Expert Answers
I have 2 sons, 4 yrs and 2 yrs, have started night training with both and my 2 yr old is dry 99% of the time but my 4 yr old will wet the bed multiple times a night and will not wake up even though he is drenched and cold. I usually try to wake him up before I go to bed and again during the night but sometimes he still wets before/after these times. I try to stop him having anything to drink after 5:30 and he is in bed by 7:30 every night. Any advice or is it best if I put him back in nappies until he has dry nappies every night? (he does not want to be in nappies or pull ups at all)
Hi Bianca, the three most common causes of bedwetting include (1) an overproduction of urine overnight – children who have low-levels of ADH (antidiuretic hormone) produce four times the amount of urine as those who have the hormone and are therefore at a greater likelihood of exceeding their bladder capacity overnight (and explains why his bladder seems to keep filling). If this is the cause children generally stop wetting their bed when their ADH levels return to normal; (2) Difficulty arousing from sleep in response to a full-bladder – these children are unable to detect the signals sent from their bladder to their brain telling it it is full and needs emptying. These children will stop wetting when their body matures to a point where they can wake-up in response to their full bladder; and (3) a genetic disposition – children who wet the bed are more likely to have a family member who also wet the bed as a child. While I understand his reluctance to wear Pull-Ups, it is important that this is not see this as a backward step. DrynItes are designed purely to help manage bedwetting and avoid the stress associated with dealing with constant wet sheets. It’s fine to reduce the amount he drinks in the evening although you need to let him drink if he is thirsty as failure to do so may lead to constipation, which will only contribute to his bedwetting. In the short-term make sure he drinks water regularly throughout the day, eats lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and limits fizzy drinks – particularly before bedtime. Take him to the toilet just before bedtime; making sure he fully empties his bladder. Try to avoid waking him throughout the night as this does not give his body the opportunity to either learn to store the urine he produces or become accustomed to the signs of a full-bladder and wake-up and go to the toilet. I would not be overly concerned given his age, however if you do find that his bedwetting begins to cause him (or you!) stress then it would certainly be time to consult with your GP. I do apologise for the delay in responding to you, unfortunately I have been ill for the past three weeks. Regards, Dr Cathrine
RELATED QUESTIONS
Hello, my little girl will be 4 in May and has been toilet train...
The time between achieving daytime control and nighttime continence can vary from child to child.
My 3.5 year old has been dry over night and gone without a nappy...
Nighttime wetting at this age is considered to be perfectly normal, with about 20% of children cont
Any tips to help kids realise that they need to go to the toilet...
Managing children’s bedwetting can be incredibly tricky, partly because we often do not understand
My 2yr daughter uses dry nights and since Huggies have changed t...
Dear Sharon - sorry to hear that your daughter has developed a rash - I hope this has rectified its
My daughter has been out of nappies during the day since she was...
It is perfectly normal for your daughter to continue to experience nocturnal incontinence. The age
Hi Catherine Our daughter is 25.5 months and she wears Huggies 1...
It is perfectly normal for your 2-year-old daughter to still be wetting the bed at nig
The last two nights my 3yo has refused to wear a nappy to bed bu...
The time between achieving daytime control and nighttime continence is quite variable with many
I am in q bit of a predicament because my 13 year old son who we...
It's fine to do this in emergencies but as a rule I would not recommend using the girls DryNites
My 4.5yo boy (22kgs) has always wet the bed. We get him up to go...
Dear Karen, Leakage can result from improper fit, which can occur if your sons absorbant pants a
I'm just wondering what the difference is to wearing a nappy to ...
With respect to absorbency you will find the nappy offers the same kind of protection as DryNite
i ordered a sample but i didnt receive it now i cant get a sampl...
I would recommend that you request this again as it may have been lost somewhere in the post. Ap
Hi K.B., It is not uncommon for children who are bladder trained to continue to experience challeng
my child poo his pants and wanted to know if i could use pullups
While absorbent pants can be used to manage both urinary and bowel incontinence; it is important to
He has been cross cutting his teeth has 3 top front Teeth and h...
Hi Jackie, Biting is a normal phase for babies and toddlers, however, biting in older children may
I've been thinking about having another child for a while now, I...
Hi Genevieve, unfortunately whether or not your child wets the bed at night has very little to do w
My 2 year old son has Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus - need a na...
Hi L.V., you can certainly try him in DryNites, these offer the same level of absorbency as nappies
Hi Joan - The difference between Pull-Ups and DryNites is that Pull-Ups are specifically designed f
Bedwetting is completely normal at this young age, with around 1 in 5 children continuing to wet th
Hi, my little boy has just started not wearing nappies to bed an...
Dear Sarah, Hi Jane, please be reassured it is perfectly normal for your son to still be wetting th
Hi Praveen, please be reassured it is perfectly normal for your daughter to still be wetting the be
Hi there, my son is 2 and leaking out the top of his nappy at ni...
Dear Meredith, how frustrating! Leakage can sometimes result from improper fit, which can occur if
Hi Abbey, It is not unusual for children with additional support needs to take a little longer to a
We have tried limiting the amount of fluid in the 2 hours before...
Hi Renee - helping children to achieve nighttime continence works a little differently to daytime t
Hi C.B., firstly, my apologies for the delay in responding over this Christmas period. Please be re
When we tried no nappy she was quite excited about being a big g...
Dear H.M., Managing children’s bedwetting can be incredibly tricky; partially because we often do n
I have 2 sons, 4 yrs and 2 yrs, have started night training with...
Hi Bianca, the three most common causes of bedwetting include (1) an overproduction of urine overni
Dear B.P., the time between achieving daytime continence and nighttime control is different for eve
Starting pre school in Aug 15
As with all children it is best not to begin toilet training until the boys show signs that they ar
Dear Di, Children’s overnight urine output can be quite variable – parents of children who seem to
Hi Dr Catherine, I have a question about my almost 4 year old gi...
As frustrating as this may be please be reassured that this is perfectly normal. As children mov