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 'I would like further professional help'
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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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After being toilet training for a couple of years, my four year old is wetting the bed again.
Your daughter is experiencing what we refer to as secondary enuresis (SE) – this is where children have developed control over their bladder during...
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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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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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Minirin - does it work?
A lot of doctors only use medication as a short term solution so that children can attend school camps or sleepovers or as a last resort in cases w...
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Chronic constipation and fear of going to the toilet - do you have any advice?
some children are able to identify the feeling of needing to have a bowel movement, but ignore the urge because they do not want to take the time t...
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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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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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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 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 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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boys bed wetting
Hi Eman – lifting or waking is typically not recommended as a form of treatment as it does not teach children to wake on their own and can be stres...
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how can i stop wetting the bed at night we tried those bedwetting pills but they didn't work
Hi Shaelynn, unfortunately it is quite common for people to start wetting the bed again once they are no longer taking the medication. Alarm treatm...
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I need some advise for my 5 yr old daughter
Hi Toni – the time it takes between achieving daytime continence and being dry at night is quite variable, some children are lucky to do this in ...
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Could you please recommend practitioners in Sydney who may be of assistance with bed wetting? We have seen a paediatrician however they have suggested medication which we want to do as a final straw.
Your best move is to contact the Continence Association of Australia (1800 330 066) who will be able to recommend a medical professional in your ar...
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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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Frustrated with cleaning constantly
You are not alone when it comes to feeling frustrated and helpless when dealing with wet beds. I could try and make you feel better by reassuring y...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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what kind of food or drinks should my 6yo son avoid
if you think food sensitivities are contributing to his night wetting he may benefit from eliminating foods such as citrus and dairy from his diet....
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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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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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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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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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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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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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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 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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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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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...