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 have a 7 nearly 8 year boy who wets the bed every night. We have tried tablets. Do you think it is worth trying an alarm, as this worked for me when I was younger'
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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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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...