To consider using a bed wetting alarm with my 3.5 year old

[Jumpingovaries1]

My dd has been dry thru the day since 23 months. For the past 6 months never has an accident daytime. 4 months ago had a few dry nappies at night so we took the plunge and took them off at night and since then we have had 3 or 4 dry nights then 3 or 4 wet nights she never wakes up I only discover she is wet at her normal wake up time. Iv tried lifting her before I go to bed but she is still wet more or less 50% of the time. She is a very deep sleeper. I'm considering the alarm as I know she is physically capable due to number of dry nights we have had. But concerned she is too young I should add that she would understand an explanation of how the alarm works. Would value anyone's thoughts or experience with this one. Thanks.

No idea what a bed wetting alarm is but even if you explain it to her it strikes me as something that will scare her if it wakes her suddennly in the night to it. My own alarm clock does that to me sometimes and I'm an adult and its the same alarm I hav had every morning for about a million years.

Sounds like you need to go back to pull ups for a little longer or use the mattress protectors (although obviously that wouldn't help with the pyjamas) IMO.

I can't believe that I'm reading this right???
Are you seriously considering a bed wetting alarm at night for a 3.5 year old?????

My 3rd child is 3.5 yrs, and is 60% dry during the day!!! And, I would never dream about an alarm for her... and I would never even dream of getting an alarm for my 7 yr old either.

All she is showing is that she is NOT ready to be out of nappies at night yet.
She is just 3.5 yrs old... I generally think you would be damaging the poor love by putting an alarm on her bed at this age.

Please speak to your health visitor.... He/She will tell you that it is very common for kids to be wetting the bed, even up until the age of 8 yrs old.

Please put her back in nappies again, as she clearly isn't ready yet.. and please, please don't put an alarm on her bed.

I really wouldn't worry about it too much. It is perfectly normal for a child to wet up until the age of 5, for boys it is 14

What Vickles said!

She is still only so young, she is dry through the day which is great but dont push her to be dry though the night when she isn't ready.

Yes I am considering it Vickles that's why I asked the question for people's constructive input. She is our first that's what these forums are for to get advice from other people more experienced or with different experience to yourself. I just hope if I see someone posting something I don't agree with I don't prelude my constructive advice with multiple unnecessary question marks.

I wet the bed as a child and used the alarm. It didn't work as I never woke up! So if your dd is a deep sleeper it may not be any use!
Don't have any practical advice as my ds is only 16 months but she is still so young so maybe going back to pull ups is the answer for now?

Thanks Back to pull ups it is HV is very against me doing this said it will set her back but I don't see what good a wet bed is for her either. Would you just keep the pull ups on as long as it takes for a long run of dry nights?

YABU, alarms should be a last resort and used in conjunctiopn with specialist supervision. I speak from experience - tried one with DD when she was 7, borrowed from a work colleague - it went off when she was already wet and made no difference.
Your 3.5 year old is far too young to be even be worried about nighttime dryness. DD only became dry the month before her 8th birthday - it just happened in the end after a gradual improvement over the previous couple of months and she's had no wet nights ever since.
DS was dry at night age 2.9, they're all different and although my DD was later than average there was no medical issue.

Haven't been through this as my DD was dry at night simultaneously with dry at day (very lucky) but it does sound a little early (based on no knowledge at all). I would have thought it would actually be unusual to be 100% dry at this age but I could very well be wrong.

I would go back to pull ups or buy some washable bed mats. I used them with DD but got mightily fed up with all the washing after a year of trying so put her vpback in pull ups.

My understanding is that a bed wetting alarm should be used at five years old at the earliest. Three and half years old is really little to push night training.

No, I would not use one. Many children are not physiologically able to go through the night until later, even if they are able to manage an hour or two in the day. Nighttime dryness is a different issue. Most people just stick with pullups until you have a run of dry nights. My mum and brother weren't dry at night until over 10, but were perfectly dry and clean in the day.

So, your health visitor is right, this is not the right solution especially given the age. And these days, she doesn't need to have a wet bed, that's what pullups are for!

Natasha I didn't mean she was doing it on purpose I think it might be linked to when she is more active during the day and then falls into a deeper sleep this is why I originally thought about the alarm. She has milk or water occasionally apple juice and only a couple of sips after 6 if she is thirsty.

So you've had four months of your DD wetting the bed four nights out of eight? Do you have zillions of sets of bedding and mattresses and a massive washing machine?

Seriously though, she is very young. Put her back in nappies at night. Forcing children through developmental milestones before they are ready is a recipe for disaster. Try to remember that your DD is unique and will do things in her own time.

So you would rather wake her from a deep sleep than go back to nappies until she is ready?

Sorry should have been clearer HV is against putting her back in nappies at night.

No, you'd be mad to do it. She is far too young. Definitely pull ups or even pyjama pants if they will fit her.

All three of mine have been dry during the day far longer than during the night.

Much better to put nappies on her at night, she'll get dry in her own time.

YABU.

Enuresis alarms shouldn't be used for such young children. Wetting at night up to around 5 is completely normal however long they have been dry in the day for.

Night time dryness is a combination of developmental maturity, increased levels of vasopressin (a hormone that tells your kidneys to go to sleep and make less urine overnight) and increased bladder capacity and tone.

(I used to run an enuresis clinic so you are getting my expertise for free here )

Sorry OP, no offence was meant. Was just surprised that you were even considering it at her age.

HV is clearly and idiot and shouldn't be listened to in this case. Has she used the phrase 'rod for your own back' at all?