Should I worry?

[fortheloveofmike]

Ds 6 1/2 has only ever had 2 dry nights. He was potty trained at 3 within a week but nights are the problem.
His night nappy is bursting in the mornings and he never wakes to wee. We try to limit drinks late afternoon but hes a thirsty boy and doesnt seem to drink lots at school so gulps lots afterwards..
If I take him drs will they do anything?
We dont make a big issue out of it but he desperately wants to be dry so any tips or advice gratefully received

If relevant he snores a bit as has huge tonsils.. had adenoids out recently when he had an op for grommets

bump

You could try waking him once a night (usually 4-6 hours after he goes to bed), or just so he's half awake and take him to the toilet and then put him back in bed.

When we had this problem with our ds we limit drinks after 6pm and gave him a cup of ice cubes to take to bed with him and if he got thirsty to suck on a cube, we also woke him once a night and carried him to the toilet and without being asked/told pee'd and then fell back asleep.

Does he have school meals or packed lunches because you could include more hydrating foods so he's not feeling too thirsty while at school. Cucumbers especially are 90% water.

Not sure if it'll help with bed wetting but it might help quench his thirst and not gulp so much water after school.

:)

Thank you.. itd prove a bit tricky to take him loo in the night.. hes in a high sleeper and is not a small boy so would have to fully wake him to climb down.
He has hot meals so no control over what he eats.. I have told him to drink plenty in the day and the reasons why but he forgets when hes having fun with his friends..
Was hoping itd just click without any intervention but its looking less likely the older he gets :-(

I wouldn't worry too much at this point if it's only during the night.

Does he take his water bottle with him at breaks or does he leave it inside and go back and forth for a drink? If the latter maybe he'd benefit from those water pouches you can clip onto clothes so he knows it's there and doesn't have to leave his friends to go get a drink.

Never thought of the bed obstacle! I still suggest the ice cube thing maybe before he goes to bed so he's hydrating but isn't drinking too much but limit cups/bottles and just make sure he goes to the toilet right before bed.

He's a got a few more years before you should start worrying :)

Completely left field but curious is he always thirsty or does he say he has a dry mouth sometimes? I ask because sometimes people think they're thirsty when actually they just have a really dry mouth - which I would take to doctors for and see what he suggests. Like I said, completely left field.

Check out ERIC for information and tips.

Contact your school nurse for help and advice.

I think the recommendation is not to limit fluid intake. As far as I'm aware, night time dryness is linked to a hormone, and until the body starts producing this hormone (which stops/inhibits night time production of urine) your son will not be detract night. This apparently happens any time from 2/3 til 10ish.
Apologies for being a bit vague on times etc!

R

early - I never knew it had anything to do with hormones. That's interesting to know.

It might be worth reading up on it just in case I have misunderstood somewhere along the line, but fairly sure hormones have a lot to do with it.

However, saying all that I have just gone up to see to my wandering 7 yr old who was "looking for a bucket of water" to discover he had totally wet the bed. Too much juice at his pal's house!!

From what I've skimmed through most say it links to a child producing less antidiuretic hormone. But it can be due to bladder or genetics which is interesting. Apparently, just being a deep sleeper can stop you waking up to pee. Who knew there was more to bed wetting than too much fluid!

lack of hormone "vasopressin" is reason.

Some children stop wetting at 6 years - I can remember using dry nites till he was 5, and lifting for at least a year at 11pm after that. Second son was an occasional wetter up till 9/10 years - we lifted him too to save on laundry but it didn't make any difference to the fact he wasn't producing enough of the vasopressin ifysim..

All dry now! My brother on the other hand wet his bed every night till he was 13. Nothing made any difference. He would be an example of someone who was not producing the right hormone and no amount of intervention would make any difference. He slept incredibly deeply too.

This is nothing to worry about. Up to a quarter of the average infant class will not be reliably dry at night. Medical folks don't worry about it at all until at least 8.

Do have a look at ERIC - brilliant advice and it's very reassuring. Lots of fluids during the day can help. Lifting while half asleep is not really recommended (although I have done it so not judging!)

Early is spot on about hormones too. Consultant explained to me that children either get dry at night because they have a big enough bladder capacity to get through the night or because they sleep lightly enough to wake and go to the toilet or when the hormone that suppresses urine production kicks in.

Thanks everyone.. that helps alot.
Will have a look at that site..
Really appreciate you taking time to reply