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, let me reassure you that what he is experiencing is quite common – with about 17% of children his age continuing to wet the bed at night. As frustrating as it may be for both you and your son you need to explain to him that this is something he has very little control over but with time as his body matures his bedwetting will stop. There are a number of treatments available, most are recommended for children aged 7 years and above (mostly due to the large spontaneous cure rate in children younger than this) – although experts agree that the decision about when to begin treatment should be up to the family. I would recommend making an appointment with either your GP or a continence advisor to discuss treatment options – the better tailored these are to your child’s individual needs the more successful the outcome. Until this happens you can try to reduce the number of wet nights by encouraging him to drink more during the day, limit high caffeine intake (this includes chocolate), encourage him to empty his bladder fully each time he goes to the toilet – some doctors also recommend limiting the amount of dairy children have in the evenings. I understand your desire for him to wear absorbent underwear at night – wet sheets every morning can be very draining! Your son may be more willing to wear DryNites instead of nappies – these are specifically designed for older children and are more appealing than a nappy which is typically viewed as something only babies wear – you can increase his control and encourage independence by getting him to dispose of them each morning and let you know when he is running low. Good luck!

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