5 year old nowhere near dry at night

[clapalongthree]

DD2 turns five years old in a week. She still wears a pull-up to bed every night, which is completely full by morning.

She does not wet herself during the day and has been toilet trained since three. But she does need the toilet way more often than her elder sister did at her age.

We've tried dozens of times to go without pull-ups at night. The best we managed was three nights dry and that was after really limiting her water intake from dinner onwards. It felt mean, as if we were dehydrating her!

We've tried regularly 'lifting' her to go to the toilet after she's asleep in the evenings.

We also make sure she has threadworm treatment every six months or as necessary, as I heard that can cause bed wetting.

Anyone else have similar? When did your DC start to not wet the bed? Is it just a matter of waiting it out? Any advice appreciated. Thanks!

Have you looked at the Eric website? it has loads of tips the main one being plenty of liquid earlier in the day to make bladder stronger. Also don't lift them, its a convenience but it wont help them learn to wait.
Bedwetting clinics will now see them from 5, so you can go see your GP or school nurse.
We waited until DS was 7 and are on waiting list for bed alarm but he seems to have cracked it himself. Its a long haul though, we took pull ups off in summer, he wet every 2nd night for 5 weeks, then couple times a week for 2 weeks -- and now he's going 10 day stretches which I totally count as a win for DS and washing machine.

Arrgh - learn to wake to wee. Not wait, waiting bad in this case.

www.eric.org.uk/Pages/Category/bedwetting

Thanks screamingeels. Very helpful info, which I'll check out.

Do you know if your DC is a deep sleep thing, hormonal or weak bladder, or any combination of the three?

I've heard that at around 7 they start producing a hormone that helps store urine better. Can't remember where I heard it so may be nonsense.

And great work on the 10 day stretches!

I always assumed it was vasopressin and he just needed time....but given his ability to turn it round I wonder if it was too heavy sleeping/ lack of awareness.

My LO is almost 8 and has nocturnal enuresis. We adopted her 18 months ago and she is very settled but symptoms are not easing. She has to clear her bed each morning and make it each night (we suspected she has been wide awake and wet the bed on purpose a couple of times).
Thing is, this is so common its unreal. Dr still aren't particularly worried about LO and we are just trying to ride the storm and not rely on any medication for her.

Please don't be too concerned. I have spoken to many people who were still bed wetting up to 9 years old and 14 years old. If you DD picks up on your worries it will make her more anxious and increase the issue.

We had exactly the same. Oh, the washing! DD turned a corner at age six. You'll get there but I feel for you and how hard it is right now.