DS 6 still wets the bed

[fadingfast]

I don't know if I need to do anything about this yet (perhaps going to the Drs for a referral?). DS still regularly wets the bed, mainly just a tiny bit (enough to wake him up then he finishes in the loo, normally around 6am), but quite often a full accident (again, usually around 5/6am). He can and has gone whole nights dry, for days and even a couple of weeks at a time, but he seems to be going through a bad patch at the moment. He is always worse when he is extra tired or under the weather, and he does seem very tired at the moment.

Is there any point pursuing this yet? We don't ever tell him off, just ask him to try and wake himself up before going! I know he can't help it. Do we just need to sit it out? I don't know what, if anything, can be done even if we do get referred.

I know it is quite common in boys especially to be late in staying dry, but now he is 6 I'm getting worried.

Thanks for any reassurance you can offer!

I started to wet the bed when I was about 6 (after being dry for a couple of years) we went to the doctors and got something called a pad and bell? It was a pad that sat inside knickers with a sensor linked to a little badge that had a bell inside. When I started to have a wee the bell rang really loudly and woke me up. It took a couple of weeks but I was totally dry after that. I dont know if they still do this - or if there is a more up to date version.

I know I used to be very upset about wetting the bed and I think its a good idea to get it sorted asap

I would go to the doctors to enquire.

Good luck!

About 10% of children are still wet at 6ish, falling to 3% by end of primary school. It doesn't help when you're struggling with wet sheets day after day, but you are not alone.

That said, there are some treatments available from about age 6, so a doctor may well be able to help. Whether to seek help now, or give him a bit longer to grow out of it, is up to you and your tolerance levels.

If your DS has regressed from previous longterm reliable dryness, then seeing a doctor now is probably a good idea.

I don't think he could really be described as being 'longterm' reliably dry, but he certainly seems to be worse now than a few months ago.

He doesn't seem unduly upset by it, and tbh most of the wetness is usually in his PJs (at least when he doesn't have a full on accident). I did mention perhaps seeing what the Dr said, which he wasn't keen on at all. I think I might wait until after the craziness of Christmas is all over and see how he is then. The 10% figure is quite reassuring, thanks.

there are a few measures that you can take in the meantime, very low key stuff

increase fluid intake to increase holding volume of the bladder - milk and water is best (you could get school onside with this)

avoid red/brown drinks as they can irritate the bladder

do wee/teeth/wee at bedtime (double-voiding)

double/triple dress the bed - waterproof/bottom sheet, waterproof/bottom sheet to make nocturnal bedchanging easier for you (whip off the wet layer to reveal fresh bed below)

talk to the school nurse after Xmas, she can say whether referral to an enuresis clinic at age 6 is done in your area (some don't refer til age 7)

night time dryness depends on a hormone that starts to be produced as the child's body matures, and treatment can include an artificial hormone to mimic the natural hormone action.

excellent website here

Thank you BALD (!). Some helpful tips there. I think fluid intake could be one of the problems, in that he doesn't seem to drink very much during the day - even with my nagging, he just never seems very thirsty. He does often have (weak) blackcurrant squash with lunch, in an attempt to get him to drink more, but never in the afternoons/evenings.

What do you think about taking him for a wee in the night, as we go to bed? We have often done this when he seems to be in a cycle of having lots of accidents, but I have always suspected that this is not giving his bladder the chance to increase capacity. He is also quite tall but skinny for his age, so I don't know if that has any bearing?

For a while now we have been using a cot sheet across the middle of the bed with an absorbant mat underneath, which is a real saviour in the middle of the night.

I'll go and have a good read of the website now, thanks.

lifting not rec as it reinforces the wee-while-sleeping message; even though you might think the child is awake, they will have no memory of it in the morning

try to increase fluid intake - it's so hard when they are at school, viz my suggestion to get school onboard - talk to teacher (you don't need to say WHY, just that you would like teacher to remind him to drink if they could)

perhaps have a drink ready for the walk/car run home from school (sports bottles are quite handy as less spillage), don't make a big deal as we are trying Stealth Moves, yes?

or if he's the sporty type, then show him the wee colour chart, hang on, I'll find it

www.lotussports.co.uk/Publications/Am%20I%20Hydrated%20-%20Urine%20Colour%20Chart.pdf this kind of thing]]

ah crap, try again

here

His teacher is exceptionally scary but I will have a go

That wee chart is magnificent - although I would be rather alarmed to see number 8!

I agree that lifting can't be helping things, so we are going to stop doing that. Good news is that last night was DRY, so I know he can do it. I think I'll see how it goes over the Christmas hols and then perhaps have a chat with the Dr in the new year.

thanks for your help

good luck

You made need a referal to a continence clinic where you can borrow a bed wetting alarm for 6 months (small sensor on a crocodile clip that clips to underwear and it attached to an alarm which goes off when it senses fluid during the night). His brain may just need jump starting to recognise the signal from the bladder that he needs to wake up to go to loo! my son used one after being wet at night for years!! after 9 nights with it, it was dry!

have a word with gp if it continues!
Good luck!

fading just to add to all the great advice you have already been given the new NICE guidelines say children should be seen from the age of 5. Hopefully most areas should be changing their referral criteria accordingly.