Hi Tamika – there are a number of reasons why children wet the bed; some do so because their bodies are unable to wake in response to the signal that their bladder sends to their brain telling them to wake-up and go to the toilet, others do so because their bodies produce insufficient amounts of the ADH hormone which is designed to reduce the amount of urine produced by the kidneys overnight – when this increases often the bedwetting stops. Genetics also plays a large part in children’s bedwetting (you have a much higher incidence of wetting the bed if either or both parents wet the bed as a child). Be reassured, it is very common for boys to continue to wet the bed at night – with some medical professionals arguing that it is developmentally appropriate up to the age of 8 years. We tend to see a much higher incidence among boys than girls, as boys bodies tend to take a little longer to mature. Given your son’s age and the frequency of his wetting, I would certainly recommend that you consult with your GP. Firstly, just to rule out any possible underlying medical cause, and secondly, to discuss treatment options. If your GP is unfamiliar with the treatment of children’s bedwetting ask to be referred to an expert in this area as the more support you receive during the treatment phase, the more positive the outcome. In the meantime, reassure your son (and your family!) that this is not his fault and with time (and a little help) his bedwetting will stop. I would also recommend using DryNites over Pull-Ups, these are better suited to older children and are less likely to leak.

Regards,
Dr Cathrine

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