Meet the Experts: Why Do Kids Wet the Bed? Tips to Help Stop Bedwetting.

We talk with Sally Puckett, CNP about bedwetting. Why do kids wet the bed? What are the symptoms of bedwetting? We also talk about ways to reduce bedwetting and when it's time to see your pediatrician.
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[hjcabc]

My son wet the bed every night until he was 9 years old. We had been waiting for him to grow out of it, but when he didn't, we asked for a referral to our local children's hospital in order to make sure there was nothing wrong with his bladder. They confirmed there was nothing physically wrong with the bladder so then, because he was an extremely heavy sleeper (we thought this might be at the root of this problem -- he could sleep through anything) we decided to try a bedwetting alarm. We chose the Malem one. We threw a mattress on the floor of his room and my husband and I took turns sleeping there in order to get him up and get him moving when the alarm went off. Within something like 7 days, he stopped wetting the bed and never did it again. Mind you, we had altered his deep sleep pattern so he was rather grouchy for a little while because he wasn't getting that same deep sleep he used to until a few months later. I'm happy to say he's grown up now and has never had any problems since then. I'm not saying this would work for everyone, but it's an option if you think sometimes it's the deep sleeping that's an issue.

[denisethegood]

I wet the bed till the age of 22; this was 25 years ago, and there was no information out there, obviously no Internet so I thought I was all alone, it was devastating tbh- it truly hurts your self esteem, you don’t want to imagine a future like this so things look so hopeless, very dark at times, no hope for romantic relationships, or a normal work/university/family life, so much shame, social anxiety, self hate. To everyone out there - this is a medical condition, please get help from a specialist and know you are not alone. You deserve the best care, and the best in life!

[keira]

I guess this ran in my family but I am the longest lasting one, I don’t know what to do with myself even though nobody is my family gets upset with me they just expect me to clean up my messes. My dad always says he can smell it when he walks through the door and it’s embarrassing. I’ve struggled with this for 11 years but really I only started to get exhausted with it since 8 I believe. I am scared it will never stop and I won’t be able to do sleepovers or get in serious relationships when I’m older. This one issue had been tearing me to bits. Please look after yourselves and know you are wanted, don’t let things like bedwetting get in the way of doing the things you love! Things will change, things will improve, you just have to believe they will

[niatneshamackey]

I was embarrased and still am because im 12 and ive tried to stop...my grandma and aunt told me im not trying and it just makes me sad and im kinda happy there r people like me with the same problem at the same age

[JiM-SWEET-art]

I wet the bed a lot and it eventually slowed down tremendously and one of the last times was when I was about 49. Maybe once a year for the last 20 years was a good thing. I think a good tip I came up with is to, every time you go pee, pick a routine to do right before you pee while you in a conscience state of mind, your awake mind. Like count a particular amount of freckles on an arm with a certain amount of taps on your hand with a knuckle and squeeze your pinky. Counting say 6 visible freckles, tapping your hand 3 times with a certain finger and squeezing your pinky once every time you take a pee or anytime you go to the bathroom, it will make you mind aware that this is something you do while you are awake. I think it's something you can only do while you are awake and when you do this while you are awake and after you do that every time, then you allow your body to pee. I am pretty sure a slightly complicated routine like this will be impossible to try to do in your sleeping or dream or unconscious mind. In your dreams, you will be at a loss to even think about doing this routine or be able to find a the freckle pattern on your arm that is on your arm in real life and therefore your body will be conditioned to know that you can only pee after doing the routine and since you will be at a loss to even think about it in dream land or find the right freckles on your arm, you will not be able to do the right routine you normally do and your body will not allow you to pee in dream land because it hasn't been given the authority to do so because you have failed to carry out the roper routine. I hope that was clear and understood. Try it everyday and see if it works for you. A lot of times bed wetting is because you think your awake and you think you are at the toilet, but it's just a dream. So, if you can understand its a dream and that you are being tricked to think you are awake, this tip will help you trick your brain to knowing you are asleep even if you are not sure. If you don't allow yourself to pee until you do the routine and in your dream you find you are unable to do the routine, you will hold your pee until you are able to do this routine and you may wake yourself up also and save yourself from peeing in your sleep. Another tip on top of that is to keep a pee bottle in your room as it will stop you from hesitating to get up if you feel its a long distance to go to the bathroom. Good luck.

[matash]

i wet the bed almost everyday. my mom make me sleep o. a air mattress and make me wear diapers. we went to a child therapist to check up but they said nothing was wrong and most likely to be deep sleeping. My parents and i were encouraged to try an alarm for me to wake me up when i sleep. day one just started and in the morning i found a small spot of pee on my bed. I am also gonna try less water intake. will keep u updated if it helps me so i can help u. Thanks

[raywel]

I have 2 bedwetting kids and I feel guilty saying this but they make me hate my life. It is so hard to have 3 kids and have to deal with bedwetting every single night. I am so sad and angry and then I feel guilty for being angry. I would pay about anything for this issue to be resolved. We have tried alarms and liquid restrictions and nothing helps and our pediatrician just says to wait it out and put diapers on them. I am seriously disgusted with the medical community for not having a cure for this by now.

[donnagpalk]

I didn't know all this here. Came to see what to do about my 8 yr old grandson bed wetting. His mom dropped him off here almost a year ago. She didn't want him. He misses her & his 3 lil sister's.. But he wet the bed staying with her. Little man had a rough time with her meen husband's! Me & his dad has him now so he'll be loved & took care of. Now to watch the video. I read comments first👍💞

[JonathanCraig-thpr]

I've had issues for years and I still have problems although not as much. Mattress protectors are good.

[idontknow]

If you wet the bed YOU know it's annoying

[johncraig]

I hate wetting the bed. Especially when you wake up to wet sheets and everything below you is super wet.

[sarahcantrell]

I am still bedwetting every night, I wake up soaked and get in trouble for it

[moneylinda]

What to do when your 8 year old son still wets the bed as wet himself throughout the day. My husband was wetting the bed until he was 12. He says he doesn't remember why but was bullied his entire life. So when he was about 6 he got potty training at school and it took them at least 2 months to get him to be dry during day in school but as soon as he would get home in the house he would wet himself. Now he pee on himself on a daily, regular. He has a 3 year old brother and a 15 month old brother. He also has autism and i told his pediatrician but she wrote a prescription for incontinence products but it isn't solving the problem just putting a band aid on this Ugh why is so hard . We have tried just about everything Where do we go from here ? Do you have anymore

[austintaylor]

This is embarrassing to admit, but it’s something I’ve never understood. I was never really a bedwetter as a child, but for some reason it seemed like once every few years I would wet the bed. I remember it happening in 5th grade, 8th grade, and even once in high school. Why would that have happened?

[babybojanglesjr]

PARENTS: NEVER PUNISH YOUR BEDWETTING CHILDREN!!! It just makes them into depressed adults with self doubt issues, like me.

[sarahwinans]

No, it needs to be looked into! I wet the bed for years as a child and it was a result of sexual abuse. NOBODY looked into it! I was always embarrassed and afraid to tell my parents I’d wet the bed and it wasn’t my fault. My parents should have seen it as a red flag and they should have intervened and stopped the abuse.

[Chemical-zc]

I still wet the bed and I''ve had a problem with it pretty much all my live... almost every night

[JenkemJohannes]

i finally had my first month of bedwetting at age 35 and i feel so good about myself an just had to tell someone as i can't speak to anyone i know since they are all drybedders and don't understand the struggles

[israelweaver]

Please talk to the pediatricians in Greeneville Tennessee they want to blanket treat the children you guys really seem to be on top of it

[johnsmythe]

What is bedwetting?

Bedwetting is also called sleep enuresis. It is a parasomnia. A parasomnia involves undesired events that come along with sleep. Bedwetting occurs when a person urinates by accident in his or her sleep.

It results from a failure to wake up from sleep when the bladder is full. It may also result from a failure to prevent a bladder contraction. These are skills that you acquire as you grow and develop.
There is a wide range in the age at which these skills are gained. Urinating is a reflex for infants when they are asleep and awake. This occurs up to about 18 months of age.

From 18 months to about three years of age, a child begins learning to delay urination when the bladder is full. First the child learns to do this while awake. At a later age, he learns to do this while asleep. The developmental maturity of the child will help determine the age at which this skill is gained. Most children should be able to control their bladders during sleep by the time they are about five years of age. Thus, bedwetting is not considered a sleep disorder unless it occurs at least twice a week in a person at least five years of age.

Bedwetting can be primary or secondary. A child with primary bedwetting has never regularly stayed dry during sleep for six straight months. A child or adult with secondary bedwetting developed the ability to stay dry at night and has done so for at least 6 straight months. Then he or she began bedwetting again at least twice a week for at least three months. Generally secondary bedwetting is simply another parasomnia expressing. They may have had any one of several symptoms, such as:

Bruxism, sleep walking, restless leg syndrome etc. Their sleep disorder is now expressing in a different manner.

This is the reason parents are told “Don’t worry, they’ll outgrow it” They haven’t outgrown the parasomnia, it is still there only expressing in a different manner.