips you can give to help get him night trained?
The time between being daytime trained and achieving nighttime continence is quite variable. Unlike toilet training, which is conscious and delibe...
-
Hi my son is 10, hes been wetting around 3 times a week for two months. Which was a real shock for me because it's never happened to him before. So i put him in drynites, But the other night he told me that he woke up just as he was wetting but couldn't h
Hi Kerry, many children prefer to wear DryNites as it gives them confidence they need in order to go to sleep at night and reduces the anxiety asso...
-
Hi, I have a 6 1/2 year old daughter who has been wearing pullups for the past year before that she was wearing nappies at night. When she was in nappies she had not had a dry night. A year ago, I started getting her up at 10pm and putting her on the toi
Hi Vicki, in order for your daughter to become dry at night she either needs to learn to wake in response to a full-bladder or her bladder needs to...
-
my son is only going to be turning 3 in April, but i am concerned cause he has been in undies for about 6 months at night and i have had no problems until recently he is wetting the bed about every 2nd night, he does like to drink water before he goes to
Dear H.M., It is not unusual for children to waiver between periods of dryness and return to wetting as they move toward achieving permanent nightt...
-
Hi. My son just turned 5, he stopped wearing nappies during the day when he was 3 but he has always used nappies at night until now. And the nappy would be really heavy in the morning. He's not just wetting the bed, he just basically releases everything.
Hi Charlene, the time it takes between achieving daytime control and nighttime continence is quite variable. Some children achieve this in a matte...
-
Hi there, My 6 & a 1/2 yr old was dry for about 2 years and then about 8 months ago started wetting the bed every night. It was near the end of her first year of school and I thought it was just tiredness but it is still going.We have tried the alarm with
Hi Louise, given your daughter was dry for over two years it would be a good idea to first have her checked by your GP just to make sure there is n...
-
Ask my 12 year old son wets the bed most nights
In must be incredibly frustrating and disheartening when you feel like you have tried it all and still your son continues to wet at night. While m...
-
Hi, My son has just turned 5 and is wetting the bed. I have tried rewards etc but he is just lazy, I know that might sound harsh but its the attitude of his 5 year old mind at the moment. He doesnt seem to wet in the night, its as soon as he starts to wak
Hi Emily, in the vast majority of cases children are completely unaware that they are wetting or have wet the bed. Unfortunately there are a lot ...
-
Ask my name is natasha, my daughter is 4 yrs old soon to be 5 in august, she has been daytime toilet trained shortly after 2yrs of age & seemed to be ready for no nappies. for about 18mths shes had no nite nappies but she still seems to wet the bed she c
Hi Natasha, you are not alone here with many parents experiencing similar patterns of nighttime wetting with their young children. It is quite c...
-
Hi there, my daughter is 4.5 yrs old, she is toilet trained throughout the day and I have found that the 15kg nappies at night are leaking, just about every night. I'm getting some samples for Drynites, in the meantime when is a good time to start doing
Firstly, let me reassure you that it is perfectly normal for children to continue to wet the bed at night up until around age 6 years. I generally ...
-
We have taken over care of a 10 yr old girl who bedwets. Unsure if it's medical or something else. Using Drynites. Should we be waiting for the hormone to kick in or see her GP now? Tricky family situation. Giving love, praise and support but unsure if th
As I am sure you are aware, bedwetting has a number of different causes, with low hormone levels being just one possible factor. Without knowing...
-
My 4 year old has never once woken up dry
Hi Cathy, it is not unusual for children your daughters age to still be wetting the bed at night with around 1 in 7 children continuing to do so by...
-
Hi, my son is turning 5 soon. When he was 3 - 3.5 he was dry about 60% of nights, now he is never dry. Is there a reason for this and will he return to dry nights easily? Thanks,
Hi B.H., unfortunately there are no simple answers when it comes to understanding children’s bedwetting. The most common causes of bedwetting incl...
-
My son is 4 and a half, I have him in nappies at night as he wets the bed every night (and its cheaper than pull ups). I am absolutely fine with this and think he'll get it in his own time but he is putting pressure on himself. He desperately wants to be
Hi A. H., given the frequency of his wetting it is unlikely that he is ready to go to bed without the use of an absorbent pant of some other absorb...
-
My son is 4 and a half years old, he has been dry all summer now with winter he wets the bed twice everynight. Firstly at 9pm then again at 11.30pm after that he is dry all night until 7am. I have made sure he is kept warm also I take him to the toilet b
It is not unusual for parents to comment on an increase in bedwetting during the winter months and then find their children stop wetting again ...
-
My son has been out of pullups for 1 1/2 years he use to be fine at first and stay dry but has been a year of wetting nearly every night sometimes 2-3 times a night,i limit his intake 2 hours before bed and he'll soak it by midnight if i dont take him,he
Hi S. B. – while you are correct in saying it is perfectly normal for a child your sons age to be still wetting at night if you are at all concerne...
-
Thank you very much Dr Catherine.
Dear R.M., that is wonderful to hear - thank you so much for sharing that with us! Regards, Dr Cathrine
-
Ask a question now...Hello Cathrine, my son is 6 years old and earlier in the year we had a great run of weeks of dry nights with only the odd wet one. Then he developed a slight cough and we were back to wet every night.
Hi S.C. – as children move toward achieving permanent nighttime continence it is not unusual for them to waiver between periods of dryness than r...
-
My son is nearly 7 and has probably only had about 10 dry nights in his life and those only with us waking him before we go to bed. He wets himself 2 or 3 times in the night. We tried the alarm about 4 months ago but after 2 weeks I was chronically sleep
Given his daytime wetting it is a very wise decision to have him checked by your GP. Your doctor will want to know things like how often he wets t...
-
Ask a question now... My 11 year old son wears a nappy everynight and many times he is wet, perhaps 1 night a week the nappy is dry. He says that he does not wake up at all, we have tried the no liquids 2hrs before bed, as well as going to toilet before b
One of the most common concerns for children who wet the bed is attending social events like school-camps. Their biggest fear typically revolves ar...
-
My 9 year old daughter wets the bed every night. She's a very deep sleeper and just don't wake up at night. Do you have ANY suggestions?
Hi Liezle – the frustrating and challenging part of bedwetting is that we often do not know what is causing it to occur – this also presents a numb...
-
My 7 year old still wets bed every night. We have tried everything including taking him to toilet every 2 hours,but its too lake, the bed it wet.
Bedwetting can be incredibly challenging to manage, particularly when it occurs on a regular basis. There are a number of reasons as to why childre...
-
can i use bedwetting alarm for my daughter whose age 3yrs only?is it ok or there might be side effect?
Hi Razan – bedwetting treatments are generally not recommend for children under 6 years of age, this is largely due to the fact that it is consider...
-
Hey, my daughter is almost 5 and we are in the process of toilet training her, we get her up in the night to go toilet and then in the morning she is dry. She hates getting up but if we don't get her up she wets the bed. There must be an easier way? Am I
It is not unusual for children your daughters age to still be wetting the bed at night with around 1 in 7 children continuing to do so by school-ag...
-
Bedwetting - 6 year old daughter. 2-3 times per night.
Hi Michelle - Happy New Year to you too! It can be incredibly frustrating for parents when you feel you have done all the right things and your chi...
-
my son is 5 & wets the bed 3 - 4 times a night. we restrict what he drinks before bed & he goes to the toilet before bed & still soaks the sheets 3 - 4 times a night. we try 2 get him up 3 - 4 times a night but this is very hit & miss as he doesnt wet at
Hi Aleisha – firstly, please be reassured that it is perfectly normal for a 5-year-old boy to still wet at night. If you are however concerned abo...
-
Our daughter is 11 years old and she is not showing any signs of attempting to help herself in stopping her bedwetting. We have tried allsorts, even waking her during the night, but we find she still wets. What is left for us to do???
Hi Y. S., it can be incredibly frustrating when you feel like you have tried it all and still your child continues to wet the bed at night. The fi...
-
9 years and still Bedwetting HELP
Given your son’s age and the potential impact his bedwetting can have on his social interactions – now is the time to look into introducing some fo...
-
7 year old still wet during the day and at night! Where to from here?
Hi D.C., It must be incredibly frustrating and disheartening when you feel like you have tried it all and still your son continues to wet at night....
-
Hey I'm 13 and still wetting my bed, I really want to stay the night at my friends house but I can't. People tease me. My friend gets angry because he wants me to stay. But I always decline him. I have tried everything, alarms,medication,. His do I fix it
Hi Ethan – bedwetting can be incredibly annoying particularly when it stops you doing fun things like going to sleepovers. Have you thought about ...
-
My 8 year old wets the bed nearly every night and we have tried everything including leaving lights on and getting him up he does not like the fact he wets the bed he gets upset
Hi Lee-Ann, it is completely understandable that he gets upset – no child every wants to wet the bed. Given his age and the fact that his bedwetti...
-
Hi Dr Catherine, Our son is 5 and wets every night, he is keen to wear undies and we have tried but more often than not he is wet. He doesn't drink alot at school during the day and has amazing bladder control during the day (ie goes 2-3 times) its al
Hi Justine, please be reassured it is perfectly normal for your son to still be wetting the bed at night with many children (especially boys) con...
-
Hi my son is 9yrs old and still wetting the bed, I find this hard to understand as none of my other children did this. What should I do?
Hi Charmaine, dealing with bedwetting can be particularly challenging for parents when they themselves did not experience bedwetting as a child. W...
-
I'm 19 years old and have wet the bed since I was 2. I've tried everything and have had no luck. What can I try?
Hi S.M. this is an incredibly challenging and frustrating situation. It is important that you understand that your bedwetting is no different from...
-
Hi,I just turned 12 a month ago,and i still wet the bed!My parents really don't care.I wish I could stop,it's really embarassing.I wet the bed each night!
Bedwetting is always tricky to deal with especially as you get older. While your feelings of embarrassment are completely understandable it is imp...
-
Hi, my daughter is 6 1/2 and has always worn a pull up to bed. We have tried everything even the alarm to wake her up which only worked twice. She is a deep sleeper, what do i do next? She also has a tendency to wet her pants during the day and not know
Hi Christine, there are a number of reasons children wet the bed at night. Given that she is also experiencing issues with daytime toileting I wou...
-
My son will be 7 in november and he wets his drynite every night with out fail. i donot know what to do. he went to camp 1 mouth ago and the bigger kids picked on him so he did not use his drynite so he sleeped in a very wet sleepingbag. where can i get
Hi Sandra – there is quite a strong genetic link to bedwetting so it is not unusual to find a number of individuals in the same family experiencing...
-
My four year old stays completely dry during daytime naps, and most nights if she goes to the toilet before bed. She wets in the morning when she wakes up. How can we fix this?
Hi Krystina, this is certainly a tricky situation. While it is very unusual for a child to deliberately wet the bed, it does appear from your desc...
-
4 year old big wetter at night.
Hi Melanie, There are a number of possible reasons why your son continues to wet at night. Children who wet usually do so because their bladder ...
-
We are considering an alarm as my son is 10yrs and still wetting nightly. You mention in other questions consulting a dr or specialist, but how? An article in Family Times referencing the DryNites site says to talk to a dr if the child is 7yrs & still w
Hi A. E., That is such a shame that you received this response. Unfortunately there are a lot of mix messages out there when it comes to treating ...
-
Hi Cathrine, I have a 7yr old son, I started a 7 day program of sending him to bed at 8.30 waking him up at 11.30 to go to the toilet. First day were great, I got him up, he went to the toilet. Third day, I woke him up but he was already wet, same with ni
Waking children throughout the night to go to the toilet is really a form of management and does little in the way of helping children to stop and ...
-
Hi Dr Cathrine. My son is 6.5, toilet trained during the day since age 3. He still wears night nappies every night. Some mornings he wakes up dry then other nights (like last night), he wet through the nappy into the bed twice! We were taking him to th
Hi L.C., there is much debate about how best to treat and manage bedwetting. There is a school of thought that suggests the best way to treat bedw...
-
my four year old grandaughter just wets the bed evey second day is dry night going to confuse her
One of the best indicators that your grandaughter is moving toward achieving nighttime continence is an increase in the number of consecutive night...
-
Hi, my son is eight years old, he's a chronic bed wetter, and he is about to go on his first camp. We are both worried about that he might have an accident while going to camp, on the bus, as it is a six hour journey. This would cause him great embarrass
Hi Jane, Sleepovers, slumber parties and school camps are common sources of stress for children who wet the bed. It is important that your son is...
-
I have been told that if i continue to put a nappy on my son (nearly 8 years old) he will continue to wet it?? I have been waiting for more of a consistent pattern before i stop. At the moment its just one dry nappy every now and again? Thank you, Lisa-An
Hi Lisa, while there has certainly been some debate about the use of absorbent pants in the management of children’s bedwetting there is no resea...
-
Hi Catherine Why the frequency of wetting throughout the night?
Hi Michelle, it’s lovely to hear from you. Bedwetting has a number of underlying causes. The most common cause of bedwetting is a neurological-de...
-
My 26 mth old son fills his nappy & maternity pad inside nappy full to the brim. It is like a brick in the morning. Is this normal?
Hi P.C, it is perfectly normal for your son to be still using nappies throughout the day. The average age for boys to achieve daytime continence i...
-
Hi Dr. Cathrine, my son is 6yrs old and has Asperger's Syndrome, he is still wetting the bed at night and is the middle child of three boys, they were both night trained by 3yrs. I'm wondering what the expectancy is for a child with a developmental delay
Hi Melissa, the age at which children achieve nighttime continence is quite variable with many boys not becoming dry at night until 8 years of age....
-
My son is 3.5yrs old and wants to wear undies to bed at night, we have tried a couple of times but he just wets the bed and does not wake up when he does, i don't understand why ??
Hi Rebecca, it is perfectly normal for your son to still be wetting the bed at night. The time between achieving daytime continence and nighttime ...
-
My son has just turned 8yrs, he wants to stop wetting the bed but still wets it if he doesnt wear a dry night should i seek medical help?
Hi L.T. - Not surprisingly, bedwetting becomes more of an issue as children get older and want to start attending sleepovers or school camps. Give...
-
hi Doc C, both myself and my son are at wits end.. he is 14.5 yrs old and still wets the bed most nights, he does not know if he has until he wakes in the morn. we have done the measure drinks, the reward, the no drinks after 6pm, the alarm sheet. eveythi
Dear Karen and Ben, it must be incredibly frustrating and disheartening when you feel like you’ve tried it all and still no success. There are a f...
-
4 and a half year old son is still in a nappy @ nite and seems no where near ready to go without one, he just doesnt wake.
Hi K.J., this is perfectly normal behaviour, in fact some medical professionals argue that bedwetting, particularly among boys, is developmentally ...
-
My son is 4.5 and wets the bed every night. To avoid having to wash sheets every day, I've asked him to wear 'night undies' (pull ups) which he is happy to do. The problem we have is instead of getting up to go to the toilet in the morning, he thinks it's
Hi Kristy, while reward systems are generally discouraged in the management of children’s bedwetting you could certainly adopt this approach to try...
-
Hi my son is nearlly 6 years old and he still wets the bed. I have tried a few times putting him to bed without a pull up. but he will sleep all night in a wet bed and he will not wake up.
Hi Tiffany, while bedwetting can be incredibly distressing for parents please be reassured that it is perfectly normal for your son to still wet th...
-
My son just turned two on the 24th Feb. He constantly wakes 2-3 times at night and has really started to escalate in his screams for me to entre his room. Finally last night he said wee's, I took him to the toilet but it was too late. Could he be waking t
Hi D. B., It sounds like your son is experiencing night tremors, a common occurrence among toddlers and preschoolers. Night tremors differ from nig...
-
my nearly 10 year old boy still wets has never really been dry and we have tried alarms and nasal sprays neither worked what can i do Rochelle
Hi Rochelle - Unfortunately when it comes to treating children’s bedwetting, what works for one does not necessarily work for others. How old was ...
-
I am a mother of two who is at wits end, my 7 yr old son has bowel problems and is having trouble toileting through the night and during the day help! also my 5 yr old daughter has become lazy due to her brothers problems and wakes with her pullup complet
Hi Leisa, the first thing you need to do is seek medical advice – any form of daytime incontinence after the age of 5 years needs to be investiga...
-
We are trying to get our 3.5year old son dry every night of the week. He has few dry nights and a few wet nights during the week so we would just like some ways to help our son out as he feels really bad in the mornning if he does wet himsels. Any advice?
Hi Velika, the time it takes between achieving daytime control and nighttime continence is quite variable. Some children achieve this in a matter ...
-
HI, My son is 14.5 and is wetting the bed with the dry nites on. He is upset by this as now we have to get him into adult pants and this is extremly upsetting for him. We have tried the bladder control, alarm, drinking lots of water during the day, medica
Hi Karolyn, this must be incredibly distressing for you all. Certainly when it comes to the more traditional measures, conditioning alarms continue...
-
Hi, I wet my pants alot and my GP said that I would have to be put back into nappies with powder to prevent nappy rash on a 24/hr a day basis. I am quite embarrased about this and I wasa wondering if you could give me some advice..... Can I wear these nap
Thank you for submitting your question to Dr Cathrine. It has come to our attention that you have submitted 18 questions to Dr Cathrine. We und...
-
My son is 4.5 - he is completely toilet trained during the day but is nowhere near dry at night. While I am not overly concerned about this fact, knowing that a lot of children are not dry at night at this age, what is frustrating me is that although he
Children’s overnight urine output can be quite variable – parents of children who seem to pass a lot of urine overnight sometimes find it easier to...
-
do you think it is better for my 4and a half year old boys self esteme to wear drynights or to allow him to wet the bed. Is there any difference to how long it will take to become dry at night?
There is little evidence to suggest that wearing absorbent pants either extends or shortens the bedwetting process. The main purpose of DryNites i...
-
i have a 3 year old son and he wears pull ups to bed and he is wet sometime dueing the day and he is allmost toilet training now
Hi M. A. – It is quite common for 3-year-old children to be wetting the bed at night. While some children become dry at night a few weeks or month...
-
what age do boys stop wetting bed..
Hi Kim - the age at which children stop wetting the bed is quite variable. Given the strong genetic link it is not unusual for a number of children...
-
No matter what I do my five year old son stills wets through his pull up, pjs and sheets. What else can I try?
Hi Pauline, given the strong genetic link it is not unusual to find a number of children in the one family who wet the bed – however, if neither yo...
-
Can you help with a 7yr. old boy who poo's in his pants rather than use the toilet?
Children with special needs often take longer to attain bladder and bowel control, with many parents sighting toileting issues as one of the bigges...
-
My son 4 next mouth has just started wetting in his DryNights again, what can I do? should I look at a star chart or something to help him become dry again?
Hi Michelle, you do not mention in your question how long your son had been dry at night for. If it has been for a period of 6 months or more then...
-
Ask a question now...Hi Dr Cathrine,my son just turned 5 and he wets his bad once a fortnight, but thats if i don't give him anything to drink 1 hour before bed and take him him to toilet a few times just before he goes to bed. As soon as he has a drink b
Hi Angela, you seem to be completely on top of the situation. While we no longer recommend restricting fluids completely before bedtime it is a go...
-
My 4.5 yo son has been day trained for 2 years but no-where near night trained. Recently he has started wetting during his day sleeps to. Not everyday but at least once a week. Any suggestions on how to get back on track?
Hi Sharyn, the first thing you need to do is rule out any underlying medical cause. Sometimes a return to daytime wetting may be a sign of a urina...
-
My almost 5yrs old son told me 2 weeks ago that he didn't want to wear drynites. Thinking he was ready I haven't used them but he has wet the bed every night.
Hi Maria - It is not uncommon for parents of children who wet the bed to comment on how heavy a sleeper their child is. Children who are particular...
-
My son started wetting his bed around 3 1/2 occasionally. Then around 4 it increased to 4 times a week. Now at 5 1/2 it is about once a week but he might go for 3 weeks dry then wet 3 nights in a row. What can I do to help him stop?
Hi A.K. - The tricky (and frustrating!) thing about bedwetting is that we do not always know why it happens – which means that it is not simple and...
-
My 4 year old son has been toilet trained and out of nappies at night for well over a year but recently has started wetting the bed about once a week. Is this part of his physical development or should I be concerned?
Hi Dianne - Secondary Nocturnal Enuresis (SNE) is the term used to describe a situation where children have been previously dry for six or more mon...
-
My son is 7 1/2 he only has one kidney. He wets the bed every night. We have tried many things. Is his single kidney to blame?
Hi Carmen - if your son’s kidney is healthy and completely normal it may not be the cause of his bedwetting. Bedwetting can be the result of a num...
-
Hi. My 5 1/2 year old is still in Dry Nites and is nowhere near dry at night - the nappy is still full every morning. I am not particularly concerned about this - he is the youngest of 3 and I realise it just takes some kids longer than others to become
Hi K.T. – firstly, let me congratulate you on making the distinction between accidental and deliberate wetting, this is not always easily done espe...
-
My 5 (nearly 6) year old son wets the bed every night. He doesn't wake up and seems to see nothing wrong with lying in bed wet.
Hi Kathleen - It is quite common for parents of children who wet the bed to comment on how heavy a sleeper their child is. Children who are particu...
-
Hi, my 6 yr old son has never been dry at night; we use DryNites and he's started to ask when he won't need them any more.
Hi S.C. – bedwetting tends to become more of an issue as children get older and want to start attending sleepovers. One way you could reduce his an...
-
Ask a question now...my 8 yr old son wets every night.he wets through his dry nights pants and saturates all the linen as well. He has tried bladder training and can hold 350ml. he has tried chiropractic care, and an alarm system which sounded like a smok
This is certainly a challenging situation. Alarms are generally the most effective means of treating bedwetting, although it is true that they do ...
-
My son was staying dry at night with the odd accident here or there up to 4 weeks ago. We then came home from a holiday and he has started wetting the bed almost every night? i make sure he goes to the toliet before bed as usual so what could the proble
Sometimes a change in environment can contribute to children’s bedwetting. It is also quite common for children to experience an increase in bedwe...
-
My four year old boy still wets his bed at night. We use dri-nites and change them in the middle of the night but they are not absorbent enough and still overflow. Can I try the larger 8kg+ drinites or will they be too big?
Absorbency levels are the same for both sizes so the only reason to change would be if the small size were too small. It is important that the DryN...
-
Hi. I have a 7 yr old boy who has worn dri nites to bed since he got out of nappies and usually wets through those. I have tried everything I have been advised to do. He has been on Minirin Melt Wafers for 3 1/2 months with little to no change. The most i
Hi Jodie – one of the most frustrating things for parents of children who wet the bed is that we don’t always understand why it is happening. W...
-
Hi, my son is nearly 4 years of age and wets the bed every night , when we have spoken to him about it, he says that being wet in bed doesn't bother him, he will sleep with wet pants, how can I get him to over come him to wake up to go to the toilet at ni
Firstly, let me reassure you that what your son is experiencing is perfectly normal for someone his age. There are a number of possible reasons why...
-
Hi, i've been dry for several years now yet i still wear drynites almost every night.
Given you are not aware that you are wetting at night, I would not necessarily describe this behaviour as deliberate. If your wetting were uncontr...
-
my son is eight years old . he still wets the bed. i had a troubled marriage and now i am separated from my husband. i loose my temper very often and shout at my son for the slighest thing though i love him so much from the time he is 2 years old.please t
Hi D. K. – parenting can be both incredibly challenging and equally rewarding. As parents, we can become frustrated or angry with our children esp...
-
I have recently had a baby (8weeks ago) and my 4 year old son has just started wetting the bed again after a year of being dry. How can I help him to be dry again?
Hi Anna, your son is experiencing what is commonly referred to as secondary nocturnal enuresis – a term which is used to describe the condition w...
-
Ask a question now...
Hi Sue – Parents of children who wet the bed often comment on the fact that their child sleeps through unaware of the fact that they have wet. Thi...
-
hi, my son his 4 years old and his been trained during the day since he was 2 but nothing seems to work at nights. we tried training him for 2 weeks during the night and that was waking him up at 11pm and the 5:30 am and still he would manage to wet the b
Hi Christine, as frustrating as this behaviour may be please be reassured that it is perfectly normal and has very little to do with anything you o...
-
Ask a question now...transition from nappy at bedtime to no nappy at all??
Hi Hilary, the time between achieving daytime continence and nighttime control is different for every child. While some achieve this in a matter o...
-
Ask a question now...My son is nearly 9 and still wets the bed ,my daughter also was late to be trained at night.He does,nt seem to want to go to the toliet at night.My son has has ADHD and autism. What can I do to encourage him to go and stop him wetting
There are a number of possible contributing factors at play here. Firstly, there is a much higher incidence of bedwetting among children with autis...
-
Hi Cathrine, I'm sure you're sick of the same questions, but I would love to hear your opinion even if it's just for reassurance. My 4 year old son wets his nappy most nights, and probably half the time during day sleeps (he naps up to 3 hours). He also
It’s always lovely to hear from another parent! It is certainly true that many a daytime accident occurs as a result of children holding on for to...
-
Hi Dr Catherine, I have a six year old son who wets the bed and has worn night nappies continuously. He used to have great control during the day but that changed when he went to school. Since starting last year he now wets during the day. My husband
Starting school can be an incredibly stressful time for young children; there are new routines that they need to become familiar with, new rules, n...
-
My son is now 8 year old. He was born with grade 3-4 kidney reflux but has never had issues with bladder infections. However since he was 3 has been having issues with excessive urination during the day and remains a bed wetter (we use Dry Nites). Doct
Hi Lyndamarie, this is certainly a challenging and complex situation. In these situations I generally recommend that you adhere to your doctors su...
-
Ask a question now... My 12 y/o has daytime "accidents"
Hi John, there are a number of possible explanations for why your son continues to wet himself throughout the day. Given his age and the frequency...
-
Hi, When do I know if it is the right time for us to try to get my son (4yrs) to stop wearing a nappy to bed (at night only - no issues during the day). He is a heavy sleeper and can't get up, however doesn't want to wear a nappy or pull up. Thanks Diana
Hi Diana, the best indicator that your son is moving toward achieving nighttime continence is an increase in the number of mornings he wakes-up dry...
-
My Son Is 10 Years old. And he is still wetting the bed. What should i do ?
If you have not done so already the first thing you need to do is schedule an appointment with your GP for a full medical assessment. Bedwetting m...
-
My son is 6 yrs old he is being wearing dry nights and most of the time he is dry I just recently took of the Dry nigths and let him sleepy in his pjs and he is weting the bad every night what sholud I do?
It is very common for children as they move toward achieving permanent nighttime continence to oscillate between periods of dryness and times when ...
-
I have a 7yr old boy. He wears drynights and often overflows. For now he would prefer not to take any action, just see if he grows out of it. Fine with me but I was told we should seek help once he reached 7 is it ok if we don't seek help?
In order for your son to become dry at night he either needs to learn to wake in response to a full-bladder or his bladder needs to develop to a po...
-
m y son is nearly 16 he has always wet the bed and still does he had in the past slowed down but lately has wet the bed six nights in a row i worry grately for this as the smell is strong where it hard to coverup from visiting family members and others h
Bedwetting among teenagers can really impact on their self-esteem and can lead to isolation and alienation. Having a teenager who wets the bed can ...
-
Hi. My son is 4 years old. He has been day trained for just over a year. It was a long process as he doesn't seem to care if he is wet or not. He still has accidents some days and always blames being to busy to remember, though he has only once had an
Hi Cherie, firstly, let me reassure you that your son’s behaviour is perfectly normal. It is quite common for children to experience daytime acc...
-
hello, i have 2 sons, 9 and 8 years old. both of them wear dry nites as they wet every night. what can i do or should i be worried? thankyou
Bedwetting can be incredibly worrying especially when children continue to wet at night beyond the age most people think it should stop. The reass...
-
My 4 year old is wearing drynights but it leaks most nights. We stopped giving him too much to drink after 5pm (his bedtime is 7pm) and we get him to go to the toilet just before bedtime. Should we move to a bigger Drynights to stop the leaking?
Hi Sarah, in terms of management it sounds like you are doing everything right! The amount of urine children produce overnight is quite variable. ...
-
My son is 14 yrs and his bed wetting stops and starts. he can be dry for a few weeks, or even a month and then relapse back. He is a healthy active teenager. We have tried many methods over the years: alarms, chiro, diet etc but we cant seem to find a pat
Hi V.S. – It is not unusual for children to waiver between periods of dryness and wetting as they move toward achieving permanent nighttime conti...
-
My son is 7 1/2. We stoppped using nappies 5 months ago even though his nappies were still very wet and have used the brolly sheets since then. We also get him up at 11pm eery night to go to the toilet. However, he still wets the bed significantly, 3-5 ti
Hi M.L – there are a number of possible reasons why children wet the bed. Some do so because their nervous system is slow to process the feeling...
-
My 4yr old son, was difficult to toilet train. He has been fine through the day for over a yr now but nights are another story, I think he is just a really heavy sleeper and doesnt wake to pee. He is too big for nappies (and doesnt want them) so we tried
Hi Nelly, nappy rash typically results from skin contact with a wet or dirty nappy. Mositure plus friction resulting from his DryNites moving again...
-
Ask a question now... I have son 5yrs 7 months...i took his nappy nearly 2 months and since then he wet the bed 2 times. At night, i wake him to wee when i was awake to toilet
Waking or lifting children to the toilet during the night is typically seen as a practical approach to managing children’s bedwetting in the short-...
-
How do you know when to stop the night time pyjama pants? My son is 4 and has a full nappy most days!!
One of the best indicators that your son is moving toward achieving nighttime continence is an increase in the number of mornings he wakes up dry. ...
-
Hi there, my 7 year old son wets the bed twice a night, we did see hes doctor about it and see gave him nasel spray, which worked for a while but has stopped working for him and the other thing is he is a deep sleeper too.. Thanks Danielle
Hi Danielle, it can be very frustrating when treatments do not result in the desired outcome! Nasal sprays are generally seen as a form of manageme...
-
my son is 5 since he got out of nappies at the age of 2 he was dry for the hole year till he was about 3 then every since then he has been wetting the bed every night i have made him stop drinking at least 2 hours before he goes to bed and have been wakin
Hi Jacqueline, it is not particularly unusual for boys your son’s age to be still wetting the bed at night on a regular basis. However, given th...
-
my 4 year old son is toilet trained during the day but at night wears a drynite but still the bed is wet most mornings he drinks a moderate amount during the day why is he still this wet?
Hi Alice, it is perfectly normal for your 4-year-old son to still be wetting the bed at night with many children continuing to do so right up to sc...
-
Ask a question now...Hi my son is 7 years old and wets the bed often. We have not gone down the GP path yet but I will after reading your advise, my question is do you believe that holding on is a problem, my son holds on regularly and I am not sure if h
Hi Rebecca – it was once common practice to encourage children who wet the bed at night to try and hold on to their ‘wees’ during the day, as thi...
-
Bed wetting for 7 year old boy with Asperger's and ADHD medicated during the day and on melatonin at night.
Regardless of what other issues you have to deal with, coping with bedwetting can be incredibly testing and if not managed effectively can exacerba...
-
Advice for 9 year old boy who wets the bed around 4 times a week.
Hi Christine – managing children’s bedwetting can be incredibly challenging and this is partly due to the fact that we do not always know what is c...
-
My son is 4 years old. He has been toilet trained for about a year and a half, however at night he still wears DryNites and does not wake up to go to the toilet. Is there anything that you recommend me to do?
Hi N. C. as challenging as this may be please be reassured this is perfectly normal behaviour for a 4-year-old boy. If you are at all concerned abo...
-
my son has just recently had a couple of accidents. he is four and never wet the bed before even when toilet training but my partner has just started a new job with early morning starts
Hi Rebecca - While stress can certainly be a contributing factor in secondary bedwetting it would be worthwhile having your son checked by his GP j...
-
Hi, my name is james, i'm 15. I sometimes wet at night but my parents don't know about it, but the boys drynite leaks sometimes, and i'm worried my parents will find wet spots on my sheets. Should i try the girls drynite?
Hi James - it is preferrable that you use the DryNites designed for boys as the aborbancy patterns differ and a change to girls DryNites may in fac...
-
My son is 3 and a half he still wears nappies to bed as he wet 3 times in one nite when he wore undies and never woke up. He has also only just stopped wetting at his afternoon sleep. Is it to early to think there is a problem.
Hi R. M., please be reassured it is perfectly normal for your son to still be wetting the bed at night with many children (especially boys) conti...
-
My son is nearly 6 and still wears a nappy to bed. He actually wets so much that he regularly wets right through his nappy and wets the bed. He has a drink with his tea, and nothing after that. He also goes to the toilet before going to bed. We have
Hi A.R., firstly, let me reassure you that it is not uncommon for 6-year-old boys to be still wetting at night, with some doctors suggesting it i...
-
Hi, my 6 year old son wears 2 pull ups to bed every night and sometimes still wets the bed as it soaks right through. He sometimes has small leaks during the day from "holding on" to long. What can you suggest we do to get keep him dry through out the n
It is not uncommon for children your son’s age to still be wetting the bed on a regular basis; bedwetting is far more common among boys than girls,...
-
My son is turning 6 in December and wets the bed everynight. He wears a pullup/night nappy but he wets so much it leaks through. What should I be doing to get him to have a dry night?
Hi Helen – children generally become dry at night when their body has matured to the point where it can store the amount of urine their kidneys p...
-
Hi There, My son who is 7 yrs old next month has wet dry nite pull ups 7 days a week only at night. He is asking me 'mum why dod I wet the bed? how come I dont have a dry bed? then he says 'im learning' but when mum? I feels embrassed and hides his pull-u
Hi Y. J., bedwetting can be incredibly frustrating especially when there seems to be no obvious cause. As a parent, the most important thing is to...
-
Our 4 year old son is toilet trained totally during the day and I really want to get him out of nappies at night. Everytime I mention to him about not wearing a nappy to bed he gets very upset. I have reasured him that if he wets the bed that its no big d
Hi Alison – the way parents manage children’s bedwetting can often make or break a delicate situation. The first thing you need to do is reassure ...
-
My son is 5 1/2 and usually has a dry nappy most of the night then just before he wakes up/gets out of bed he does a wee.
Hi Jacquelene, it is very unusual (but not unheard of) for children to wet the bed out of laziness. Developing nighttime continence is not dissimil...
-
My 5year old son was dry at night up till Jan this year (after having a 3 week holiday with his father) has been now wetting the bed all most every night since he got back, I have found that it is because he is to lazy to get out of bed and go to the loo
Hi Michelle, your son’s wetting would be considered secondary nocturnal enuresis, which describes the condition where a child returns to nightt...
-
5 year old boy wetting bed even with dry nites
Dear Brooke, while it is not unusual for 5-year-olds to experience the occasional daytime accident it is probably worth having your son asses...
-
Hi there, our son is 4 (nearly 5), and stays dry overnight when he wears DryNights, but as soon as we take them off, he wets the bed.
Hi Jane – as frustrating as this is, it really is a very encouraging sign that your son is moving toward achieving nighttime continence. While som...
-
My 4 year old wets through his Drynites twice a night? We change him, he goes to the toliet and by the morning he is soaked again?
Hi Carina, this must be incredibly frustrating. Children’s nighttime urine output is quite variable. A small number of children who wet the bed do...
-
My 7 year old son is bedwetting 2-3 times a week after nearly a year of dryness (other than the odd accident)
Hi Josie, it is not unusual for children who take longer to become dry at night to return to wetting at times of stress, sickness or when they be...
-
Where can I buy a waterproof Sleeping Bag liner in Sydney for my son who is attending Camp soon?
Hi Carmel, I had a search on the internet for you and the only sleeping bag liner that I could find was from a online store in the US, and unfo...
-
My almost 5 year old boy seems to wet the bed randomly. Sometimes he can go for over a week without wetting it but then wets every night other times. Sometimes its obvious reasons such as large amounts to drink before bed but other times he can wet twice
Children’s bedwetting can be incredibly challenging as often there appears to be no pattern or clear explanation for why it is occurring. What you...
-
5 yr old boy night time bed wetting is getting worse. He has very heavy night nappies to the point that no nappy is holding his urine.
Hi Georgie, sometimes there appears to be no rhyme or reason to children’s bedwetting, which can be incredibly frustrating! It is not particularly...
-
6 year son, still wet every night, want help as to what strategies to take
Hi Elisa, please be reassured it is perfectly normal for your son to still be wetting the bed at night with many children (especially boys) conti...
-
At what age should we attempt to go to bed at night without a nappy?
Hi Carrie, the age at which children achieve nighttime continence is quite variable with some children becoming dry as young as 3 years of age an...
-
4 year old wetting the bed once every few months
Hi Katie, this not particularly unusual but frustrating nonetheless. I think what is most frustrating for parents in these situations, is there ap...
-
My five year old son has not had a dry night! day time is fine. It doesn't bother him. We have tried many things such as Star charts, rewards and getting him to strip and make his bed. We dont tell him off or make it a big deal! Pullups do not work for us
Hi J. G., it is highly unusual for children to be able to control their nighttime wetting in response to requests or external rewards, this is mo...
-
When does bedwetting stop for an 11 year old boy who wets every night?
While it is true that some children outgrow bedwetting on their own, the older your child, the less likely they will be able to become dry on their...
-
my son declyn is 3 years and 10months old and when he wakes in the morning his nappy is so wet.how do i help him to try keep dry at night..?
Hi Tiana Louise, please be reassured it is perfectly normal for your son to still be wetting the bed at night with many children (especially boys) ...
-
My 8 year old son wets his bed everynight despite limiting his fluids at night, using an alarm, waking him up to go to the toilet. He completely soaks through a Drynite and floods the bed. I am concerned about the amount of urine - it's a lot!
Hi Danielle, given the amount he wets it would certainly be worthwhile having this invesitaged further. Bedwetting can be the result from bladder ...
-
Hi, I have a 7yo boy who is bed wetting. What age should I seek medical help.Thank you
Hi Jodie, we usually recommend that a doctor check children once they turn 7 years of age. While rare, it is important to rule out any possible un...
-
My 5 yrs old son has been mostly dry at night since he was 3 (only occasional accidents). Now he hasn't been dry in over 2 months! Advice?
It is not unusual for children to waiver between periods of being dry then returning to wetting again as they move toward achieving permanent night...
-
My son is 6 1/2 years old. He has never been dry at night. He has worn dry nites ever since he outgrew nappies. He never wakes to go to the toilet. Often he is waking because the dry nites are so full they leak and he and the bed are wet. He seems to prod
Hi Louise – it really sounds like you are doing everything right. Rather than limiting dirnks you could try getting him to drink water more frequen...
-
I have a 7 year old still in drynites
Hi J.O., Training at night usually involves the use of a conditioning alarm (also commonly referred to as a bedwetting alarm), this works by helpin...
-
My 6.5 year old son has never been dry at night.
Bedwetting can be incredibly frustrating especially when there seems to be no obvious cause. As a parent, the most important thing is to reassur...
-
Hi Dr Catherine My son wil be 6 in September and is wet every night plus the occasional soak through to mattress protector. We use dry nites and have limited his night drinks. we understand that it's a connection thing and my husband plus a few other fa
Hi H.D., In order for your son to become dry at night he either needs to learn to wake in response to a full-bladder or his bladder needs to develo...
-
Ask a question now...My 8 Yr old son has been in dry nites since he was toilet trained at the age of 3. He consistently wets it every night and often wets right through to the bed. I have resorted to waking him up at least 2-3 times a night to try and kee
Hi M.W., while many children will outgrow bedwetting on their own, some children do benefit from a more focused intervention. Given his age and th...
-
Ask a question now... My son is 4 1/2 and his nappies were dry and night and once I put him in underpants he has started being wet again. It has only been a week but I am wondering what I should do? Thanks
Please be reassured this is perfectly normal behaviour. As children move toward achieving permanent nighttime continence it is very common for the...
-
can it be the size of a penis to make you a bed wetter
Hi Jakee, secondary bedwetting has two main underlying causes – one is physical and can include such things as urinary tract infections or juvenile...
-
why is when i put him pullups he stops but when we take him out of the he starts wetting the bed again ive tryed everything please help me
Hi Elizabeth, it is not unusual for children to waiver between experiencing periods of dry nights then start to wet the bed again as they move towa...
-
My son is fully trained during the day and only wears a nappy to bed, which is wet in the morning! at what age should the nappy go??
Hi Sara, It is perfectly normal for a 3-year-old boy to be still wetting at night with around 1 in 5 children still wetting the bed when they start...
-
My 9 year old wets the bed not every night but most. He does wake up occassionally dry. He is not the best sleeper. Someone told me if they can go dry for 1 or 2 nights they are on there way to staying dry is this true and is this normal
Certainly one indicator that your child is moving toward nighttime continence is an increase in the number of consecutive nights where they wake-up...
-
My child is 7 and still wets the bed. Just wondering if I should take him to the doctor about it? Thank you
Hi Charmaine, It is not uncommon for parents to comment on how deeply their child sleeps, with many children completely unaware that they have wet ...
-
being bullied for bedwetting
Hi Steve, no parent likes to stand by and watch their child being bullied – so it is only natural that you would want to expose the bully in this w...
-
Hi, my son has been bullied for over 2 years at school by different children, I have reached the point of changing his school after doing all that has been recommended by professionals. I would like to know if there are specialised programs and/or classe
This is a really important question. There are a number of characteristics that can place children at risk of being bullied. Other than physical ...
-
My son is 6 and still wears nappies to bed as he is wet every night however his 3 younger siblings are all dry.
Hi K.B., it can be particularly tricky for children struggling with bedwetting when they have younger siblings who have already achieved nighttim...
-
My 5 year old still wets his bed at night,he is lean n has minimum body fat as he is very active,is body fat helps to stop bed wetting at night?
Please be reassured it is developmentally normal for a 5-year-old to be still wetting at night with around 1 in 7 children continuing to do so by s...
-
Hi My son will turn 8 this month. He has been bedwetting atleast thrice a week. We ensure that he is not made self conscious. We ensure that he reduces his fluid intake, goes to the toilet before bed. I wake him up and take him to toilet atleast twice dur
The most challenging thing for many parents of children who wet the bed is that there often appears to be no logical explanation for why they conti...
-
My son is 6 and half and wets every night. We have an alarm that worked for a bit but now he just takes it out of his pants to stop it going off then just continues to lay in his own wee. He would rather do that than get up and go to the toilet. Is this p
It is only normal that you would feel frustrated with this situation. While your son’s bedwetting is not deliberate or behavioural, his response...
-
My Son is 5 1/2 and is still not dry at night
Hi M.C., The three most common causes of bedwetting include (1) an overproduction of urine overnight – children who have low-levels of ADH (antidiu...
-
Is there a cure?
It can be very frustrating and somewhat worrying when children to continue to wet the bed at night. If you have not already done so, I would certai...
-
my sons 7 and 10 were born with extra small penis/scrotum they believe because theres are so small that's why they wet the bed and there pants constant is this true
Dear J.M., nighttime wetting can be the result of a maturational delay with children becoming dry at night as their body matures. It is not unusual...
-
Hi Dr Catherine, I am having trouble getting my son to use the toilet. He is 3 and he was diagnosed with Autism last year. He is fine with wearing undies but he has not learnt to read the signals for needed to go to the toilet. I try to get time to sit on
Hi Dianna, it is not unusual for children with additional support needs to take a little longer to attain both daytime and nighttime continence. A...
-
My 4 year old girl is daytime wetting, why is this?
Hi Tracey, this is certainly a challenging situation. While it is not unusual for young children to experience the occasional accident for months (...
-
My 5 year old son has been bedwetting for the last 4 months and has also been having daytime accidents (sometime 3 or 4 times) during the day.
Your son is experiencing secondary enuresis which occurs when a child has had proper control over their bladder during the night for a period of si...
-
7yo Child deliberately wetting pants at school.
Hi Terryl, this is certainly a challenging situation. Any type of daytime incontinence after the age of 6 years really needs to be investigated ...
-
hi my 7 year old daughter still wets the bed and her undies during the day even at school its really smelly im worried she will start getting teased at school because of the smell! please any advice on how to at least stop the day time wetting??
Hi Brandi, it is important that we help manage her daytime wetting first before working with her on her nighttime continence. Any type of daytime ...
-
Ask a question now...My son is about to turn 6 and he is wets his dry nites every night often right through to his sheets. He is also wet most days.
Hi K. H., given his age I would not be particularly concerned about his nighttime wetting however it is always a good idea to have any form of co...
-
i also wet the bed at night, but i am wondering, can you have daytime accidents even though you wet the bed at night?
Hi W. S., daytime and nighttime wetting typically have completely different underlying causes with the majority of children who wet the bed at ni...
-
my daugther is 7 and still has the odd wet thought the day her teacher is complaining about how can i help
Generally the causes of daytime wetting fall into two categories, one of which is medical, and the other psychological. Both need to be treated se...
-
My daughter is 4 and refuses to go #2 on the toilet but has been going wees on toilet for 12 months. We have tried everything to encourage going on the toilet. Any suggestions? is this normal?
Hi Angela, it is not particularly unusual for children to experience difficulties doing poos in the toilet. Sometimes it is a result of chronic co...
-
My 9 year old son doesnt seem to care if he wets himself in the daytime or the night time.
Hi Sue - It is completely understandable to be concerned about his daytime urinary habits – as we all know too well, children can be incredibly cru...
-
Hi, my almost 61/2 yr old daughter has started wetting herself day and night. She is in prep and has some social difficulties. I'm not sure what to do.
Any return to daytime wetting after the age of 6 year should definitely be investigated by a GP. Daytime and nighttime wetting can be the result o...
-
I have a 7yo daughter who still wets her bed. Do you have any suggestions?
it is not unusual for your daughter to be wetting the bed at night – with about 10% of 7-year-old children continuing to do so. Most children her a...
-
My 3yo son was toilet trained at night before he hurt his foot and went into hospital. Since being home he has wet the bed every night. Can you explain this at all?
Even though your son had been dry for a few months at night it is not unusual for children to regress in their development when faced with a stress...
-
My son was toilet trained at the start of school this year. Recently he has started having a few wee accidents and wetting his bed. Is this normal to take two steps forward one back? How long does this take?
It is very common to fluctuate between wet and dry nights as children move toward nighttime continence – thankfully as time goes on the periods whe...
-
Still concerned about my son, he has a very weak bladder
I generally recommend that if children experience frequent accidents during the day after age 5 or they start wetting the bed again after a period ...
-
Son was fine at the start of school, but now there are accidents
it is very common to fluctuate between wet and dry nights as children move toward nighttime continence – thankfully as time goes on the periods whe...
-
My twins sometimes don't get to the toilet in time
It is not unusual for children to occasionally have accidents during the day – this can continue to happen for a couple of years after they have be...
-
Should my five year old visit the doctor?
It is not unusual for children to experience accidents during the day for a number of years after they have been toilet trained – this typically oc...
-
Four year old having issues with toilet training
Toilet training can be a little trickier for some children and while one child may get the hang of it in as little as a week, for others it takes a...
-
What can I do so my 11 year old son wakes up dry?
you do not mention in your question whether he has always wet the bed or whether this is something new. Either way I would recommend that you first...
-
Nine year old son wets at home, normally while watching tv or playing outside. He always wets his bed. What steps should I take?
It is not uncommon for parents to respond to bedwetting by either punishing their child or ignoring the problem with the hope that it will go away....
-
My nearly 6yo still wets the bed every night. what can I do? She's so embarrassed about it.
When children experience daytime incontinence after 4 years of age you need to consult with a GP to check if there is an underlying medical conditi...
-
My daughter occasionally wets the bed at night, but the main problem is she has a really bad habit of "holding on" and then has accident(s). What can we do?
firstly, let me say that she is still very young so I wouldn’t be concerned about the occasional wet bed – this is something that will come to an e...
-
My daughter gets frequent urinary tract infections. Can this be related to her bedwetting or just a symptom?
Urinary tract infections are a known cause of both daytime and nighttime incontinence. It is unusual for 5-year-old children to wet during the day ...
-
4 yo daughter is having nighttime accidents after three weeks of no wet beds
A decrease in the frequency of bedwetting is often a good indication that this is a phase that is coming to an end. It is important to keep in mind...
-
My daughter is 5 next month and as well as bed wetting is starting to wet herself during the day. Any ideas?
The ability to control the bladder at night is usually achieved after your child learns to stay dry during the day. Incontinence happens when the c...
-
My 11 year old daughter has just started having a few dry nights in a row. Should I encourage her not to use dry nights to keep her going or do I still use them until she is completely dry?
One of the signs that your daughter is moving toward achieving nighttime continence is a reduction in the number of nights she wakes up wet. The fa...
-
Are DryNites more absorbent than regular nappies?
DryNites and Huggies nappies have not been compared on levels of absorbency as they are designed for and marketed to different age groups. Huggies ...
-
My son is 5 years old and still wets the bed.
Hi Aly – nighttime wetting is considered to be completely normal until the age of 7 years – particularly when it comes to boys. Most parents and c...
-
My son is 16mths he is 16 kgs and tall,we use Huggies at night but he continues to wet through?What else could we use?
Hi Sonya – the first thing to check is that they are fitting correctly as improper fit can contribute to leakage. From personal experience I found...
-
every time my son goes to put on a drynite he gets an erection, how can he stop this ??
Dear Parent, Unfortunately this is really beyond my area of expertise. If this behaviour continues, I would strongly recommend that you speak with...
-
how can i stop my three year old from wetting the bed
Hi Naomi, nappies with tabs can certainly be more easily removed by children than absorbent pants. You could try him in DryNItes at night. If you...
-
Hi my son is only 2 and sleeps from 7pm to 6 am and overfills his nappy every night. he hates being woken up to be changed, but cries when his sheets get wet. we dont like to limit his fluid intake as we live in the tropics, and his last drink is at 6pm.
Hi Kate, firstly, my apologies for the delay in responding to your question. The first thing to check is that his nappy is fitting correctly as imp...
-
my toddler soaks through the nappy at night onto his clothes
Hi Melanie, firstly, my apologies for the delay in responding to your question. The first thing to check is that his nappy is fitting correctly as ...
-
Hi there, help! are daughter (21mths)has just started probably three weeks ago to wet the bed everynight through her nappies and it is even at the stage now when we go out she is going through her nappy too! last night out at dinner we went through three
Hi C.M. - The first thing you need to do is check that her nappy is fitting correctly as improper fit can contribute to leakage. From personal ex...
-
Five year old grandson getting worse since start of school
When children begin to wet the bed again after experiencing at least 6 months of dry nights it is important that they get checked by a GP to rule o...
-
Hi, I'm14 years old and I occasionally wet the bed( about twice in two or three weeks). I'm using "Goodnites". However I have a school trip (a week). Should I bring "Goodnites"?
Hi S. S. – It is perfectly normal to feel nervous about your school trip but there are certainly things we can do in order to help you go away on...
-
I am 14 years old boy and still wet the bed. I am using Drynites. However I will have school trip (sleepover). Should I bring Drynites to the trip? If so, di I have to talk to teacher?
Hi S. S. – It is perfectly normal to feel nervous about your school trip but there are certainly things we can do in order to help you go away on...
-
Son not waking up. Time for bed alarms?
the decision to pursue treatment is really up to you and your son. About 15% of 8-year-old children who wet the bed will achieve nighttime continen...
-
ryan bedwetting
One possible cause of children’s bedwetting is thought to be a deep sleeping pattern. In these instances children often sleep so deeply that they a...
-
My 12 yo son has Down Syndrome and still not toilet trained.
We are much more likely to see persistent bedwetting as well as daytime incontinence in children with delayed development. I'm not surprised he...
-
3yo boy, toilet trained but always poos in his undies! Is he just being lazy or does he just not get it?
Firstly – I wouldn’t be concerned about his nighttime wetting – he is still very young so it would be unusual for him to be dry every night. Waking...
-
6yo still bed wetting- should we try an alarm? My doctor said they didn't recommend trying anything till after 7 years but not sure why
doctors typically recommend holding off on treatment until children turn 7 years of age due to the high spontaneous cure rate up until then. Also t...
-
My almost 4yo son sleeps through the night and wakes up half drowned. What should I do about it?
the most important thing to understand is that this is rarely a medical or psychological problem - many children continue to wet the bed at night f...
-
My daughter aged 11 years has been having nocturnal enuresis.
Firstly, please accept my apologies for the delay in getting back to you I have had a large volume of questions to answer over the past two weeks. ...
-
My daughter is 8 yrs old , its embarrassing for her, so she doesn't get to sleep at her friends place.
unfortunately not all children outgrow bedwetting – with some requiring more than just the basic measures we can implement at home. If you are conc...
-
I have a 7 1/2 year old daughter who suffers really bad bed wetting every night. I watch her when she is asleep, she does not stir or wake up.
This is fairly typical – the majority of children who wet the bed at night are unaware it is happening and will continue sleeping even when wet. On...
-
My daughter is 10yrs, sometimes she is already wet after only being in bed 1 hour.
When bedwetting goes on for a number of years it is perfectly normal for parents to feel helpless and overwhelmed. Children typically wet the bed a...
-
I have a 14 year old daughter who still wets the bed. The problem is now she has gotten her period.
Bedwetting has been found to run in families so it is not unusual to find a number of siblings in the same household wetting the bed. I’m sure if y...
-
My 9 year old girl has recently started wetting the bed. I talked to her about DryNites and she hated that idea.
Your daughter is experiencing what we commonly refer to as secondary nocturnal enuresis (SNE) – this occurs when a child has maintained nighttime c...
-
I have tried to toilet train my 5yo boy at night without success. Do you suggest continuing or allowing him to get to that stage himself using DryNites?
It is perfectly normal for you to feel overwhelmed and a little helpless – this is the most common response for parents whose children continue to ...
-
Our son can stay dry when he gets less than his usual 12 hours of deep sleep. Is there anything you can think of that we can try to help him stay dry for that full nights sleep?
Most children who wet the bed tend to do so in the first couple of hours after they have gone to sleep at night, when they are in a very deep sleep...
-
My son is 7.5yo. He sleeps very well, which means he doesn't wake up to do his wees. How can I help him to stop wetting the bed? Please help
dealing with constant wet sheets can be incredibly frustrating – I find just keeping up with the standard daily load is difficult enough let alone ...
-
5yo wet his bed every night. We have tried waking him, an alarm and just letting him wet the bed. What can I do to help him?
Please accept my apologies for the delay in getting back to you I have had a large volume of questions to answer over the past two weeks. Firstly, ...
-
My 6.5 yo has never had more tham 3 dry nights in a row. I have tried the alarm and I consulted my doctor. I feel very alone and not sure what to do next.
Even though it is the child who wets the bed, I often find it’s the parents who need the most support. Coping with bedwetting can be overwhelming f...
-
Sometimes my 5yo wakes up by himself but instead of going to the toilet he'll just cry / scream hysterically until he wets himself. How can I help him to wake himself up and go to the toilet quietly?
Unfortunately there is nothing we can do to make a child wake-up on their own, this is why we do not recommend that parents lift or wake their chil...
-
5 year old son shows no sign of stopping bed wetting
The first thing to keep in mind is that bedwetting is quite common among 5-year-old children with about 17% continuing to wet the bed at night – at...
-
5 year old son is such a deep sleeper, he doesn't wake up
The first thing to keep in mind is that bedwetting is quite common among 5-year-old children with about 10-15% waking up wet at least once a week o...
-
Are we creating bad habits with our 5 year old boy?
waking your son at night to take them to the toilet may help in reducing the number of wet beds, however this should only be done if it does not re...
-
Should I wake my son to go to the toilet at night?
Lifting or waking children is generally not recommended as it results in broken sleep and while it may lead to a dry bed in the morning it will not...
-
Son is now 9 and still wetting the bed. Have tried diaries and limiting drinks. Do you suggest an alarm?
lots of patience and understanding are needed in the management of bedwetting and that’s not just for your son but for you too! A small bladder cap...
-
Seven year old son has tried bed wetting alarms and he just does not wake up. He gets very embarrassed and i do not know what to do.
it can be extremely frustrating when a bedwetting treatment does not seem to work for your child. While the conditioning alarms currently have the ...
-
my daughter is 7 and still wets the bed. I have tried stopping drinks before bed- what else can I do?
firstly, let me apologise for the delay in getting back to you I have had an overwhelming number of questions to answer over the past two weeks. Ch...
-
4 year old daughter has milk before bed and then wets the bed. Should I stop with the milk?
you would find most children your daughter’s age would still be wetting the bed at night with many professionals not even viewing nighttime wetting...
-
my daughter is 7 and still wets the bed. I have tried stopping drinks before bed- what else can I do?
Feelings of helplessness and frustration are common among parents with children who wet the bed – you are not alone! Given her age I would recommen...
-
Will my daughter start waking up at some point to go to the toilet?
Many parents of children who wet the bed have commented to me on how deeply their child sleeps and while it definitely plays a role in bedwetting i...
-
Five year old daughter is a sound sleeper and can't wake up to go to the toilet
many parents of children who wet the bed have commented on how deeply their child sleeps. Despite this a number of controlled studies have shown th...
-
My daugher has hypothyroidism is nearly 6 and starting school
it is not unusual for children to be wetting the bed at age 5 with about 15% of children still doing so by the time they start school. Children dev...
-
My 4yo still wets the bed. We've tried stars on the calendar, but he is wetting again. Am I doing the right thing?
One of the biggest problems when it comes to bedwetting is the misinformation and mystique that surrounds it. Unfortunately many parents are under ...
-
My 5yo son still wets heavily during the night. Any ideas?
It is perfectly normal to feel frustrated over dealing with the added costs of bedwetting, whether this means having to keep buying nappies or jugg...
-
My grandson is still wetting the bed. Has this got anything to do with his aspergers and how can I help him?
Bedwetting is often due to a delay in children’s physical development – that is, his body has just not developed to a point where he is able to wak...
-
5 year old son still wetting the bed after using alarms and everything!
feelings of frustration and desperation are common among parents of children who wet the bed – particularly if they are like you and have to deal w...
-
7yr old son wets at night and getting worse
bedwetting can be a source of great embarrassment and if allowed to can significantly interfere with your son’s social life. It is not unusual for ...
-
Boy just turned 4, and wets at night. Worried that he isn't learning to control his wetting.
It is perfectly normal for your son to be still wetting the bed at age 4. The most common cause of bedwetting is a delay in maturation of the nervo...
-
My son age 12 is wetting since birth, please advice how to control as he will be going to high school next year.
as frustrating as this may be let me reassure you that you are not alone – it’s highly likely that there’s at least one other mother of a child in ...
-
7 year old son did try the pull ups for bedwetting but that was a failure because that meant he didn't have to get out of bed at all. Please help?
it is perfectly normal for parents to feel frustrated and overwhelmed when faced with chronic bedwetting. Bedwetting is rarely a result of laziness...
-
Is there a link between sleep apnea and bed wetting? My 9yo daughter has been diagnosed with poor executive function and some elements of ADHD. I believe may have sleep apnea too.
Hi Sandra, this is a very timely question! There was a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics (July, 2009) conducted by Dr Joseph Barone...
-
will i stop wetting the bed ever
Hi Shaelynn – wetting the bed at night can be very annoying but it’s really important that you do not let this interfere with your ability to att...
-
What would be the next step if my son doesnt wake with the alarm?
Hi Natalie – it is not unusual for parents of children who wet the bed to comment on how deeply their child sleeps. One theory when it comes to be...
-
can you buy drynites in newliskeard yet
Hi Shaelynn – it’s lovely to hear from you again! In North America DryNites are marketed as GoodNites but they work in much the same. There are a...
-
My 6yo sleeps soundly and doesn't wake through the night. We do not know what the solution is. Can you help?
Many parents of children who wet the bed comment how deeply their child sleeps - while this plays a role in children’s bedwetting it is not a prima...
-
Hi my son is 14 and wets he has friends for sleepovers and finds it hard to hide them and he also wets a lot and overflows and he s going to camp soon
Hi B. S. - one of the most common concerns for teenagers who wet the bed is attending events like sleepovers or school-camps, in fact many childr...
-
My son is 9, we don't want to rely on medication for him, any advice, please. KMW
Hi K. W., bedwetting can be incredibly tricky to manage, particularly when it starts to interfere with children’s social lives. It is great that y...
-
My daughter is due to turn 9 and still wets the bed, she has got a lot better in the last few months but we still usually get 1 or 2 accidents per fortnight. She is due to go on school camp early next year. Do you have any recommendations?
It is great that you have started to plan now for the camp next year, as treatment can take some time to get right. The time it takes for children ...