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 'do you think it is better for my 4and a half year old boys self esteme to wear drynights or to allow him to wet the bed. Is there any difference to how long it will take to become dry at night?'
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My son was toilet trained but since the birth of my daughter he has started to wet his pants and his bed. His urine smells really bad. Is he lazy or doing it for attention? Or maybe it is something to do with his health?
When a child starts to wet the bed again or experiences daytime incontinence after being dry for months we usually look for either a medical or emo...
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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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Son refusing to wear pull ups after arrival of baby sister
The arrival of a new baby into the house can be quite a stressful experience for young children. Some children feel that they are somehow being rep...
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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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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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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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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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5yo girl has started wetting again when I became pregnant - could this be connected?
When a child starts to wet the bed again after being dry for months we usually look for either a medical or emotional cause. One of the most common...
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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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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 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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3yo boy, toilet trained but always poos in his undies! Is he just being lazy or does he just not get it?
Firstly – I wouldn’t be concerned about his nighttime wetting – he is still very young so it would be unusual for him to be dry every night. Waking...
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I have a 3.5 yo but doesn't want to poo in the toliet or potty. Can you help/suggest something?
This is a problem not talked about often but like bedwetting is much more common than you think – particularly when it comes to boys! The difficult...
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My son has wet the bed for the past 15 months. Prior to that he was dry at night for about one and half years. Can you offer any suggestions?
This type of bedwetting is referred to as secondary enuresis – this occurs when children begin to wet the bed again after experiencing at least 6 m...
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5 year old son wets bed after moving house
firstly, it is important to point out that there is a difference in children who have never been dry at night (called primary enuresis) and childre...
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Should my son learn the hard way about wetting the bed and not wearing his drynites?
there is some debate surrounding the use of rewards for achieving nighttime dryness. One of the main reasons a reward system doesn't work is that t...
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Should my son learn the hard way about wetting the bed and not wearing his drynites?
there is some debate surrounding the use of rewards for achieving nighttime dryness. One of the main reasons a reward system doesn’t work is that t...
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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 boy seems to have good times and times with his bed wetting he doesn't tend to wet the bed when he is at someone else's house or when it is warmer weather. Why is this?
It is not unusual for parents to talk about their child experiencing dry nights when away on holidays or in warmer weather. Often on these occasion...
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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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6yo girl was OK, and then all of a sudden she's gone back to wetting the bed nearly everynight. Is there anything else I can do, and do those pants make it better or teach the child that they can just wet the bed?
It is not unusual for children to experience cycles of dryness followed by a period of wet nights as they move toward permanent nighttime continenc...
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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 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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My 5yo boy wets the bed each and every night. Help, can you provide some information on when I should start to worry about this & seek professional help? Also, do you have any other tips you can offer?
first and foremost let me reassure you that what is happening is perfectly normal, in fact about 17% of 5-year-olds wet the bed at least twice a we...
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My 11 year old daughter has just started having a few dry nights in a row. Should I encourage her not to use dry nights to keep her going or do I still use them until she is completely dry?
One of the signs that your daughter is moving toward achieving nighttime continence is a reduction in the number of nights she wakes up wet. The fa...
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my son wet himself day and night at night he will were drynites but he will where them to school what can i do
Given his age and the regularity of his wetting it is very important that you make an appointment with your GP so that they can investigate the c...
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hi my son is 12 yrs old. i have tried every treatment to help my son to stop but he keeps continuing to wet. they say that it is not his fault. i think he is just being lazy. it is causing to many fights. I am losing so much patience. i feel like that I
Hi Margaret, bedwetting does not only impact on the child, it affects the whole family. It is not unusual for parents to feel that somehow the b...
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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 son is going to be 6 next month. he wets his pants during the day. Sometimes he is really wet and sometimes its just a little spot. Some days he can be dry the whole day. The same thing happens at night. Some nights he will get up and go too the toilet
While it is quite common for children to continue to experience nighttime incontinence at age 6, regular daytime accidents are less common and shou...
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hi my almost 4 year old seems to have alot of wee at night, He wears 2 nappys and still leaks though, Kirsty
Hi Kirsty, it is perfectly normal for your son to continue to experience nocturnal incontinence. The age at which nighttime continence occurs is qu...
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My son is 5 next month and has been wetting the bed again for the last 10 months after he started having an ear infection and relapses of tonsillitis.
Hi – it can be incredibly worrying and a little frustrating when your child starts wetting the bed again after a significant period of dryness. ...
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what if drynites dont work
Hi Melissa – there are a number of possible reasons why your son is wetting through. The first thing to check is that they are fitting correctly – ...
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What to do to stop night time bed wetting
Hi Deirdre – firstly, let me reassure you that it is perfectly normal for children your son’s age to still be wetting the bed at night. If you h...
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My son has been toilet trained for 1 1/2 years now but still continues to wet the bed every night. I've tried less drinks and going to the toilet a couple of times before bed but nothing seems to work.
Hi Sarah – it is perfectly normal for children to continue to wet the bed at night even after they have achieved daytime continence. The speed at w...
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my son is 4 1/2 years old. During the night, i have to get up every 1 1/2 to 2 hours so I can put him on the toilet. If i don't do that, he wets his bed. He doesn't feel that he needs to go to the toilet at night. If don't get him up and take him he wets
While bedwetting can be incredibly frustrating and worrying for parents – please be reassured that it is perfectly normal for 4-year-old boys to st...
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hi, my nearly 6 year old step son wets the bed every now and then and then tries to hide it, his dad just says it's coz he's too lazy to get up, could this really be the reason? And what do i do? coz it's very frustrating
While it can be incredibly frustrating, it is often helpful to know that children who wet the bed rarely do it on purpose. Some children wet the b...
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hi, i wet the bed every night, my left testicle is almost 3 times the size of my right one could this have anything to do with it
Hi John, bedwetting can be caused by a number of underlying factors. I would strongly recommend that you speak with your GP who can examine you ...
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My 7 year old son can go for weeks at a time with a dry bed and then all of a sudden we will have a run of wet nights, He tells me he doesn't know it is happening until it is too late. He gets upset at the mention of "drynights" can you give me some advic
While perfectly normal, this must be incredibly frustrating for both you and him! Reassure him that it is very common for children as they move tow...
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My 10 yo son told me that he can not feel it when he wet the bad. Should I take him to a doctor? Can stress make my son we his bed?
You son is in very good company, many children who wet at night do so without being aware. Amongst other factors, a deep sleeping pattern has been...
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I have a just 5 year old boy and nearly 4 year old girl who have wet the bed every night since birth. Never a dry night, and they frequently over fill their nappies, and now drynites. When would be the right time to seek medical attention with my childr
How exhausting this must be for you! There are a number of possible reasons why your children are wetting through. The first thing to check is tha...
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Can wearing dry nites help or hinder a 8 year old boy with bed wetting.
Hi Vanessa, It is perfectly fine for your son to use DryNites, these will neither shorten nor prolong the bedwetting process and will certainly red...
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At what age should my wife and I start to encourage our 4 and a half year old boy out of pull-ups at night. It seems when he wears a pull up at night he will wet them. When I have him in undies I get mixed results. Some night dry, some nights wet. I g
When it comes to parenting, consistency is certainly the key, whether we are talking about managing challenging behaviours or bedwetting. The good...
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how can i stop my three year old from wetting the bed
Hi Naomi, nappies with tabs can certainly be more easily removed by children than absorbent pants. You could try him in DryNItes at night. If you...
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my 7 year old aspergers son is wearing drynights and I am doing all the toileting and drink restrictions prevention strategies but his drynight is over full every morning and even leaks to his sheets at night. Any other ways of preventing this?
Leakage often results from improper fit, which can occur if your sons DryNites are too small. Check that they are fitting him properly around the ...
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Hi, My son is 5 1/2 and still wears DryNights to bed each night. Sometimes he's wet in the morning, sometimes not. When I was visiting my local Maternal Health nurse with my younger child, she suggested it was time to consult an incontinance expert rega
Hi Kirsty, As with many developmental milestones, children develop nighttime bladder control at different ages. Persistent bedwetting, which refe...
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I lift my son to the toilet each night, probably 2hrs after putting him to bed and he does a pee, should I be doing this?
Hi Mel, while waking or lifting a child to go to the toilet might seem like a good way to reduce the number of wet beds, it does not help train the...
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Lifting children while asleep to go to the toilet.
Hi Nicole, while waking or lifting a child to go to the toilet might seem like a good way to reduce the number of wet beds, it does not help train ...
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I don't understand the comment in the recent email about not lifting children when asleep to take them to the toilet helps to develop a healthy bladder. What is it about lifting them?
Once upon a time parents used to be encouraged to carry their child to the toilet during the night to help avoid a wet bed. While waking or lifting...
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Hi, my son is eight years old, he's a chronic bed wetter, and he is about to go on his first camp. We are both worried about that he might have an accident while going to camp, on the bus, as it is a six hour journey. This would cause him great embarrass
Hi Jane, Sleepovers, slumber parties and school camps are common sources of stress for children who wet the bed. It is important that your son is...
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I have been told that if i continue to put a nappy on my son (nearly 8 years old) he will continue to wet it?? I have been waiting for more of a consistent pattern before i stop. At the moment its just one dry nappy every now and again? Thank you, Lisa-An
Hi Lisa, while there has certainly been some debate about the use of absorbent pants in the management of children’s bedwetting there is no resea...
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Hi Catherine Why the frequency of wetting throughout the night?
Hi Michelle, it’s lovely to hear from you. Bedwetting has a number of underlying causes. The most common cause of bedwetting is a neurological-de...
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My 26 mth old son fills his nappy & maternity pad inside nappy full to the brim. It is like a brick in the morning. Is this normal?
Hi P.C, it is perfectly normal for your son to be still using nappies throughout the day. The average age for boys to achieve daytime continence i...
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Hi Dr. Cathrine, my son is 6yrs old and has Asperger's Syndrome, he is still wetting the bed at night and is the middle child of three boys, they were both night trained by 3yrs. I'm wondering what the expectancy is for a child with a developmental delay
Hi Melissa, the age at which children achieve nighttime continence is quite variable with many boys not becoming dry at night until 8 years of age....
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My son is 3.5yrs old and wants to wear undies to bed at night, we have tried a couple of times but he just wets the bed and does not wake up when he does, i don't understand why ??
Hi Rebecca, it is perfectly normal for your son to still be wetting the bed at night. The time between achieving daytime continence and nighttime ...
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My son has just turned 8yrs, he wants to stop wetting the bed but still wets it if he doesnt wear a dry night should i seek medical help?
Hi L.T. - Not surprisingly, bedwetting becomes more of an issue as children get older and want to start attending sleepovers or school camps. Give...
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hi Doc C, both myself and my son are at wits end.. he is 14.5 yrs old and still wets the bed most nights, he does not know if he has until he wakes in the morn. we have done the measure drinks, the reward, the no drinks after 6pm, the alarm sheet. eveythi
Dear Karen and Ben, it must be incredibly frustrating and disheartening when you feel like you’ve tried it all and still no success. There are a f...
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4 and a half year old son is still in a nappy @ nite and seems no where near ready to go without one, he just doesnt wake.
Hi K.J., this is perfectly normal behaviour, in fact some medical professionals argue that bedwetting, particularly among boys, is developmentally ...
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My son is 4.5 and wets the bed every night. To avoid having to wash sheets every day, I've asked him to wear 'night undies' (pull ups) which he is happy to do. The problem we have is instead of getting up to go to the toilet in the morning, he thinks it's
Hi Kristy, while reward systems are generally discouraged in the management of children’s bedwetting you could certainly adopt this approach to try...
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Hi my son is nearlly 6 years old and he still wets the bed. I have tried a few times putting him to bed without a pull up. but he will sleep all night in a wet bed and he will not wake up.
Hi Tiffany, while bedwetting can be incredibly distressing for parents please be reassured that it is perfectly normal for your son to still wet th...
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My son just turned two on the 24th Feb. He constantly wakes 2-3 times at night and has really started to escalate in his screams for me to entre his room. Finally last night he said wee's, I took him to the toilet but it was too late. Could he be waking t
Hi D. B., It sounds like your son is experiencing night tremors, a common occurrence among toddlers and preschoolers. Night tremors differ from nig...
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Ask a question now...Hi my son is 3 .5 years old. My friends children are sleeping throughout the night wearing undies. I cannot imagine my son doing this. He is only just fully toilet trained with a few accidents here and there. The issue for us is that
Hi Chantell, it is perfectly normal for your son to be still wetting the bed at night so there is absolutely no cause for concern. Many children, ...
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my nearly 10 year old boy still wets has never really been dry and we have tried alarms and nasal sprays neither worked what can i do Rochelle
Hi Rochelle - Unfortunately when it comes to treating children’s bedwetting, what works for one does not necessarily work for others. How old was ...
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I am a mother of two who is at wits end, my 7 yr old son has bowel problems and is having trouble toileting through the night and during the day help! also my 5 yr old daughter has become lazy due to her brothers problems and wakes with her pullup complet
Hi Leisa, the first thing you need to do is seek medical advice – any form of daytime incontinence after the age of 5 years needs to be investiga...
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We are trying to get our 3.5year old son dry every night of the week. He has few dry nights and a few wet nights during the week so we would just like some ways to help our son out as he feels really bad in the mornning if he does wet himsels. Any advice?
Hi Velika, the time it takes between achieving daytime control and nighttime continence is quite variable. Some children achieve this in a matter ...
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HI, My son is 14.5 and is wetting the bed with the dry nites on. He is upset by this as now we have to get him into adult pants and this is extremly upsetting for him. We have tried the bladder control, alarm, drinking lots of water during the day, medica
Hi Karolyn, this must be incredibly distressing for you all. Certainly when it comes to the more traditional measures, conditioning alarms continue...
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Hi, I wet my pants alot and my GP said that I would have to be put back into nappies with powder to prevent nappy rash on a 24/hr a day basis. I am quite embarrased about this and I wasa wondering if you could give me some advice..... Can I wear these nap
Thank you for submitting your question to Dr Cathrine. It has come to our attention that you have submitted 18 questions to Dr Cathrine. We und...
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My son is 4.5 - he is completely toilet trained during the day but is nowhere near dry at night. While I am not overly concerned about this fact, knowing that a lot of children are not dry at night at this age, what is frustrating me is that although he
Children’s overnight urine output can be quite variable – parents of children who seem to pass a lot of urine overnight sometimes find it easier to...
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i have a 3 year old son and he wears pull ups to bed and he is wet sometime dueing the day and he is allmost toilet training now
Hi M. A. – It is quite common for 3-year-old children to be wetting the bed at night. While some children become dry at night a few weeks or month...
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what age do boys stop wetting bed..
Hi Kim - the age at which children stop wetting the bed is quite variable. Given the strong genetic link it is not unusual for a number of children...
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No matter what I do my five year old son stills wets through his pull up, pjs and sheets. What else can I try?
Hi Pauline, given the strong genetic link it is not unusual to find a number of children in the one family who wet the bed – however, if neither yo...
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Can you help with a 7yr. old boy who poo's in his pants rather than use the toilet?
Children with special needs often take longer to attain bladder and bowel control, with many parents sighting toileting issues as one of the bigges...
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My son 4 next mouth has just started wetting in his DryNights again, what can I do? should I look at a star chart or something to help him become dry again?
Hi Michelle, you do not mention in your question how long your son had been dry at night for. If it has been for a period of 6 months or more then...
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Hi My little man is 4.5 years old and i am wondering when he will be able to stop wearing a nappy at night
Hi Sarah – unfortunately unlike daytime continence the road to achieving nighttime continence is less direct, with many a speed bump! Unlike toile...
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Ask a question now...Hi Dr Cathrine,my son just turned 5 and he wets his bad once a fortnight, but thats if i don't give him anything to drink 1 hour before bed and take him him to toilet a few times just before he goes to bed. As soon as he has a drink b
Hi Angela, you seem to be completely on top of the situation. While we no longer recommend restricting fluids completely before bedtime it is a go...
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My 4.5 yo son has been day trained for 2 years but no-where near night trained. Recently he has started wetting during his day sleeps to. Not everyday but at least once a week. Any suggestions on how to get back on track?
Hi Sharyn, the first thing you need to do is rule out any underlying medical cause. Sometimes a return to daytime wetting may be a sign of a urina...
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My almost 5yrs old son told me 2 weeks ago that he didn't want to wear drynites. Thinking he was ready I haven't used them but he has wet the bed every night.
Hi Maria - It is not uncommon for parents of children who wet the bed to comment on how heavy a sleeper their child is. Children who are particular...
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My son started wetting his bed around 3 1/2 occasionally. Then around 4 it increased to 4 times a week. Now at 5 1/2 it is about once a week but he might go for 3 weeks dry then wet 3 nights in a row. What can I do to help him stop?
Hi A.K. - The tricky (and frustrating!) thing about bedwetting is that we do not always know why it happens – which means that it is not simple and...
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My 4 year old son has been toilet trained and out of nappies at night for well over a year but recently has started wetting the bed about once a week. Is this part of his physical development or should I be concerned?
Hi Dianne - Secondary Nocturnal Enuresis (SNE) is the term used to describe a situation where children have been previously dry for six or more mon...
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My son is 7 1/2 he only has one kidney. He wets the bed every night. We have tried many things. Is his single kidney to blame?
Hi Carmen - if your son’s kidney is healthy and completely normal it may not be the cause of his bedwetting. Bedwetting can be the result of a num...
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Hi. My 5 1/2 year old is still in Dry Nites and is nowhere near dry at night - the nappy is still full every morning. I am not particularly concerned about this - he is the youngest of 3 and I realise it just takes some kids longer than others to become
Hi K.T. – firstly, let me congratulate you on making the distinction between accidental and deliberate wetting, this is not always easily done espe...
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My 5 (nearly 6) year old son wets the bed every night. He doesn't wake up and seems to see nothing wrong with lying in bed wet.
Hi Kathleen - It is quite common for parents of children who wet the bed to comment on how heavy a sleeper their child is. Children who are particu...
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Hi, my 6 yr old son has never been dry at night; we use DryNites and he's started to ask when he won't need them any more.
Hi S.C. – bedwetting tends to become more of an issue as children get older and want to start attending sleepovers. One way you could reduce his an...
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My 4 yr old boy, has never been dry at night, but wants to be, I have tried dry nite nappies but they are to big for him and leak so he is still wearing nappies, he is a deep sleeper, any suggestions, thanks Miranda
Hi Miranda, It is quite common for parents of children who wet the bed to comment on how heavy a sleeper their child is. Researchers have shown tha...
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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...my 12 year old son wets the bed every night but i cant wake him up at night because he is a very heavy sleeper and diets and bladder training isnt working either what can i do
It can be incredibly frustrating when you feel like you’ve tried it all and yet met with little success. When it comes to the more traditional m...
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My son was staying dry at night with the odd accident here or there up to 4 weeks ago. We then came home from a holiday and he has started wetting the bed almost every night? i make sure he goes to the toliet before bed as usual so what could the proble
Sometimes a change in environment can contribute to children’s bedwetting. It is also quite common for children to experience an increase in bedwe...
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My four year old boy still wets his bed at night. We use dri-nites and change them in the middle of the night but they are not absorbent enough and still overflow. Can I try the larger 8kg+ drinites or will they be too big?
Absorbency levels are the same for both sizes so the only reason to change would be if the small size were too small. It is important that the DryN...
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Hi Dr, i have 3 boys my eldest is 13 and he still wets the bed and is attending boarding school so i took him to the Dr's and they prescribed him endep 25mg it seems to work but if he happens to miss just one tablet wets the bed!. My middlechild is 11 and
Hi Rachael, due to the strong genetic link it is not unusual to find a number of children in the same family experiencing bedwetting. When genet...
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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 son is nearly 4 years of age and wets the bed every night , when we have spoken to him about it, he says that being wet in bed doesn't bother him, he will sleep with wet pants, how can I get him to over come him to wake up to go to the toilet at ni
Firstly, let me reassure you that what your son is experiencing is perfectly normal for someone his age. There are a number of possible reasons why...
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Hi, i've been dry for several years now yet i still wear drynites almost every night.
Given you are not aware that you are wetting at night, I would not necessarily describe this behaviour as deliberate. If your wetting were uncontr...
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my son is eight years old . he still wets the bed. i had a troubled marriage and now i am separated from my husband. i loose my temper very often and shout at my son for the slighest thing though i love him so much from the time he is 2 years old.please t
Hi D. K. – parenting can be both incredibly challenging and equally rewarding. As parents, we can become frustrated or angry with our children esp...
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I have recently had a baby (8weeks ago) and my 4 year old son has just started wetting the bed again after a year of being dry. How can I help him to be dry again?
Hi Anna, your son is experiencing what is commonly referred to as secondary nocturnal enuresis – a term which is used to describe the condition w...
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Ask a question now...
Hi Sue – Parents of children who wet the bed often comment on the fact that their child sleeps through unaware of the fact that they have wet. Thi...
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Hi Doctor: Our (almost) 4 year old son has started wetting his bed on most night of the week for the last few weeks. He is totally dry during the day and until this started a few weeks ago, he had only wet his bed a handful of times in the previous year
Hi David – while I’m not aware of any research directly linking testosterone with bedwetting in boys, there may be an indirect link in that increas...
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My son is 3 and a half years old, he is toilet trained during the day but he is still wetting the bed. Is there any tips you can give to help get him night trained?
The time between being daytime trained and achieving nighttime continence is quite variable. Unlike toilet training, which is conscious and delibe...
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hi, my son his 4 years old and his been trained during the day since he was 2 but nothing seems to work at nights. we tried training him for 2 weeks during the night and that was waking him up at 11pm and the 5:30 am and still he would manage to wet the b
Hi Christine, as frustrating as this behaviour may be please be reassured that it is perfectly normal and has very little to do with anything you o...
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Ask a question now...transition from nappy at bedtime to no nappy at all??
Hi Hilary, the time between achieving daytime continence and nighttime control is different for every child. While some achieve this in a matter o...
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Ask a question now...My son is nearly 9 and still wets the bed ,my daughter also was late to be trained at night.He does,nt seem to want to go to the toliet at night.My son has has ADHD and autism. What can I do to encourage him to go and stop him wetting
There are a number of possible contributing factors at play here. Firstly, there is a much higher incidence of bedwetting among children with autis...
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Hi Cathrine, I'm sure you're sick of the same questions, but I would love to hear your opinion even if it's just for reassurance. My 4 year old son wets his nappy most nights, and probably half the time during day sleeps (he naps up to 3 hours). He also
It’s always lovely to hear from another parent! It is certainly true that many a daytime accident occurs as a result of children holding on for to...
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Hi Dr Catherine, I have a six year old son who wets the bed and has worn night nappies continuously. He used to have great control during the day but that changed when he went to school. Since starting last year he now wets during the day. My husband
Starting school can be an incredibly stressful time for young children; there are new routines that they need to become familiar with, new rules, n...
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Hi, I am in the process of night training my 4 yr old boy. We are going pretty well, although he is not yet waking himself up. I've come online to see if there were any tips i could use and notice some advice states not to deprive of drinks of an evening
Hi Brooke - while we no longer recommend restricting fluids completely before bedtime it is perfectly fine to reduce the amount he drinks in the ev...
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My son is now 8 year old. He was born with grade 3-4 kidney reflux but has never had issues with bladder infections. However since he was 3 has been having issues with excessive urination during the day and remains a bed wetter (we use Dry Nites). Doct
Hi Lyndamarie, this is certainly a challenging and complex situation. In these situations I generally recommend that you adhere to your doctors su...
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Ask a question now... My 12 y/o has daytime "accidents"
Hi John, there are a number of possible explanations for why your son continues to wet himself throughout the day. Given his age and the frequency...
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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, When do I know if it is the right time for us to try to get my son (4yrs) to stop wearing a nappy to bed (at night only - no issues during the day). He is a heavy sleeper and can't get up, however doesn't want to wear a nappy or pull up. Thanks Diana
Hi Diana, the best indicator that your son is moving toward achieving nighttime continence is an increase in the number of mornings he wakes-up dry...
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my 5 year old keeps wetting the bed , we have tried to take the nappy off him but i found my self changing the sheets to many times in the middle of the night . he wakes up in the morning wet right threw , and he is so embrassed he hides his cloths and na
Hi Kelly, when bedwetting starts to impact on a child’s self-esteem then it is time to think about treatment regardless of how old they are! Fir...
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My Son Is 10 Years old. And he is still wetting the bed. What should i do ?
If you have not done so already the first thing you need to do is schedule an appointment with your GP for a full medical assessment. Bedwetting m...
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My son is 6 yrs old he is being wearing dry nights and most of the time he is dry I just recently took of the Dry nigths and let him sleepy in his pjs and he is weting the bad every night what sholud I do?
It is very common for children as they move toward achieving permanent nighttime continence to oscillate between periods of dryness and times when ...
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I have a 7yr old boy. He wears drynights and often overflows. For now he would prefer not to take any action, just see if he grows out of it. Fine with me but I was told we should seek help once he reached 7 is it ok if we don't seek help?
In order for your son to become dry at night he either needs to learn to wake in response to a full-bladder or his bladder needs to develop to a po...
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m y son is nearly 16 he has always wet the bed and still does he had in the past slowed down but lately has wet the bed six nights in a row i worry grately for this as the smell is strong where it hard to coverup from visiting family members and others h
Bedwetting among teenagers can really impact on their self-esteem and can lead to isolation and alienation. Having a teenager who wets the bed can ...
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Hi. My son is 4 years old. He has been day trained for just over a year. It was a long process as he doesn't seem to care if he is wet or not. He still has accidents some days and always blames being to busy to remember, though he has only once had an
Hi Cherie, firstly, let me reassure you that your son’s behaviour is perfectly normal. It is quite common for children to experience daytime acc...
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my son is only going to be turning 3 in April, but i am concerned cause he has been in undies for about 6 months at night and i have had no problems until recently he is wetting the bed about every 2nd night, he does like to drink water before he goes to
Dear H.M., It is not unusual for children to waiver between periods of dryness and return to wetting as they move toward achieving permanent nightt...
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my son is 11 and still wets the bed it smells bad what can i do to stop this
Bedwetting can be incredibly distressing for the whole family. If you have not done so already the first step is to make an appointment with your ...
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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 4 year old is wearing drynights but it leaks most nights. We stopped giving him too much to drink after 5pm (his bedtime is 7pm) and we get him to go to the toilet just before bedtime. Should we move to a bigger Drynights to stop the leaking?
Hi Sarah, in terms of management it sounds like you are doing everything right! The amount of urine children produce overnight is quite variable. ...
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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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Hi. My son just turned 5, he stopped wearing nappies during the day when he was 3 but he has always used nappies at night until now. And the nappy would be really heavy in the morning. He's not just wetting the bed, he just basically releases everything.
Hi Charlene, the time it takes between achieving daytime control and nighttime continence is quite variable. Some children achieve this in a matte...
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my son is 7 and wets the bed most nights. he wears pull ups but he wees so much he wets the bed anyway. im so worried, is it time to take him to the doctors?
It is not uncommon for children your son’s age to still be wetting the bed on a regular basis; bedwetting is far more common among boys than gi...
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My son is 7 1/2. We stoppped using nappies 5 months ago even though his nappies were still very wet and have used the brolly sheets since then. We also get him up at 11pm eery night to go to the toilet. However, he still wets the bed significantly, 3-5 ti
Hi M.L – there are a number of possible reasons why children wet the bed. Some do so because their nervous system is slow to process the feeling...
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My 4yr old son, was difficult to toilet train. He has been fine through the day for over a yr now but nights are another story, I think he is just a really heavy sleeper and doesnt wake to pee. He is too big for nappies (and doesnt want them) so we tried
Hi Nelly, nappy rash typically results from skin contact with a wet or dirty nappy. Mositure plus friction resulting from his DryNites moving again...
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Ask a question now... I have son 5yrs 7 months...i took his nappy nearly 2 months and since then he wet the bed 2 times. At night, i wake him to wee when i was awake to toilet
Waking or lifting children to the toilet during the night is typically seen as a practical approach to managing children’s bedwetting in the short-...
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How do you know when to stop the night time pyjama pants? My son is 4 and has a full nappy most days!!
One of the best indicators that your son is moving toward achieving nighttime continence is an increase in the number of mornings he wakes up dry. ...
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Ask my 12 year old son wets the bed most nights
In must be incredibly frustrating and disheartening when you feel like you have tried it all and still your son continues to wet at night. While m...
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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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Hi, My son has just turned 5 and is wetting the bed. I have tried rewards etc but he is just lazy, I know that might sound harsh but its the attitude of his 5 year old mind at the moment. He doesnt seem to wet in the night, its as soon as he starts to wak
Hi Emily, in the vast majority of cases children are completely unaware that they are wetting or have wet the bed. Unfortunately there are a lot ...
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my son is 5 since he got out of nappies at the age of 2 he was dry for the hole year till he was about 3 then every since then he has been wetting the bed every night i have made him stop drinking at least 2 hours before he goes to bed and have been wakin
Hi Jacqueline, it is not particularly unusual for boys your son’s age to be still wetting the bed at night on a regular basis. However, given th...
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my 4 year old son is toilet trained during the day but at night wears a drynite but still the bed is wet most mornings he drinks a moderate amount during the day why is he still this wet?
Hi Alice, it is perfectly normal for your 4-year-old son to still be wetting the bed at night with many children continuing to do so right up to sc...
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..My son is turning 11 this year and really has never been out of dry nights. He has been on movicol, he has had an ultrasound on his bladder,(normal size) he's been told by doctors he is lazy and we have been told to eat healthy and do a journal and sti
Hi Vanessa (and Jye) – I am so sorry to hear that your son was made to feel responsible for his bedwetting. As I am sure you are fully aware, chil...
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Ask a question now...Hi my son is 7 years old and wets the bed often. We have not gone down the GP path yet but I will after reading your advise, my question is do you believe that holding on is a problem, my son holds on regularly and I am not sure if h
Hi Rebecca – it was once common practice to encourage children who wet the bed at night to try and hold on to their ‘wees’ during the day, as thi...
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Bed wetting for 7 year old boy with Asperger's and ADHD medicated during the day and on melatonin at night.
Regardless of what other issues you have to deal with, coping with bedwetting can be incredibly testing and if not managed effectively can exacerba...
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Advice for 9 year old boy who wets the bed around 4 times a week.
Hi Christine – managing children’s bedwetting can be incredibly challenging and this is partly due to the fact that we do not always know what is c...
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My son is 4 years old. He has been toilet trained for about a year and a half, however at night he still wears DryNites and does not wake up to go to the toilet. Is there anything that you recommend me to do?
Hi N. C. as challenging as this may be please be reassured this is perfectly normal behaviour for a 4-year-old boy. If you are at all concerned abo...
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Hi, my son is turning 5 soon. When he was 3 - 3.5 he was dry about 60% of nights, now he is never dry. Is there a reason for this and will he return to dry nights easily? Thanks,
Hi B.H., unfortunately there are no simple answers when it comes to understanding children’s bedwetting. The most common causes of bedwetting incl...
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my son has just recently had a couple of accidents. he is four and never wet the bed before even when toilet training but my partner has just started a new job with early morning starts
Hi Rebecca - While stress can certainly be a contributing factor in secondary bedwetting it would be worthwhile having your son checked by his GP j...
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Hi, my name is james, i'm 15. I sometimes wet at night but my parents don't know about it, but the boys drynite leaks sometimes, and i'm worried my parents will find wet spots on my sheets. Should i try the girls drynite?
Hi James - it is preferrable that you use the DryNites designed for boys as the aborbancy patterns differ and a change to girls DryNites may in fac...
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My son is 4 and a half, I have him in nappies at night as he wets the bed every night (and its cheaper than pull ups). I am absolutely fine with this and think he'll get it in his own time but he is putting pressure on himself. He desperately wants to be
Hi A. H., given the frequency of his wetting it is unlikely that he is ready to go to bed without the use of an absorbent pant of some other absorb...
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My 5 and a half year old son really wants to wear "jocks" to bed, but he has only ever had 3 or so dry nights.
Hi M. B., the way parents manage children’s bedwetting can often make or break a delicate situation. It really is a personal decision as to whether...
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My son is 3 and a half he still wears nappies to bed as he wet 3 times in one nite when he wore undies and never woke up. He has also only just stopped wetting at his afternoon sleep. Is it to early to think there is a problem.
Hi R. M., please be reassured it is perfectly normal for your son to still be wetting the bed at night with many children (especially boys) conti...
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My son is 4 and a half years old, he has been dry all summer now with winter he wets the bed twice everynight. Firstly at 9pm then again at 11.30pm after that he is dry all night until 7am. I have made sure he is kept warm also I take him to the toilet b
It is not unusual for parents to comment on an increase in bedwetting during the winter months and then find their children stop wetting again ...
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My son has been out of pullups for 1 1/2 years he use to be fine at first and stay dry but has been a year of wetting nearly every night sometimes 2-3 times a night,i limit his intake 2 hours before bed and he'll soak it by midnight if i dont take him,he
Hi S. B. – while you are correct in saying it is perfectly normal for a child your sons age to be still wetting at night if you are at all concerne...
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My son is nearly 6 and still wears a nappy to bed. He actually wets so much that he regularly wets right through his nappy and wets the bed. He has a drink with his tea, and nothing after that. He also goes to the toilet before going to bed. We have
Hi A.R., firstly, let me reassure you that it is not uncommon for 6-year-old boys to be still wetting at night, with some doctors suggesting it i...
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Hi, my 6 year old son wears 2 pull ups to bed every night and sometimes still wets the bed as it soaks right through. He sometimes has small leaks during the day from "holding on" to long. What can you suggest we do to get keep him dry through out the n
It is not uncommon for children your son’s age to still be wetting the bed on a regular basis; bedwetting is far more common among boys than girls,...
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My son is turning 6 in December and wets the bed everynight. He wears a pullup/night nappy but he wets so much it leaks through. What should I be doing to get him to have a dry night?
Hi Helen – children generally become dry at night when their body has matured to the point where it can store the amount of urine their kidneys p...
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Hi There, My son who is 7 yrs old next month has wet dry nite pull ups 7 days a week only at night. He is asking me 'mum why dod I wet the bed? how come I dont have a dry bed? then he says 'im learning' but when mum? I feels embrassed and hides his pull-u
Hi Y. J., bedwetting can be incredibly frustrating especially when there seems to be no obvious cause. As a parent, the most important thing is to...
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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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Our 4 year old son is toilet trained totally during the day and I really want to get him out of nappies at night. Everytime I mention to him about not wearing a nappy to bed he gets very upset. I have reasured him that if he wets the bed that its no big d
Hi Alison – the way parents manage children’s bedwetting can often make or break a delicate situation. The first thing you need to do is reassure ...
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My son is 5 1/2 and usually has a dry nappy most of the night then just before he wakes up/gets out of bed he does a wee.
Hi Jacquelene, it is very unusual (but not unheard of) for children to wet the bed out of laziness. Developing nighttime continence is not dissimil...
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My 5year old son was dry at night up till Jan this year (after having a 3 week holiday with his father) has been now wetting the bed all most every night since he got back, I have found that it is because he is to lazy to get out of bed and go to the loo
Hi Michelle, your son’s wetting would be considered secondary nocturnal enuresis, which describes the condition where a child returns to nightt...
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5 year old boy wetting bed even with dry nites
Dear Brooke, while it is not unusual for 5-year-olds to experience the occasional daytime accident it is probably worth having your son asses...
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Hi there, our son is 4 (nearly 5), and stays dry overnight when he wears DryNights, but as soon as we take them off, he wets the bed.
Hi Jane – as frustrating as this is, it really is a very encouraging sign that your son is moving toward achieving nighttime continence. While som...
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my son is 5 & wets the bed 3 - 4 times a night. we restrict what he drinks before bed & he goes to the toilet before bed & still soaks the sheets 3 - 4 times a night. we try 2 get him up 3 - 4 times a night but this is very hit & miss as he doesnt wet at
Hi Aleisha – firstly, please be reassured that it is perfectly normal for a 5-year-old boy to still wet at night. If you are however concerned abo...
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My 4 year old wets through his Drynites twice a night? We change him, he goes to the toliet and by the morning he is soaked again?
Hi Carina, this must be incredibly frustrating. Children’s nighttime urine output is quite variable. A small number of children who wet the bed do...