Your daughter is experiencing what we commonly refer to as secondary nocturnal enuresis (SNE) – this occurs when a child has maintained nighttime continence for a consecutive period of 6 months or more then begins to wet the bed. It is important that you first organise an appointment with your doctor to ensure there isn’t any underlying medical cause for her bedwetting. If this comes back all clear (which is most often the case) then you need to think about what in her life has changed. She was dry at night for a long time, now she is wet. SNE typically results from additional stress in children’s lives – although a lack of sleep can also be a trigger. Stressful conditions common to children include being bullied by their peers, experiencing problems with teachers, parental divorce or constant fighting at home, the birth of a sibling or fear of an upcoming test at school. It may not be obvious to her at first that this is really bothering her so it is important that you broach the topic sensitively. Make sure she understands that you are there for her and that this is something that you will work on together. The good news is that once the period of stress or the stressful situation disappears or rectifies itself, the bedwetting disappears as well. It is important that you do not force her to wear the DryNites as you do not want to place additional pressure on her, I would sit down and explain calmly that these disposable pants are specifically designed for older children and are worn by girls as old as 15 years of age – she may like to visit the DryNites website which includes a special section just for girls. By using them she no longer needs to worry about waking up in wet sheets and that she can dispose of them herself each morning without anyone needing to know if she has wet or not.

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