Alomst 8 and still peeing the bed.?

Question

I have a step son who pees the bed still and is almost 8 now. He is never repremanded and I think this is the problem to getting the problem resolved but, does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can get this to stop? I have put plastic under his sheets and have him stop drinking after 7PM (I think he is sneaking drinks at night) but, still he continues to pee the bed every single night. HELP ME! Should he see a Dr.?

Answer 1

I think he may have a bladder problem why would you need to reprimand him for something he can't control. I would have his dad or his mom talk to his doctor.  

Answer 2

Repremanding him is not the answer -he is not doing this because he wants to and I'm sure that he is slightly embarrassed by it as well. Below is information from one of my favorite websites kidshealth.org

Bedwetting is an issue that millions of families face every night. It is extremely common among young kids but can last into the p*****n years.

Doctors don't know for sure what causes bedwetting or why it stops. But it is considered a natural part of development, and kids eventually grow out of it. Most of the time bedwetting is not a sign of any deeper medical or emotional issues.

All the same, bedwetting can be very stressful for families. Kids can feel embarrassed and guilty about wetting the bed and anxious about spending the night at a friend's house or at camp. Parents often feel helpless to stop it.

There may not be a cure for bedwetting, but providing emotional support and reassurance can help your child feel better until it stops on its own.

How Common Is Bedwetting?

Primary enuresis, the medical name for bedwetting, typically starts when kids are toddlers. It is very common among kids who are 6 years old or younger. About 15% of 6-year-olds wet the bed, while about 5% of 10-year-olds do.

Bedwetting often runs in families: Most kids who wet the bed have a relative who did, too. If both parents wet the bed when they were young, it's very likely that their child will.

Coping With Bedwetting

Bedwetting usually goes away on its own. But until it does, it can be embarrassing and uncomfortable for your child. So it's important to provide support and positive reinforcement during this process.

Reassure your child that bedwetting is a normal part of growing up and that it's not going to last forever. It may comfort your child to hear about other family members who also struggled with it when they were young.

Remind your child to go to the bathroom one final time before bedtime. Some parents try waking their kids in the middle of the night, but most of the time that won't end the bedwetting.

When your child wakes with wet sheets, have your child help you change the sheets. Explain that this isn't punishment, but it is a part of the process. It may even help your child feel better knowing that he or she helped out.

When to Talk With Your Doctor

Bedwetting that begins abruptly and is accompanied by other symptoms can be a sign of another medical condition, so talk with your doctor.

The doctor may check for signs of a urinary tract infection (UTI), constipation, bladder problems, diabetes, or severe stress.

Also call the doctor if your child:

suddenly starts wetting the bed after being consistently dry for at least 6 months

begins to wet his or her pants during the day

starts misbehaving at school or at home

complains of a burning sensation when urinating

In the meantime, your support and patience can go a long way in helping your child feel better about the bedwetting. Remember that the long-term outlook is excellent, and in almost all cases, dry days are just ahead.

Answer 3

Wetting the bed at age 8 isn't particularly uncommon.

While there may be a medical condition it may also be a function of something else. It could be psychological or it may well be that his bladder isn't capable of holding much urine yet. There are even some studies that suggest a genetic component--it may "run in the family", so to speak.

There are alarms you can use that will awaken the child when they first start to wet, in the hopes that he'll be able to finish in the toilet. You might also consider waking him up during the night to have him use the bathroom.

Reprimanding will probably do little good; however I would recommend he be responsible for bringing his own wet linens down and putting them into the washer himself; this will give him at least some sense of control over his own situation--plus, no one can be too young to learn responsibility  and to use the washer and dryer.

EDIT: I agree about them needing to WANT to stay dry. My 8 year old daughter still wets the bed--she is an EXTREMELY deep sleeper with a bladder that can't yet keep up with her body's demands. She has NEVER wet the bed on purpose, however she's gotten used to so it doesn't bother her. In her case, I doubt an alarm would work because it's not a personal issue for her yet; she'd probably sleep right through it anyway!

Answer 4

ya you could see a doctor just to make sure there isnt something wrong...

you can also buy those kids underpants for bed wetters, they are suppose to help.

Answer 5

I've always heard that regular bed wetting past age 5 is not normal.  Take him to a doctor to rule out any medical problems.  If other ppl in your family have this problem, it might be genetic.  never reprimand him, it won't help.  Please don't put him in pull ups, its like giving the message its okay to wear diapers instead of fixing the problems.  My cousin is almost 9 and wears pullups to bed and no attempt to investigate the problem has ever been made.  Please don't ignore it.

Answer 6

I have a child who wedded the bed, I didn't reprimand her because she has weak kidneys. but I did meet the problem head on, this is what I did ( sstopping the drinking is a good idea, also make sure he goes to the bathroom and use it before getting in the bed, then before you go to bed wake him and take- not send him- but take him to the bathroom making sure he uses it, again in the middle of the night wake him and repeat going to the bathroom. In the morning when you are your husband is the first to get up for work take him to the bathroom, them  when it's time for him to get up make sure he goes to the bathroom first thing. This worked for my daughter. she is 14 yrs now and do not wet the bed. we did this for many a years.

Answer 7

Very common, esp in boys but my daughter has had the problem and she is nearly 9.  What has been most effective is a bed wetting alarm.  This works and when she relapses, we just start it again.  The trick though is that the child has to WANT to stay dry.

http://www.bedwettingstore.com/Bedwettin...

Answer 8

Yes I think that you should see his pediatrician.There may be an underlining health problem with his bladder.

Answer 9

Why do you think they make goodnights underpants that fit kids up to 125lbs? Bedwetting is actually more common than most people think. You are worried at age 8 and some kids wet the bed until puberty.

No child does it because they want to, you should not even consider punishing a child for something they have no control over.

My youngest son is 8 and he wears goodnights because he wets every night. No matter what we do such as limit drinks, have him go often, take him pee at midnight, etc...nothing works. We tried having him go without the goodnights in hopes he would feel the wetness more and wake up but that didn't work either, he had 3 soaked nights in a row and we decided to go back to the goodnights.

Instead of having him feel badly about wetting thebed and sleeping in wetness, why don't you have him wear goodnights or pull ups to bed?

We've had my son to the doctor and they have done testing such as ultrasounds on his bladder and there is nothing medically wrong with him. The doctor says he suffers from the same thing that causes many other kids to wet the bed. It's a lack of a hormone the body produces at night to reduce the amount of urine that is produced while you sleep. Many kids don't build up enough of this hormone until they enter puberty and this is why many kids wet the bed.

In addition to that, my son is a heavy sleeper. He can sleep in wet pee all night and won't wake up. He doesn't do it on purpose. I have 3 older boys who never had any issues so all kids are different.

My son takes amedication that slows down the production of urine for up to 6 hours. This seems to help a lot it's called Oxybutinin. It basically does what the missing hormone is suposed to do.

Here is some info on the hormone I am talking about.

quote from the web site:

"Large volumes of urine produced at night

Some children produce double the normal amount of urine at night so that even if their bladder capacity is normal it will not be big enough to hold all the urine they produce. Overnight these children often have abnormally low levels of the hormone vasopressin, also called antidiuretic hormone. Vasopressin is a hormone,which helps to concentrate the urine at night i.e. it reduces the volume of urine. These hormone levels can return to normal with treatment"

http://bedwettinginstitute.com.au/bedwet...

Answer 10

Never reprimand a child who wets the bed....PLEASE! This is not his fault.......I am sure if he could control it he would not choose to wet the bed.

This is more common in boys than in girls. My son wet until he was nearly a teen.....almost every single night. He felt horrible! I just got 2 sets of bedding, 2 waterproof pads and changed his bed without saying a single word. He felt ashamed enough without being reminded. Nothing sadder than seeing him bundled on the floor in the am wrapped in his puff. One day.......he just stopped.

You can bring him to the DR to make sure he is Ok but chances are he will just grow out of it.