I was happy to continue doing this for as long as it takes, until one day he would wake up nearly dry ... however every morning still the same amount and 2 Dry Nites chocka block full. He doesnt drink any juices, drinks or other junk and we limit drinks at night, he also goes to the toilet before bed.
Due to my son continually asking to stop wearing them, a week ago I decided to go cold turkey and use nothing !!!! 1 night he got up and went to the toilet at 1am & 5.30am, which was FANTASTIC ... however the bed was still completely soaked. The other 6 nights he slept through the entire night and only woke at 5.30am because he was cold and wet ... and of course both he, and the bed were drenched. He is an incredibly heavy sleeper and waking him is difficult. I have 2 questions ... 1. As he is weeing "so much" are we trying this too soon, should he continue wearing Dry Nites and try again when the volume is less ???? 2. Is the ability to recognise he is "weeing in his sleep" something that increases with age ??? ie. Will he be able to do this as he gets older or is just something that "you either have the ability to do or not" ???? I just can't see things improving if he's quite happy to sleep through an entire night of weeing in bed and only waking in the morning as he's wet and cold. He is fully supported with love and understanding through this ordeal. Thanks for your help.
Hi Michelle – chronic bedwetting is generally believed to be the result of an immature bladder or a deep sleeping pattern. Just like your son, many children who wet the bed sleep so deeply that they are not aware of the message the bladder sends to the brain saying it is full. Other children are believed to wet the bed because their bodies produce insufficient amounts of the ADH hormone, a hormone which is designed to reduce the amount of urine produced by the kidneys overnight – when this increases often the bedwetting stops. Boys bodies tend to take a little longer to mature than girls, which explains why there is a much higher incidence among boys, in fact some professionals argue it is developmentally appropriate for boys to wet the bed up to the age of 8 years. While many boys will outgrow bedwetting on their own as their body becomes more efficient at storing urine or they learn to respond to the signals that they need to empty their bladder, some do benefit from more active interventions. Given the amount of urine your son is producing overnight I would recommend that you consult with your GP before embarking on any form of treatment. While underlying medical causes are rare, it is always good to rule these out. I would certainly recommend that you continue to use DryNites – the most reliable sign that a child is moving toward achieving nighttime continence is an increase in the number of nights he wakes-up dry. Any attempts to remove the DryNites before then may only lead to frustration and disappointment. Remind him that this is in no way his fault – and that many young boys his age continue to wet the bed at night. Be reassured, nothing you or he is doing is causing his bedwetting – many parents worry that their child’s bedwetting may somehow be a reflection of poor parenting practices, which is rarely the case.
Regards,
Dr Cathrine
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