Tips to help your child overcome bedwetting
Check it out - If your child is continuing to be wet at night after the age of five, it’s a good idea to have a check-up with your GP to rule out the possibility of any medical causes, such as an infection, which can be easily cleared up with antibiotics. Or speak to your practice nurse or health visitor.
It’s good to talk - Many children don’t automatically get dry at night, so stay calm and but do talk openly about it. Ensure that they fully understand what it is you’d like them to do, ie. get up and go to the bathroom instead of continuing to wear night-time pull-up pants. Many children simply don’t realise this and it needs explaining to them.
Anxiety isn’t always the cause - It’s often assumed that anxiety or an emotional reason is the cause of the habit, but this is not always the case, so stay try to stay relaxed about it. After so many years of wearing nappies, some children are simply not used to controlling their bladder and a short period of training will help them to outgrow this habit.
Stop using nappies and pull-ups at around age 6 - Most children become better at staying dry at night around 4 to 5 years old, but every child is different and some can take a little longer. If your child reaches the age of six and is still wearing night-time nappies, it’s good to think about stopping and to protect the mattress with waterproof sheets instead. Your child’s mind is more likely to make that vital mind-body link if the wetness from an accident can be felt against their skin. School holiday times might be better for doing this, when there’s less pressure in the morning to change wet sheets.
Make an extra toilet visit last thing at night - Encourage your child to ‘double-void’ by having two toilet visits last thing at night, just 10 minutes apart. This will ensure they have emptied their bladder fully.
Keep well hydrated - Ensure your child is drinking plenty of water throughout the day. It’s not uncommon to assume that your child needs to reduce their intake of liquid, but constipation is a common cause of bedwetting and increasing fluids throughout the day could sort this out quickly.
Check lighting levels - Keep the route to the bathroom well-lit at night, perhaps leaving a light on in there. However, avoid night-lights in the bedroom itself as your child will experience a deeper, better quality sleep if the room is dark and this alone may ensure a dry night. If your child is worried in the dark, it is possible to buy a night-light with a motion sensor that will automatically come on if your child steps out of bed.
Remember to stay positive - The more encouraging and enthusiastic you can be, the easier it’s going to be for your child to get dry at night. Avoid giving any negative feedback – even a raised eyebrow will let your child know that you’re not happy. This will only make it harder for them to succeed, as they will start seeing themselves as a failure. Remind your child of all the other things they successfully learned to do, such as riding a bike, swimming or playing a musical instrument. Some things require a bit of practice to get right and learning how to keep your bed dry at night is just one more of those things.
The tips above have been provided by Alicia Eaton, a Children’s Wellbeing Specialist based in Harley Street and the author of ‘Stop Bedwetting in 7 Days’.