Can't get DS dry at night. Help!!!

[LJ29]

Hi, DS is 4.5 and has been dry during the day since he was 2.5 Really struggling to get him dry at night. We have tried increasing fluid, decreasing fluid, last drink and hour before bed, lifting at 10.30 etc. A lot of the time it seems to be early morning but other times he is wet by midnight. Help please!

Do you lift him when you go to bed and take him to the loo? According to my HV night time setting is considered a problem until they are 6 or 7, so if need be put him back in night time nappies. I also found a kind of "post hypnotic suggestion" as they fall aleep can work, just whispering "no wee wee til the morning" etc as they nod off helps.

Good luck!!

that should say night time Wetting, not setting!

and it's NOT considered a problem until they are 6 or 7, sorry for crap typing, I'm ok my iPhone!

Try not to lift him; by lifting him, you are training his brain to think "I don't need to wake up when my bladder is full as mum will do that for me"

Keep his fluids up; no coloured drinks after about 4pm (just stick to water if poss) The decent levels of fluids increase his bladder capacity and consequently mean that he can go longer before needing a wee.

I agree with GreenMonkies; it is not considered an issue until the age of 6/7 then they will be referred to the eneuresis clinic.

If ds is getting stressed by it, then return to nighttime nappies for a while, the more worried they get, the more likely they are to be wet. It becomes a vicious circle.

Why do you want him to be dry? I would just wait til he has dry nappies every morning - it will happen, I promise! My ds was 5 - and suddenly he had dry nappies in the morning and he has only wet the bed two or three times since. Take the line of least resistance!

Both my boys had had a couple of dry nappies in the mornings about a week into potty training. So they are getting the idea, but they couldn't go all night. So, we left nappies off and lifted them. First month or so lifted them when we went to bed 11pm, then 10.30 then earlier and earlier till we didn't do it at all.
So by 2.5yo both boys have been dry day and night and ds 2 (2.6) has not wet the bed for a month now.
We did get wet beds but then you get wet clothes and floors when you are potty training.
I didn't go with this 'wait till you have dry nappies in the morning' cos when my two had a nappy on they would wee in it instead of getting up.
You wouldn't leave a child in nappies during the day till all the nappies were dry, so why do this at night? Washing a few sheets isn't such a big deal.

(I do realise however that there are a lot of children who can't be dry at night till much later).

Sorry I just re-read your thread and saw that you have tried lifting. It does just sound like he is not ready and you should try again maybe in another few months.

Seeker - I wanted my sons dry because I used washable nappies and was fed up of washing them. I didn't want the expense of disposables. I just wanted them out of nappies - completely not part time.

My dd1 was out of nappies duing the day at 2 but has only in last few weeks been out at night, she is 4 3/4. I found it strange that she was so easy to potty train during the day, but always had soaking nappies overnight, and I mean soaking. Also cut out milk/fluid after 5, made sure she used toilet before bed etc, made no difference. Didn't want to go down lifting route, but provided her with a potty in her room (she has a nightlight to see) and blatant bribery of a trip to toy shop after a week of dry nights. We now joke about the sheer quantity of wee in her potty every morning, discussing if it is a pond, a lake or the sea...no sign of it diminishing, but at least it is in her potty!