I have a 7 year old that still wets his bed what can i do?

Question

My seven year old still wets the bed he started when he was 4 and he is a deep sleeper what can i do.

Answer 1

The first thing to do is to understand that this isn't his fault. Bedwetting is a relatively common developmental issue. About 10% of kids your son's age still wet the bed... Thats right, there is likely at least one other classmate of his who also wets the bed. There are a couple different causes.

In less than 5% of kids there is a medical issue at fault, could be something serious like Juvenile Diabetes, or something easily repaired like a urinary tract deformity. For that reason, even though it is a small chance, since your child is over 6 you should speak to his paediatrician about it just to make sure. Its probable that his doctor won't at all be concerned, as it is something he sees very often.

Most of the time, the cause isn't quite as clear. There are several developmental milestones a child has to go through to be dry at night, and it could be one or any combination of them causing your son to wet. For instance, adults produce something called Anti-Diuretic Hormone when they start to get sleepy, which tells their kidneys to slow down on urine production so they won't produce as much urine during the night. Babies don't produce this hormone at all, and sometimes it takes people till their late teens to perfect the cycle.

Also, different parts of your son's body can grow at different times. The bigger the kid, the more pee they make. It is possible his bladder hasn't kept up with the rest of his body, which means he isn't able to hold his pee as long or well as most kids his age.

Lastly, as a result of your son's developing nervous system, he (as you have said) could be a very deep sleeper. The message from his full bladder to his brain isn't developed enough to wake him up.

There are a few ways to deal with it, and each of them should be put in place with consideration for your child's stress level. No treatment should be seen as a punishment, and he MUST know that you understand it isn't his fault, and that you aren't mad with him. Its hard to not be frustrated with a soaked bed, but don't let him see this frustration as it will make him feel terrible.

The only treatment scientifically proven to help SOME children is a device called the bedwetting alarm. It slips inside your son's underwear or diaper and goes off at the first drop of urine, hopefully waking him up so he can go to the bathroom to finish. This helps as it trains him to wake up once his bladder is full. It doesn't work for everyone, so if you don't see any progress, stop using it for a year or so.

Some people suggest waking the child up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. This is different than the bedwetting alarm, as the child rarely actually wakes up, and his bladder is likely not full. You are in a sense training him to pee while he is sleeping, which can actually be counterproductive.

Limiting fluids has very little benefit. He will produce urine whether he has anything to drink or not (albeit less). You will likely find that he still produces enough to wet the bed. No child should be forced to be thirsty, its just cruel. Dehydration poses a much higher risk to his health than a bed wet with sterile urine. That being said, don't let him drink EXCESSIVELY in the evening, but if he wants a small drink of water before bed, don't make him suffer. Think about it this way: If you drank a glass of water before going to sleep, would YOU wet your bed? Of course not. The issue isn't too many fluids, its the biology of childhood development.

There is a medication available by prescription called DDAVP (aka Desmopressin) which acts as a replacement to the Anti-Diuretic Hormone. It does have side effects, so your doctor will probably only recommend it for short periods of time (ie: sleepovers), if at all. Note that it isn't a cure, and once the medication stops the wetting will return.

Many parents find that its easier on their kids and themselves if the child wears some sort of protection (diaper or pull-up). "Goodnites" and "Underjams" are a couple examples that make them for older kids with this exact same problem. It should not be a punishment, but it helps to minimize the impact of accidents. Its a lot easier for him to change out of a wet diaper in the morning than to wake up cold in a soaking wet bed.

Once again, I can't stress enough how there is little to be done to help the situation, so the emphasis should be on minimizing the impact of the situation. Some kids his age read at a 1st grade level, some read at a 6th grade level. Some kids are good at sports, others are very musical. The point is, kids develop at different rates and in different areas. He will grow out of this, and until he does he just needs to know that his parents understand what he is going through and are willing to support him through it. You guys will get through this! Good luck!

Answer 2

Me too........

What we do is put Pullups on him, found in the diaper section, they go all the way up to xl, for 125 lbs for bigger kids. He wears his underwear over them, we dont have a wet stinky bed every morning and he sleeps thru the night.

It's genetic and he will have to outgrow it. Good luck.

Answer 3

Bedwetting is usally genetic.  Check with his Dad and ask if he wet the bed.  If so, (or if you did) you can expect that your son will stop at about the same age.  I would go with the no liquids after dinner.  Encourage his to make more trips during the day and to go right before bed.  If all else fails, see your doctor or go on line to order and moisture sensing device that will help.

Answer 4

Myson has the same problem.  He is such a deep sleper he doesn't even realize it half the time.  I  started going in and bringing him to the bathroom and just standing him in front of the toilet.  sometimes he would still be asleep but it he would go.  I figured if I was getting up to go then I should get him up to go.  He doesn't like it, but I like not having to change the sheets everday!

Answer 5

yoou can bring your child o the doctor to find out whats causing it. you can't set a time where your child can't drink anymore. i have a niece thats 7.5 who wet the bed in her earlier yrs. of 7. my niece goes to bed at 8 so at 7:00 she has to stop drinking. also tell your child to use the bathroom before he or she goes to bed and even if they can't, tell them to try.

Answer 6

My son had the same problem. I stop giving him water 4hrs before bedtime, as well stop letting him play hard outside. Waking him up at night at the same time so he can get use to getting up, as well as letting him empty his bladder before bedtime..... Cold are as well make them not wanting to get up....

Answer 7

Call the pediatrician and tell him or her about the problem.  They may prescribe a pill called Desmopressin.  That is what they did for my son.  Also use GoodNights for him.  It will help him have more confidence and help with his self esteem.  It is not good for the little guy to wake up drenched every morning if he is sleeping and can not help it.

Answer 8

Have u tryed talking 2 your pediatrition

tell him not to drink any thing 2 hours before he goes 2 bed.O  yeah and try waking him up a little bit after his bed time 2 go to the bath room and go right back to sleep after that.

HOPE I HELPED!!!  GOOD LUCK   :D

Answer 9

don't give him anything to drink 4 hrs before bed

Answer 10

This does seem interesting. Usually there is some reason for this. Does he or she drink a lot before bed? Being only seven, he or she should be able to empty their bladder going potty right before bed.