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 'what kind of food or drinks should my 6yo son avoid'
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My 6yo son still wets the bed 6-7 nights a week. What can I do?
Firstly, I would recommend you make an appointment with your doctor just to rule out any physical cause to his bedwetting and to discuss treatment ...
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Our 4yo son has wet the bed almost every night since we took away the DryNites. Should we see a doctor?
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. ...
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what sort of foods and drinks should you avoid to help stop bedwetting
Hi Jacinta – it is true that some children who wet the bed benefit from restricting certain foods from their diet. It is important to keep in mind...
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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...
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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...
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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 ...
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My son's nappy leaks everynight. I have tried every nappy on the market including DryNites. Do you have any ideas?
this must be very frustrating particularly during these winter months! Firstly, it is perfectly normal for your son to be wetting the bed at age 2 ...
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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 ...
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My nearly 7yo sleeps through the alarm. I am sick of it and he is too.
It can be incredibly frustrating and at times overwhelming when your child continues to wet the bed night. Firstly, let me reassure you that you ar...
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My son wets every night. He wears dry nights pants but he still manages to overfill them and wet through to the bed about three times a week. Should I get him checked out or is this normal and will he grow out of it?
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. ...
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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...
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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...
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My 6yo son drinks a lot of water because of his medication. Can I put an extra pad inside the pyjama pants to help hold the additional wetness?
I think the main issue here is how best to manage his bedwetting so that he is able to get a good night sleep and not be disturbed by waking up wet...
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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...
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My 6yo is disheartened when his younger siblings have dry nappies which is quite often. Please do not say that he will grow out of it as it is affecting his self esteem.
If your child’s bedwetting starts to impact on their self-confidence or self-esteem then it is time to think about treatment – regardless of how ol...
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Thirsty 3.5 year old has bottle before and during sleep time, could that affect him bedwetting?
you would find most 3-year-old boys still wet the bed, some doing so occasionally like your son with others wetting almost every night. This is per...
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Will my 6 year old ever stop wetting his pants at night?
bedwetting is much more common than you think. About 10% of children wet the bed at age 6 and most of these are boys. As with many other areas of d...
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Three year old son has started wetting bed at nighttime after a year of nothing
this is perfectly normal behaviour for a 3-year-old boy – in fact it would be unusual for him not to be wetting the bed at his age. While it is tru...
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I'm 16 years old and still have problems with bed wetting.
I imagine this must be very frustrating for you. It is not unusual for individuals who have taken longer to attain nighttime continence to experien...
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My 8 year old son has severe hyperspadias and has had many operations to fix it. He is still bed wetting and MUST use a pull up at night.He is still bed wetting and MUST use a pull up at night. Should I just be patient?
I am unaware of any direct link between hyperspadias and primary enuresis - this may be something worth discussing with your Urologist. Unfortunate...
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Why do children wet the bed? How old are the when they stop? Concerned about my son as he is going on camps.
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...
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How should my son manage his bed wetting at school camp?
Bedwetting has a genetic link so it is not usual to find a number of children in the same family wetting the bed – siblings typically outgrow bedwe...
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Daughter has a full drynite every morning.
Firstly, I would recommend you make an appointment with your doctor just to rule out any physical cause to her bedwetting and to discuss treatment ...
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3 year old was waking up to go to toilet, but for two months has now wet the bed
It is perfectly normal for a 3-year-old to be still wetting the bed at night – as children move toward achieving nighttime continence they often ex...
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I am just wondering if waking children up to go to the toilet because they dont want to wear anything is damaging to them since at their mums they have to wear them?
Supporting children through the bedwetting process can be very challenging, especially when you are trying to negotiate two sets of rules. While n...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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 ...
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9 Year old son just started wetting the bed, twice in the last week.
this may just be an isolated event and may have in fact stopped by the time you read this. If however the bedwetting continues he may be experienci...
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Our son has recently started wetting the bed again after about a year and a half of dry nights. He has just turned six.
In order for your son to be able to wake-up dry his bladder needs to be able to hold the amount of urine he produces overnight or he needs to be ab...
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6yo still bed wetting at night - is it time to see a doctor about this?
Firstly, let me reassure you that what is happening is perfectly normal - almost 1 in 5 children your daughter’s age wake-up wet on a regular basis...
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Just wondering if it is normal for a girl to be still wetting the bed at 7?
it is perfectly normal for your daughter to be wetting the bed, with about 10% of children still doing so by age 7. While many of these children wi...
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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 ...
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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...
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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...
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I have heard about the use of hypnosis or some way of stimulating neural pathways. I am wondering if there are any other things that you would recommend?
Increasingly parents are turning to alternative treatments in an attempt to help their child stay dry at night – the success of these is really dep...
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Can having ear infections or sickness make a child re-wet his pants and bed at nite?
It is not unusual for children to experience a regression in their development if they have experienced an ongoing illness – particularly if this o...
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My 6yo son is still wetting- should I be going to see a doctor now?
Many doctors recommend holding off until children are at least 6-years of age before seeking treatment due to the high spontaneous cure rate up unt...
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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...
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I was a bedwetter, and my 6yo son is too. Do you have any suggestions on how I can assist the process in any way?
Given the strong genetic link it is not unusual for parents who wet the bed to have children who also wet the bed. Often one of the best predictors...
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My daughter is 10 and is still wetting the bed almost every night. Should we be taking her to the doctor?
Unfortunately when it comes to bedwetting many parents and children suffer in silence, too embarrassed to discuss their situation with anyone while...
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I am 14 and still wet the bed. I have tried the alarm mats but the lack of sleep affected my grades. I'm now having problems with burning with peeing.
this must be very frustrating for you. Firstly, I would recommend that you make an appointment with your GP to discuss your daytime urination as it...
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My 12 yr old daughter has just started wetting the bed again. Wondering if it could be related to puberty?
this must be very distressing for both you and your daughter. It is not unusual for a child who has experienced some difficulty achieving nighttime...
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My daughter is 15 and still wets the bed is something wrong she's been on all the tablets and nothing worked. What should I do?
when bedwetting continues over many years it becomes increasingly frustrating for both the parents and the child. It must feel at times that this w...
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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...
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Have been told I can get tablets for my daughter, Why hasn't my doctor prescribed them for my daughter?
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...
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My niece is 11years old and has had bladder problems since she started school aged 5. She has been using a catheter for about a year, which has helped a little but she still gets infections and has been on all different antibiotics.
it sounds like your niece’s urinary incontinence is due to underlying medical causes, something I am unable to comment on. I would recommend your s...
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I have a 15 year old daughter who has an 'over-active sensitive bladder'. Have tried everything, including operations. She wets the bed on average 3-4 times a night. Would you have any other ideas?
This must be very distressing for your daughter and your family. As I am not a surgeon I am unable to comment on the efficacy of surgical intervent...
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My teenage sister is wetting the bed.
there are a number of treatments available for teenagers who wet the bed – the long-term success of these depends to a large extent on the frequenc...
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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 ...
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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...
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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...
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Four year old boy, too early for alarms?
typically we recommend that parents wait until their child has turned 6 years of age before they consider bedwetting treatments. The reason for doi...
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My four year old son wets the bed several times a night
While it is perfectly normal for your son to be still wetting the bed at age 4 - the decision of whether or not to see a doctor is ultimately up to...
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7 year old boy still wetting bed. Is it time for a continence specialist?
while it may not be medically necessary to treat bedwetting after the age of 6 years – some children due to social and emotional reasons benefit fr...
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5 out of 7 nights my boys have accidents. Help!
if you are concerned that the bedwetting has been going on too long or there seems to be significant amounts of urine produced overnight then you n...
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Seven year old son wets the bed, we've visited the hospital and tried the alarms. What next?
it can be extremely frustrating when a bedwetting treatment does not seem to work for your child. While the conditioning alarms currently have the ...
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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...
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8 year old getting worse, time for alarms?
I completely understand your frustration. The tricky thing about bedwetting is that there are so many possible causes that it can be difficult to t...
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Any suggestions to convince teenage boys to use Drynites?
Due to the strong family history it is not unusual for a number of siblings to experience bedwetting. Current statistics suggest about 8 in 10 chil...
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I am sixteen and have type 1 diabetes. I know it shouldn't be causing the bedwetting but I'm frustrated.
This must be really frustrating for you. If your diabetes is being effectively managed it should not be the cause of your bedwetting. There are a n...
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My 9 year old son wets the bed most nights, can you recommend an alarm we could use with the pants and sensor?
There are a number of bell and pad alarms currently on the market - some of these allow you to use a recording (which can be your voice) instead of...
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My son is 10 years old and still wetting the bed. I have used the alarm for quite a few months, but this has not worked.
I would recommend that you get a referral to meet with a continence advisor who can help tailor at treatment that best suits your son’s individual ...
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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 ...
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Son 9, saturates his Drynites pants everynight.
a lots of patience and understanding are needed in the management of bedwetting and thatâs not just for your son but for you too! A small bladder...
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I have a 14 year old son who has continually wet the bed over the years. Minirin not helping much.
probably the most suitable treatment would be a conditioning alarm – these currently experience the best outcomes with about a 75% cure rate. A sen...
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9 year old son has seen doctors and paediatricians but he's normal. So how can we help him stop wetting the bed?
Most children who wet the bed have no underlying medical condition and many of these are able to outgrow it on their own. However if your child’s b...
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My 11 year old son used minirin in the past, but no effect now. Could his severe anxiety be overriding the effects?
We would still consider your son to be experiencing primary enuresis, even though he did experience a short period of dryness. While there are alwa...
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My son is 8 and his bedwetting is getting worse. Is there any medical intervention?
a delay in achieving nighttime continence is typically due to a delay in maturation of your child’s nervous system. There are two main reasons he c...
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I have a 4yo girl, and her urine has quite a potent smell. Could this be a UTI?
The first course of action when children start wetting the bed at night or experience incontinence during the day after a period of dryness is to t...
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6yo girl dry until 4, and then wet the bed every night since. Is this something we should be seeking medical treatment for?
this type of bedwetting is called secondary enuresis (SE) – this occurs when children have developed control over their bladder during the night fo...
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My son has been a victim of abuse by a younger child (11). Myself and his carers believe this may be the cause of bed wetting for him.
I’m very sorry to hear that your son has been the victim of abuse this must be very upsetting for you. Abuse is a known cause of secondary nocturna...
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My son has a developmental delay. He has good bladder/ bowel control, but won't let it out when sitting on toilet/ potty. The older he gets the harder it seems to be.
Firstly let me apologies for the delay in getting back to you we have had an overwhelming response to the “ask the expert” feature and I have been ...
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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...
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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 ...
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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....
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My daughter is still wetting her pants. She will be 3 next month. What should I do? Is this normal?
As you’ve already found out, each child is different when it comes to toilet training. While one child may pick it up in a matter of weeks, others ...
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my daughter is 3.3yrs old and i want to get her off nappies at night and while she naps during the day- how do I go about it?
I completely understand your desire to help your child achieve nighttime dryness before the birth of your second child. Unfortunately while childre...
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Is there any skills I could use to help my 4 & 6 to stop wetting the bed of a night?
Given the strong family history it is quite common for more than one child in the family to experience bedwetting. Perhaps either you or your husba...
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how can i get my child to stop wetting the bed?
There are a number of treatments available to help children attain nighttime dryness – the suitability of these depends on each individual so it is...
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My 3yo daughter will be dry most of the time, and then will wet the bed 2 to 3 nights in a row. How long do you think this may go on for?
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. Wh...
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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...
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3 year old goes to the toilet before bed, but still wets the bed
It is perfectly normal for your 3-year-old daughter to be wetting at night. In fact many professionals do not even consider bedwetting to be an iss...
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My 3 year old is not telling us when she wets her bed and pants
Gaining control over your bladder is a gradual process – typically children gain control during the day first then gradually achieve nighttime cont...
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Need some advice for my 6 year old daughter.
Unfortunately there seems to be no quick fixes or simple solutions when it comes to bedwetting with the most common resolution being time. While un...
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My daughter who is almost 6 and has just got through encopresis
Unfortunately there seems to be no quick fixes or simple solutions when it comes to bedwetting with the most common resolution being time. While un...
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My daughter is 6 next month and her nappy is still soaked in the morning.
Developing bladder control can take a little longer for some children with about 15% of children still wetting the bed by the time they start schoo...
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After being toilet trained, my four year old has been wetting the bed for a year
It is perfectly normal for your daughter to be wetting the bed at age 4. While it is true that some children do achieve nighttime dryness within a ...
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My daughter is 9 and she has been wetting the bed since she was 2. She has low self esteem and is depressed. I don't know how to help her
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. ...
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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...
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I'm writing about my daughter who turns 10 next month. Her bedwetting is affecting her confidence and her personality. She is always angry and feels inferior to her little sister.
this must very distressing for you and her. There are two things we need to think about - firstly, how we can support her through the process and m...
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My daughter is nearly 16yrs old and is still wetting the bed. She can go a week with no wet beds and then wet every nite for a week. She has been checked for any physical reason and there was no problems.
If you look at the research the most effective treatments are conditioning alarms – they are successful in about 75% of cases, unfortunately your d...
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My son is turning 7 and still wets through his night nappy. I was also a bedwetter. Please can you advise me on what to do.
There is a strong family history when it comes to bedwetting with about 8 in 10 children experiencing nighttime incontinence if both parents wet th...
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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...
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Family history of wetting the bed, so should I try and do something with our four year old son or not?
the decision of whether or not to seek professional help is really up to you, your husband and your son – keeping in mind that your son’s bedwettin...
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My five year old and I are being pressured by the grandmothers. Help!
Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation and ignorance about bedwetting and although as well meaning as it may be much of the advice given to...
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Two children, boy 10 and girl 8, are both bedwetters. Incentives seem to work for my daughter but not my son.
bedwetting is always a challenge for parents and when this involves more than one child in the family it becomes even more difficult to manage. The...
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My uncle still wets the bed and hes 61. Im scared this will happen with my 12 year old son.
many parents feel overwhelmed and helpless when dealing with their child’s bedwetting and in your case this is only exacerbated by the fact that yo...
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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...
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My son wets the bed every night. What is available to help him?
Children wet the bed for a number of reasons – some do so because they are unable to wake in response to a full bladder, others do so because their...
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my daughter s 3 yrs of age and is not toilet trained yet, but she is behind other childrren because she has a severe heart condition, she doesnt want to use the toilet alot, what can i do
Hi Shona - It is very common for a child with additional support needs to take a little longer to attain bladder and bowel control. In order for ...
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Dr Catherine, My Son Jack is 2 yrs old is it too early to start toilet training and if not how do I begin this process.
Hi Kathy - the key to successful toilet training is timing. In order for Jack to succeed, he needs to be physically, emotionally and mentally rea...
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I have twin sons who will be seven in april , both have chromosome 2 deletion with at least 4 genes missing , one missing gene is responsible for learning and behaviour . Both have limited speech , one child is developmentally 3 the other 18mths . Neither
Hi Mary, as with all children it is best not to begin toilet training until the boys show signs that they are physically and mentally ready and int...
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toilet-training my 6yr old daughter
Hi Pauline, I completely understand your frustration with this very challenging situation. In order to manage the situation more effectively we rea...
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i have a 4 year old son who still wears nappies because he won't go to the toilet what can i do to start toilet training him
Hi Alayne, as with all children it is best not to begin toilet training until the boys show signs that they are physically and mentally ready and...
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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...
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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...
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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. ...
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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...
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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...
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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, ...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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 ...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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my son is ten years old. We have tried almost every method to resolve the problem. He is a tall boy and currently weighs 52kg.
Unfortunately DryNites only have these two sizes, however there are a number of products currently on the market that are designed for use with adu...
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My son is 5 and is still wetting through his nappy and soaking the sheets almost everynight. I'm not sure if i should try medication or if it is something he will grow out of.
It is not unusual for your 5-year-old son to be wetting the bed at night with about 17% of children continuing to do so. The ability to control our...
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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...
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My daughter is nearly 6yo. How do we increase bladder function so it triggers the brain? Do you have any other ideas?
Conditioning alarms seem to be the best option in treating bedwetting in children with about 75% experiencing permanent dryness after their use. Th...
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I have a near 11 y.o daughter who is still wetting the bed every night. we have tried it all. She is getting very distressed. What else could we try?
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. ...
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7yo occasionally wets and also sleep walks. Is this related
While I am unaware of any direct link between sleep walking and bedwetting both have a genetic predisposition and both typically occur when childre...
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Should we keep on trying an alarm, or just wait and see?
the time it takes for children to achieve dryness can be anything from a few weeks to a few months with about 10-15% of children experiencing some ...
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Will wanting to wear jocks at night be enough motivation? How long should we persist with a bed alarm?
This is certainly one sign – you should also talk to him to see how he feels. The time it takes for children to achieve dryness when using conditio...
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5yo boy- is this too young to be using an alarm?
it’s not unusual for 5-year-old children to still be wetting the bed at night with approximately 1 in 5 children continuing to do so and the majori...
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5yo who stays dry only when we wake him to pee - does this mean he is not ready for toilet training?
it’s not unusual for 5-year-old children to still be wetting the bed at night with approximately 1 in 5 children continuing to do so and the majori...
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5yo who sweats alot and the alarm goes off
With respect to your first question – you may want to think about using an alarm that is not worn inside his pyjamas but on the bed. The advantage ...
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My daughter has just turned 10. We have not yet tried the bed alarm, do you think this is something we should do?
it is not unusual for children to experience periods of dry nights then a return to wetting as they travel the road toward nighttime continence. Th...
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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 ...
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Ten year old son has been through the alarm process but the results aren't long term
While the recurrence of bedwetting when using the conditioning alarm is much lower than when using other treatments, it is not unusual for children...
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14 old son is missing out on so much because his bed wetting is affecting his self esteem. Any suggestions?
this must be incredibly frustrating and upsetting for you. One of the major side effects of bedwetting, particularly among adolescents, is the impa...
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My son is 14, wets the bed every night. His self esteem is very low. What can I do?
Understandably, the older children get the greater potential their bedwetting will impact negatively on their self-esteem. This has a lot to do wit...
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Tried everything with our nine year old. He doesn't stay over at anyone's house which makes him even more clingy to me. can you please help?
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. It...
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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...
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My 6.5yr old son soaks his DryNites every night. He is a heavy sleeper. Reading other Q&A's, I think it might be time to see a GP about this. Is this what you would recommend?
Hi Linda – you are certainly not alone when it comes to feeling overwhelmed! The tricky thing when it comes to bedwetting is that there are a nu...
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my 7.5yrs old son was toilet trained both day and night at the age of 2 but by the time he was 3.5yrs he started wetting the bed again this was at about the time his younger brother was diagnoised with diabetes we have tried waking him at night no drinks
Hi Karen, it is not unusual for children to experience a return to bedwetting at times of stress – this is typically referred to as secondary n...
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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...
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Hi, my daughter is just about 7 and has wet pullups everynight. We have tried taking her to the toilet before we go to bed with no sucess. When she was about 4 she had a period of haing urine infections, she saw a specialist and this is now sorted. Wha
Hi Lee, given your daughter’s age and the potential impact her bedwetting is having on her self-esteem – now is the time to look into introducing...
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My nine-year-old daughter has never been consistently dry in her bed at my home.
If her encopresis was a result of chronic constipation, then her bedwetting may also be a result of poor bowel habits. If this is the case then yo...
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Hi Doctor, my 8 year old son is still wetting his drynite every night. We have just purchased a Dri Sleeper bed alarm. Can you best advise me on a couple of things. Firstly, can i put the sensor inside a drynite for ease of middle of the night toilet runs
Hi Lisa-Anne, it is a good idea to fit the DRI Sleeper alarm inside your son’s DryNites as it may take up to 2 to 3 weeks before he starts respondi...
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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...
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I have a recent turned 6yr old girl who has never had a dry night. My father wet the bed, as did my older sister and myself. I know the pain and frustration of bedwetting. My sister and I stopped wetting the bed with the aid of the alarm. Knowing the fami
Hi Fiona, treatment is typically recommended once your child is older than 6 years of age (this is due to the high rate of spontaneous resolution u...
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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 ...
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Ask a question now...
Hi Melissa - There are a number of reasons why children experience daytime accidents. The most common reason is that they have overactive bladders...
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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...
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Hi my daughter is 13 years old and wears drynights to bed everynight. sometimes the drynight is light or nothing in it and other nights it is quite heavy. She complains that she cannot get up in the night to go to the toilet. We went to our GP and he said
Whilst some children do outgrow bedwetting on their own others benefit from a little bit of assistance. The most consistent form of treatment curre...
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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...
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hi i am 14 and still wet the bed. I am finding it really embarssing when i go to my friends house for sleepovers. is there anything i can try that wont cost too much money?
Hi Sarah, bedwetting can be very challenging and at times quite embarrassing especially if it continues into your teenage years. The most importan...
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Our 10 year old girl has done the bell and pad program 3 times in the past 3 years and is now wetting the bed again every night. She is humiliated, we are tired of changing sheets and we are wondering what else to try. Any alternative suggestions?
Hi Rachel, it is incredibly difficult as a parent to watch your child in distress and feel powerless to make it stop. The most important thing for...
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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...
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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...
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Do you have any advice about enuresis alarms? Which brand? Wear with Dry Nites or undies?
There are two main types of alarms. One is a body alarm with a small sensor that can be worn inside your child’s pyjamas – many parents prefer ...
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Ask a question now... My son is 10 and continues to wet bed......
Hi Angela - It is not unusual for parents of children who wet the bed to comment on the fact that their children are able to stay dry when attendin...
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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...
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My 7 year old son has always wet the bed occasionally but recently started wetting on most nights. We're using Dry Nites but he developed a nasty urinary tract infection that saw him end up in hospital. Are there any clinics where I can hire a bed wetting
Hi A. L., your best course of action is to speak with a continence advisor who will be able to recommend a suitable alarm for your son. For a refe...
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My child of almost 12yrs still wets his bed , how can i help him stop this habit ?
Hi Edmund, while parents used to be encouraged to wake their child throughout the night to help avoid a wet bed, this is no longer recommended as...
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My son is 10 years old and he is still wetting the bed occasionally. What can we do to prevent this?
Hi Sophie - Conditioning alarms are currently the safest and most effective means of treating bedwetting. The alarms success also increases among ...
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I have a 7 year old daughter who still wets every night. She was dry during the day at 2 and rarely had accidents. There is a family history spanning 3 generations of bedwetting, mailnly girls and some till their teenage years. One had underdevelope d
Hi Rachel, due to the strong genetic link it is quite common to find a number of individuals within the one family experiencing bedwetting. Obviou...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Both my girls 9 and 6 wet every night. Both side of the family have a bed wetting history most stopped by 10. My partners younger brother was 16 how ever when he stopped. We have tried waking them to go to the toilet but they are such heavy sleepers that
Hi M.O – due to the underlying genetic cause, it is not unusual to find a number of children in the one family who wet the bed at night. Knowing t...
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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...
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Want to start night time training my 6 year old girl but don't know the best procedure
Hi K. S. – there are so many mixed messages out there; no wonder parents are confused when it comes to managing children’s bedwetting. I think the...
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My daughter still wears a nappy to bed and hardly ever is dry. Is there anything we can do to help her become dry?
Hi Rachel, depending on your daughter’s age there are a few things that you can do. If she is under 7 years of age then the general recommendation...
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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...
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We have been lifting our almost 6yr old boy at the same time every night. What would suggest as a next step to break out of this habit that we have created?
Hi D. R., while putting your child on the toilet through the night may reduce the number of wet beds you have to change (and that is certainly a bi...
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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...
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I'm 11 AND STILL WET THE BED!
Hi Keriana, as embarrassing as this may seem you are not alone. There are thousands of people, including teenagers and adults, who wet the bed at ...
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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...
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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...
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besides pull ups is there any other alternative to fix my child bed wetting??
Hi Anya, DryNites should be viewed as a form of bedwetting management rather than treatment. Ultimately they are designed to help minimise the stre...
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Where do I purchase the alarm that fits inside the dri nites
The alarm that you refer to is called a ‘personal alarm’ which has a small sensor which can be placed inside your grandson’s DryNites and is link...
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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...
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My daughter is 6 1/2 & has never been dry overnight. Her bed doesn't get wet as she wears a Drynite every night so talking about 'bed wetting' doesn't make much sense. What other strategy can you suggest as she is starting to become very self conscious ab
Hi Sian, given her age and the fact that her bedwetting is starting to impact negatively on her sense of self I would certainly recommend you look ...
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my name is kryistle and my daughter is 10 years old and still wets the bed wat can i use for her
Hi Kryistle, Bedwetting can be incredibly frustrating – particularly when it extends years beyond when you expect it to stop. While there are a nu...
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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...
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my son is 11 almost 12 years and is a frequent bed wetter,we have tried averything from limiting drinks at night, to setting an alarm for him to get up at night. he can wet the bed anywhere from once a week to everynight! he is a happy, healthy boy who ha
Hi M.E., it can be incredibly frustrating as a parent when you feel like you’ve tried everything and your son still wets the bed. When it comes to...
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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...
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Where do u purchase the alarm that goes into the drynite?
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...
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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 ...
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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...
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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 ...
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My 8 years old son still wet his bed at night.
Dear Monica, it is not unusual for children to waiver between periods of dryness then return to wetting the bed again as they move toward achieving...
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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...
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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...
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Ask a question now...My son is 8 and is still bedwetting at night.My GP suggested the alarm.What should I try first.
There are two main types of alarms. One is a body alarm with a small sensor that can be worn inside your son’s pyjamas – many parents prefer thes...