My grandson just turned 7. Has been potty trained since 2 but never has been dry at night. My daughter asked the Dr. several times and he said if it's not bothering the little boy don't worry about it. He's still young and since he's never been dry at night it's not an emotional thing. He's very, very active and a great kid .Happy go lucky, easy going. When he goes to bed at night he sleeps like a rock. nothing distrubs him. We feel since he's such a sound sleeper that's why. The other day he told his mother he doesn't want to wear pull ups at night anymore and wants to be dry. My daughter told me the only suggestion she has gotten from the Dr. and other parents is some sort of alarm. It sounds cruel to me but then again I am the grandmother She has tried stopping all fluids at dinner time and that hasn't helped. Now that it's bothering him she wants to do whatever she can to help him. Any suggestions out there?
Hi ICC, nice seeing you here, except that you have a problem! My daughter couldn't stay dry at night either until she was six. We realized her problem was that her bladder had to grow and when it did, this stopped the problem. We knew her bladder was small for several reasons 1) if we were out and she told me that she had to use the bathroom I had minutes to find one, and 2) when she would pee it would sound so under pressure but there wasn't much pee (you know that sound when your bladder is full and it comes out with such force). Now she can hold her urine for much longer and it doesn't come out with such force and there is more urine there. She was also a deep sleeper like your grandson. Before her bladder grew she had to stop wearing pull-ups because the urine was irritating her skin (probably when she was 4). I started getting up every night and putting her on the toilet and this kept her dry. Some people just wake their child up before they go to bed and put them on the toilet. If my daughter had soda or tea before bed she would wet the bed for sure even if I got her up once.
When my son was still wetting the bed and age 6, we did the same thing with limiting liquids. We also made sure he went potty before bed. He didnt use pull ups, so when he wet the bed he had to help with the laundry. He just eventually stopped. I never got angry, but I let him see the conciquences by helping change the sheets. Now he sleeps trough the night w/o any accidents. I dont know if his body just needed to grow and develop more to be able to hold it. I have numerous friends with boys who wet the bed at 6-7 yrs old. Just dont embarass him, and know that he will grow out of it, even if he sets an alarm in the middle of the night to get up and go. He could train himself to get up in the middle of the night.
Hi Sannah---Odd place to see each other HUH? I will suggest that to my daughter that she wakes him before she goes to bed. He's a little guy for his age but so are both parents. That was my thought that his bladder was small. I haven't talked to her today yet but she wanted to talke to him about when he's awake and has to go. We've all noticed that he drops everything and runs. Don't know if he's held it in and knows he has to run or if the minute he feels like he has to go he runs. Might make a difference if he tries to hold it a little longer during the day. He's a great kid, and my daughter decided that as long as the pull ups didn't bother him she wouldn't worry about it. But since he mentioned it she wants to do whatever she can to help. Thanks for the suggestion.
We've all noticed that he drops everything and runs.
Might make a difference if he tries to hold it a little longer during the day.
ICC, my daughter ran to the bathroom too. I think that if he tried to hold it a little longer it just might make him pee in his pants! I think that the bladder just needs to grow, I don't think that he can stretch it. If someone listened to the force and amount of the pee I think that would "diagnose" it.
thanks Sannah---we will give it a try. You're right. He hasn't had an accident since he was 2 . no need to trouble him now.
Hi Roberta-----All has been done. No fluids after dinner. As far as my daughter's concerned it doesn't bother her at all that he wears a pull up at night. He's initiated the conversation about wanting to try to stay dry. No embarrassment here.
Look into sleep disoders in children. My brother had sleep apnea (it went undiagnosed until he was 11) and bed wetting past the age of 4 is a clear sign of sleep apnea in children. In addition if the child snores, or gasps for breathe in their sleep and is tired and cranky when waking then a sleep evaluation should be performed. Snoring is not natural in children under the age of eight. It is a clear indicator of obstructive sleep apnea in children under the age of 8 years of age.
Sincerely,
MG
My son 4 has sleep apnea, as do I and does my husband. It is a very serious and under diagnosed condition.
I
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If we learn by our mistakes, I am working on one hell of an education.
She has tried stopping all fluids at dinner time and that hasn't helped. Now that it's bothering him she wants to do whatever she can to help him. Any suggestions out there?
