Bed Wetting - Payette, ID

My son is six as well and I am having the same problem. I have tried everything I can think of and am at a loss. When you get some good advice please post it so the rest of us "wet" mothers can solve the problem as well:). B.

You might try taking him to a chiropractor (I would look for one who does kineseology - muscle testing) who works with children. Sometimes an adjustment can help with bed wetting.

I don't have any new ideas, but I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone. My son is almost 7 1/2 years old and he still wets the bed occasionally. He will go several weeks without an accident, then he'll have one or two close together. My doctor said they just have to grow out of it, but it is really frustrating and sometimes I don't think he'll grow out of it fast enough.

Hi Kendall,

I don't know if you are aware of a practice known as EFT, or emotional freedom technique if you want to get technical :) It makes use of acupressure points that you 'tap' on, freeing up emotional blockages that prevent a freeflow of energy through our body...all kinds of life experiences, words, thoughts can lead to a traffic jam so-to-speak, of our energy flow and this sort of thing happens the same way with children. I don't want to go into much detail as I am not an expert in this area, I am just learning it myself; but I have already experienced success in certain areas using the techniques that you can learn yourself by going to a website specifically for 'EFT' stories, and tips and suggestions on how to use it yourself. There are dvd's you can purchase of download a manual to explain how to start using the techniques yourself. It sounds a little quirky but, like I metioned, have had results myself. I would say try it out, learn how to 'tap' yourself, as it can't hurt, only help! I would love to hear back from you if you do decide to give EFT a try and let me know if you had any success using it! Best wishes and good luck...remember, too, that most everything works itself out with kids :)

J. Bohn, Saratoga Springs UT

The website to go to is www.emofree.com

Bed wetting can be cleared up with chiropractic adjustments. Hard to believe but it really works.

G. Witty (monitrice doula)
The Birth Connection
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I would have him checked for sleep apnea. My oldest son started wetting the bed when he was 3 1/2 after having been potty trained for over a year and rarely wetting the bed that whole time. I couldn't figure out what was going on and we tried all sorts of things to help him stay dry at night. When he was 5 we had his tonsils out because they were enlarged and one had an abcess in it. After his tonsils came out he stopped wetting the bed! When I mentioned it to the dr. the dr said that alot of times when someone has enlarged tonsils, during the night they will fall back into the throat closing off the airway and causing sleep apnea. And with sleep apnea the child gets so tired that when they do fall asleep it is a very deep sleep and then when they wake up it is with a start because they can't breath and it's hard to control bodily functions when you start awake in panic because you can't breathe. I had no idea that my son even had sleep apnea or that it could be causing the bed wetting. But once his tonsils were out he slept so much better at night and had very few bed wetting problems after that.

They have alot of good medications which work well, I work in a place where the boys have bedwetting problems, We have tried a nose spray DDAVP and a pill of DDAVP, we have also tried Imipramine you have to get it prescribed by a Dr. but it has worked well for us.

I was a bed wetter, until age 10, when stepfather moved in with us, I mysteriously quit.
Perhaps it was for me and maybe other's a phycological thing.
???????????????????? who know's ????????????????
Good Luck !
Shelli (ATM)
PS.....I had test after test, no fluids after 6PM, ECT/But nothing ever found, to be wrong with me. This was in 70's.

When I first began chiropractic care about 25 yrs. ago, the young Dr. shared his story with both me and my daughter. He said he was still wetting at 12 yrs. old in spite of numerous forms of treatment, i.e. medical, physciatric, etc. It wasn't until a chiropractor (his current partner) adjusted him that the problem stopped. I don't know if this would help your son or not, but it seems like it would be worth a try.

Please talk to your Dr about this and rule out issues with his kidneys and make sure he is tested for diabetes. Some kids take longer at night. If he can go all day and not wet himself he has the ability to hold it, however maybe have low muscle tone to be able to hold it all night. Please talk to your Dr about it though.

We had the same problem with our son and a friend recommended an alarm. It had worked great for them. And, turns out it was a blessing for us too. It's a little alarm you attach on the pj's and the underwear. There's a sensor that triggers the alarm as soon as it gets humid. It woke our son up and he went to the potty with only a small spot in his underwear. It took 1 week for my friend's son to wake up by himself. And it took a little more time for my son. Maybe 2 or 3 weeks. Not more than that. He was then 6 years old.

Here's a link with more info: http://www.bedwettingstore.com/Bedwetting_Alarms/malem_be...

It's not cheap, but it sure is worth it! Good luck!

I don't have older kids yet (my oldest is only 3 1/12) but I had a cousin (girl) who had bedwetting problems for a long time (9-10 years old, I think) and she was on some kind of medication for it. I'm not really sure what the problem was, so you might check with your pediatrician for that. My little brother also had bedwetting problems for a while (9 years old?) and he never was on medication, but he did wear the pull ups to bed until he grew out of it. And he eventually did grow out of it. My cousin is no longer on medication either (she's now 27 years old). So maybe some kids just take longer to gain control of their bladders at night than others. Hope this helps a little.

My sister has used a Potty Pager. You can find them at http://www.pottypager.com/. She said that it has worked wonders, and is cheaper than other alternatives. Good luck!

It is normal for many kids to wet the bed at night, some even until their early teens. Their bodies just haven't matured yet. Some experts believe it has to do with hormone levels that control the bladder, others believe it has to do with strength of the bladder control. Just have them wear 'goodnights' to bed and don't make it an issue that they feel bad about. You can try medications...but why medicate something that is normal and their bodies will eventually do on their own anyway?

It is very frustrating!!! I have 4 boys and so far 2 of them suffer from this. We have used goodnights, and that has helped tons. Still don't know about our youngest, he's too young. Our oldest is 13 and he still wets the bed. Their Dad wet the bed for a very long time. He even had occasionally problems during the first few years of our marriage. He and our boys have gone to the doctor. We have tried medicine, and other procedures. So far no luck for us, but once we stopped making a bid deal over it, it helped lots. We still get accidents but not as many. And yes, it does run in families, my husband's Dad and Grandfather had this same problem as well as his brother. Thanks for all the advice from everyone else, and thanks for bringing up this topic. It's nice to know we are not alone in this struggle.

Talk to his doctor. Lots of kids have this problem. It can go on until 11 or 12. But his doctor will have some solutions for you. There could be a medical condition, or maybe his bladder just has not completely matured yet. Did anyone in your family or his dad's family have this problem? It can be genetic. Just remember, it's not his fault or yours or the amount of liquid he has to drink. See what his doctor says.

Hi K.,

I dealt with the same issues, especially with my youngest son for years. I even took him to a specialist. This is what I discovered... 1) their bladders are underdeveloped and smaller and eventually they grow out of it as they grow and their bladder grows, 2) sometimes they are such heavy sleepers that they can't wake themselves up to go. I used to get up during the middle of the night for years to take them to the bathroom. My boys are now 16 and 18. They both are doing great now as they matured and their bladders grew. I do have to say I was shocked that my 16 year old actually wet his bed abou a week ago!!! He hasn't done this in years. I think it's because he was really sick and out of it and was sleeping very heavy. On the other side, I have a 12 year old step son that I've cared for since shortly after his 2nd birthday. He's NEVER had a problem with this. It boils down to genetics (the size of their bladder and growth) and how heavily they sleep.

Best of luck!!! Just be careful how you handle it and don't make your son feel bad about it. It's a physical thing. Just reiterate that he needs to try to wake up to use the restroom. Night lights help so they can find their way and aren't afraid. In the meantime, get a plastic mattress cover and extra sheets if you haven't already done so.

~L.

I agree with the last post. Talk to your doctor about the possibility of kidney reflux. I am an Xray tech at Primary Children's and deal with these kids on a daily basis at work. If your son has ever had a urinary tract infection that is the biggest sign of reflux (reflux is where the urine flows back up into the kidneys after draining down) The problem with that is bacteria travels up to the kidney causing infections. Also, he may empty his bladder, and then a bit later, (like when he is sleeping) the urine that had flown back up the kidneys now drains down, making his bladder full again (this can be a cause of bed wetting). So talk to your doctor. Its worth a shot!

K.,
Bed wetting is sometimes an emtional problem and sometimes there is a phyical problem. Have you talked to the Dr. about this problem? It is common to have this problem but may need medical attention.
Good Luck
C. B

There is a reflex for birth that makes the baby arch it's back and empty it's baldder. If that reflex is not broke bedding wetting is often the result. Have your son crawl for 20 minutes a day it will brake the reflex. You can make games like crawl tag with other kids. Crawling 20 minutes a day will increase even our IQs. If he won't crawl 20 minute anything will help.

Also his pubic bone might be out of alignment. I have done this adjustment many times with great success to stop bed wetting. Contact a pediatric Chiropractor in your area. www.icpa4kids.com

As my doctor said to me when I had tried everything and had the same questions, "they will outgrow it"
I have a 13 year old who has been a bed wetter forever. I have 3 boys and 1 girl and he is the only one with the problem, I fought it forever and finally gave in just a year ago. It has FINALLY slowed down tremendously and he hasn't had an accident now for a couple weeks! We're praying it has finally ended, although our doctor said some can have it through until they are 16 or even 21!
We tried the beeper, the medication, waking him up, not giving him food or drink hours before bed, nothing worked.
I think it varies from kid to kid.
Hopefully yours won't last as long as mine, but I've found it's more common than we know.

I had the same problem with my son. I finally went to a DR. and they put him on a pill, I am not sure of the name but after a short time of him being on it he had more more problems and Medicaid paid for it. It is very upsetting for you and your son, but just let him know alot of kids and grown-ups have this problem. Good luck!!

We had a 10 year old foster son that had a bed wetting problem. My husband found a mat that he ordered and at the very notice of a wet bed an alarm would go off and it didn't take long for this sweet young man to get that all taken care of. Even if he had a bladder that was too small or what ever, the alarm helped him realize when he needed to get up. He was thrilled, as were we, and our washer. Also, it was a real shock to wake up to the alarm the first couple of times.

Hi Kendall - I'm sure this is really frustrating for you. If it wouldnt be a crutch, your son could always wear the pullups for bigger kids called "Goodnights". (I say crutch because my 5yr old would wet them just because he could)

The chiropracter is a great idea. Also, there is a program called "Dry Camp" for kids up to 10 or 12. You could talk to your doctor about it.

Also, my doc suggested having my son learn to change his own sheets and clothes if he has an accident at night. He can't quite change the sheets but he can change his own clothes and we keep a spare blanket and linens in his closet. We also chose mattress pads that have a plastic liner.

Most of all, don't be worried - this is a very common problem especially among boys - oftentimes it's just because they are very deep sleepers. We found that timing was important - ie: if he can go 6 hours, then time that with his normal wake up time.

Also, we treat an "accident" very matter of factly - no attitudes or scolding or "oh! not again!" - we just quietly taking care of him and tuck him back into bed.

best of luck to you and your son!

To tell you the truth, sometimes there's nothing you CAN do about it. My little brother wet the bed until he was 11. It's more common in boys than in girls, but sometimes its just a matter of strengthening the bladder, and sometimes that just takes time. Talk to your doctor about it; it's more common than you may think. Just continue to encourage him and help him along the way. It's probably more embarrassing for him than it is worrisome for you.

My step son finally grew out of it at about 8 or 9 and really nothing seemed to help. We think he either sleept too hard, making it difficult to recognize sensations of having to go, or simply has a small weak bladder.

Good Luck, a plastic covered mattress is your best bet, and teach him to take his wet covers to the laundry. It's also good to leave extra sheets and blankets nearby for a makeshift bed on the floor if needed.

Many of the responses I see talk about outgrowing the problem. I had a brother who was still wetting at 16-17 yrs of age. My mom used a home remedy for four of her children and it worked within one week for ALL of them. She gave them corn silk tea. Corn silk is the white hair like stuff at the top of corn on the cob. She would take clean corn silk and steep it in about a cup of water. Then strain it. She then added honey to the liquid (just to make it taste better). She would have them drink about a half a cup in the evening. It can be stored covered in the refrigerator. Because it is all natural you can use it as long as needed. But as I said earlier ALL of my siblings were cured in a week. I suffered for many years and was grateful when my mom was able to help my younger siblings with this issue. I am a FIRM believer!! Good luck!

Your child will greatly benefit from seeing a chiroprator. My son had this problem until he turned 13. I took him to a chiropractor a couple of days before his 13th birthday. Through a series of adjustments, he never had another accident at night. His whole life changed! Don't wait until your son is 13. Go now!

Hi, I had the same issues with my son. We finally had him wear "big boy" pull-ups but at 7-8 years old it was hurting his self esteem. What worked wonders for us was a wetting alarm. Instead of waking him up randomly, he was awakened at the time he was urinating. It honestly took about a week and he was dry. We did have one relapse and had to use it again for about a week but he has been dry for nearly a year! He's so happy to be able to go to sleepovers, etc. The alarm we got was a Malem alarm with sound, lights and vibration to make sure it would wake him as he is a deeeeeep sleeper. Good luck!

My daughter has an allergy to all dairy (milk, eggs, and cheese). Through all my research with her, I have found that often times kids have trouble sleeping through the night due to a milk intolerance their parents didn't know they had. They may have no other signs and will stay dry all day. Try switching to soy milk or rice milk (it's a little sweeter if your son doesn't like soy milk) for a week and see if that makes any difference.

I experienced this with my now 14yr old son. Best advice verify that there is no medical issue, after that just wait for him to grow out of it. My son quit around age 11. Every night we made him use the restroom before bed and the accidents will get fewer as your son grows. Just make sure your son is honest when he wets the bed so you can clean the sheets and his undergarments right a way. Our Dr. also suggested to make sure his undergarments are not too tight!! Good luck!!

From my experience, bed wetting can be a physical problem, but more times it is caused by psychological problems. It could be a subconscious cry for help or attention, or the need to feel cared about. Is there any reason why he would feel insecure at home or at school? Make sure he helps to clean up the wet bedding when it happens. If it is psychological, belitting him won't help. Get him involved in finding a solution. He's old enough to reason with, on his level. Good luck.

My husband had this problem and my mother-in-law told me that she explained to him that he was the only one who could stop wetting the bed. She told him that there was nothing she or anyone else could do to fix the problem. It worked! He never wet the be again. I have tried this with my daughter who had surgery to treat chronic bladder infections. After the surgery she kept having accidents because she could not hold it as well as she used to. Once I explained to her that she was the only one that knew when she needed to go to the bathroom so she was the only one that could make sure she got to the bathroom on time she stopped having accidents.

I totally understand your frustration with this problem. My son didn't stop wetting the bed until he was nine years old. We went through much the same routines as you described. Finally I just bought pull-ups and had him wear them every night. I realized he just simply could not help it. When he was about 2 months short of turning nine, we had to go out of town without him. We left him with a friend, who didn't know he had this problem. The 'friend' tricked him into telling him. Then the 'friend' told everyone at school that our son wore diapers to bed. It was devastating, to say the least. My son was so hurt that it seemed he just made up mind that he was done wetting the bed and he didn't wet anymore.
I think one of the most important things to realize is that no punishment is due to something they cannot control. Just love, love, love your son... no matter what! I really believe he'll grow out of it.

My daughter is having the same problem. I have tried everything, including a night time monitor. She sleeps right through. Her little brother will get up to go at anytime. Recently we have been having this struggle during the day as well. At my wit's end! I hope you find something that works and share with the rest of us. Good Luck.

Try to understand that prolonged bed-wetting can simply mean that your child's bladder is not growing fast enough to allow him to hold urine waste. Children who experience this simply will grow out of it but perhaps not until much later, age 13 or even later. Once all those fine young organs in a young person's body grow to full size, the bed wetting will stop. But please, check with your doctor and let him tell you all about this. It is very important not to punish a child for this. I have had a god-child whose bladder did not fully develop until he was 13. The teasing and mean spirited behavior of his many brothers and sisters caused this child undo loss of self confidence. Once these siblings, and his mother, understood what was happening they cut down on most of the taunts, but I am sure the young man today remembers how terrible it was. Be gentle with your child.

Not sure if this is the reason but have you checked to see if he may have a bladder infection? I know someone who finally had their child checked and sure enough that was the problem. They take a medication that helps and it is working. Good luck.

Hang in there!! My oldest didn't stop wetting the bed until he was 9 years old. We had him strip his bed, put on a clean pad, wipe himself down and change into clean jammies, limited his liquids, took him to the bathroom during the night, and we were just about to order something that would make a buzzing noise when he would start to go at night for about $70, when he stopped!

I too had a son that wet the bed until he was almost 10 or 11. I took him to a urologist thinking something was wrong. I also tried an alarm clock to wake in the middle of the night, restricting fluid, etc. The urologist told me that some children (especially boys)urinary systems do not mature as quickly as others. Try to encourage your child, do not make them think something is terribly wrong with them or that they are bad. You might try a depends type underware at night so that they are not embarrased as much by a wet bed and helps cut down on soiled sheets. Kate

Hello K., If you are interested in the possible emotional/cognitive aspects of your son's bed wetting, I recommend reading, "Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves," by Naomi Aldort. Blessings to you on this amazing journey of parenting! ~T.

My daughter is 5 and has the same problem, she is on the 2 month mark of not wetting the bed. She doesn't drink anything past seven and i wake her up at midnight to go to the bathroom. The doctor says she will soon get to where she gets up on her own. But the thing that I noticed worked better then anything else was when she wet the bed, she would have to take of her sheets and blankets and put them in the washer her self. after doing this for about a week she finally got to where she was tired of doing it and all of the sudden stopped wetting the bed. Hope this helps...