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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Help please! Need advice on bed wetting

27 replies

Boyswillbeboys · 18/09/2008 11:41

DS1 (6.5) has started wetting the bed recently, never had a problem with this before. I can't think of anything that is likely to cause this, he's just gone into year 2, but has all the same friends etc, loves school, nothing unusual going on in his life.

I am exausted from having to get up in the night, change sheets, find new pyjamas etc! All while trying to not wake up DS2 who shares the room.

Any advice on how I can help DS1 stop this? He's not sure if he wakes up because he has done a wee, or if he wakes up needing one and can't get to the loo in time.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

WendyWeber · 18/09/2008 11:45

When he was dry at night did he go right through or did he get up for a wee? If the latter it's possible that he's dreaming that he's on the loo and going then!

Is he upset by it? Would he be OK with going to bed in DryNites for a short time while he gets past this? (Which he should do if there's no obvious reason for it - maybe he's just more tired than normal at the moment?) It would save all the exhaustion all round.

Original poster

Boyswillbeboys · 18/09/2008 11:50

He had pullups at night for a while after he was potty trained, but was fine after he was about 4, until now. I think he would be horrified if I tried to put what he would think were "nappies" on him, but if it continues I suppose it might be a last resort.

OP posts:

WendyWeber · 18/09/2008 12:18

Yes, I can see he'd hate the idea of nappies .

But I don't suppose he's enjoying waking up damp & cold & then having to get changed in the middle of the night - would he accept that avoiding that happening has got to be a good thing? & then as soon as he's dry again in the mornings he can stop wearing them.

Is DS2 dry at night?

chipmonkey · 18/09/2008 12:41

bwbb, does he seem healthy otherwise. I have a friend who had Type 1 diabetes and one of the signs his Mum noticed was bedwetting with no prior history. He did have other symptoms too, like extreme thirst and weightloss so don't want to worry you unnecessarily, but didn't want to not say it, IYKWIM!

WendyWeber · 18/09/2008 12:48

Oh, another possible cause can be worms (although that might just be in girls, I'm not sure)

netdoctor says they should be taken to the doctor if they suddenly start wetting again after the age of 6...

WendyWeber · 18/09/2008 12:49

(that would be to eliminate any medical causes, hopefully)

Original poster

Boyswillbeboys · 18/09/2008 13:15

Worms?? Hadn't thought of that - hope not!! Haven't had any other symptoms to suggest diabetes, although I knew that weeing more often was a sign. He seems otherwise well. Will keep a close eye on things and consult GP if it doesn't improve. Thanks both

OP posts:

Pheebe · 18/09/2008 13:33

You can get shorts for boys now, nothing like nappies. I'd go back to them especially if its upsetting him never mind getting you up in the night.

chipmonkey · 18/09/2008 23:24

can you link to the shorts, Pheebe?

WendyWeber · 19/09/2008 10:47

Here, chipmonkey

They make them in age 8-12 as well & I found a link via google which said Sainsburys were selling them at under £2 at the beginning of Sept (may have finished by now of course)

chipmonkey · 19/09/2008 11:17

Thanks, Wendy! Ds2 is almost 10 and still wetting the bed! We are using an alarm at the moment so will see how that goes. Currently we have reusable pants but they really do look like a nappy and those shorts look far better for sleepovers etc, which we currently can't do at all.

BoysArrrrLikeDogs · 19/09/2008 11:19

Chipmonkey have you thought about going down the medication route ?

We had great success with desmopressin, and I would not hesitate to recommend it.

chipmonkey · 19/09/2008 11:23

I am thinking about it, tbh. The alarm seems to be slowly taking effect but not as quickly as with ds1, who got sorted very quickly with it. Ds2 seems to sleep very deeply though, even with the alarm I have to wake him up!

WendyWeber · 19/09/2008 11:24

Desmopressin was the only thing that worked here too. The alarms were hopeless because DS1 sleeps like the dead - when we had a huge old-fashioned box one we put it in a biscuit tin to amplify the noise & it woke the rest of us but not him

Even the buzzer clipped to the pyjamas didn't wake him. Desmopressin does work but it took a while.

BoysArrrrLikeDogs · 19/09/2008 11:25

Okay, give me a shout if you want to know anything

WendyWeber · 19/09/2008 11:25

DS1 talks in his sleep, a lot - he has conversations with people - do any of your bedwetters?

DesperateTooDyson · 19/09/2008 11:25

Another suggestion to help make night time bed changes easier is to put 2 layers on the bed.

i.e. waterproof sheet then fitted sheet, then another waterproof sheet and another fitted sheet.

This means you can just pull off the top two layers when wet and put in wash basket until morning.

My ds wet the bed for first time in years this week too. I'm hoping it was a 'one-off' because he is tired from just going back to school (into year 2 as well).

geekgirl · 19/09/2008 11:26

Boys, just a quick hijack - you mentioned success with desmopressin - can I ask how much you give? We've just started using it for dd2 (7), she's on two tablets and it's not made a huge amount of difference really.

BoysArrrrLikeDogs · 19/09/2008 11:27

Good tip about double-making the bed.

Also, shower DS in the morning, for 'social' reasons (we all remember going to school with a smelly child ).

BoysArrrrLikeDogs · 19/09/2008 11:28

Hang on, I'll pop upstairs for the paperwork we had.

Back in a bit.

Wendy, can you remember how much your Dc had ?

BoysArrrrLikeDogs · 19/09/2008 11:32

Geekgirl, we used 2 x 120 mg tablet thingies that melted under the tongue.

Can you go back to clinic for advice on whether you can increase the dose?

WendyWeber · 19/09/2008 11:32

Well I thought he started on 1, Boys, but reading geekgirl's post makes me not sure - he was a hopeless case so he may well have started on 2. We have no paperwork (was done via lovely school nurse) & he isn't here atm so I can't ask him if he remembers - he probably doesn't anyway.

Once it did start working reliably he was able to cut down to half a tablet.

anyoneelse · 19/09/2008 11:35

Going back to the OP, another cause of bedwetting this age in a child who was previously dry is constipation - can be one of the first signs as a full bowel puts pressure on the bladder. Might be worth checking along with other suggestions already made.

geekgirl · 19/09/2008 11:41

dd2 is on 2 x 200 mg tablets. I guess that's probably quite a lot for a v. small 7 year old (she's about the size of an average 5 year old).

Ho hum. I guess she'll stop one day...

BoysArrrrLikeDogs · 19/09/2008 11:43

Ds very skinny weedy lad at the time.

Back to clinic/doctor, GG.

OP, sending you good luck vibes

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