Son Soaking Through Sheets

Updated on March 06, 2012
S.H. asks from Akron, OH
16 answers

My son is 3 years old and is potty trained except for naps and bed. We have him in pull-ups for nap and diapers at night. I thought we were making headway during nap as he woke up a few times dry. However, since then he has been waking up soaked sometimes after nap and sometimes when he wakes up in the morning. We have him go to the bathroom before both and yet he is still waking up soaked through his clothes. We have been at this for 3 years, so we are sure to "point it down" and everything. I wanted to see if you have any thoughts/suggestions on how to help him get out of diapers/pull ups completely, or what suggestions you might have to protect his twin mattress. I have washed his bedding about 4 times this week and I really don't want his mattress to get ruined! I am thinking his bladder just may not be ready to go with nothing, but in the mean time we don't want his mattress to be ruined either. I appreciate any feedback! Thanks!

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So What Happened?

Wow, thank you all so much for your feedback. It is nice to know everything we are experiencing is normal. To clarify, we always put him in a pull-up for nap and a diaper for bed. He has still been waking up soaked through clothes and sheets. We will definately look into some kind of cover for the mattress and maintain diapers and pull-ups, possibly trying the Huggies slip-ons. I appreciate your support, I knew this would be the right place to come. :)

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C.L.

answers from Minneapolis on

Huggies Night Time diapers if they make a size big enough for him. I don't remember how high the sizes go, but they worked like a charm for us when we had this problem. FYI, both of my boys were in pull-ups at night until age 6 and I had plastic covers on their beds until about age 9.

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T.M.

answers from Tampa on

Plastic sheets and matress covers. Buy one plastic cover that acts like a "bag" around the entire matress. Layer with a sheet. Then put a plastc sheet over top of the first sheet. Cover with one more sheet. Therefore, you have 2 layers of protection. If he has an accident, just peel off the top sheet and plastic and move on. You'll still do laundry but it will be less hassle with changing the bed.

Honestly, it is not uncommon to not be able to make it through the night at 3 years old. My son was 5 before he was good on this....and he still has the odd accident. My pediatrician says that is normal.

2 moms found this helpful

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C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

S.:

His body isn't ready for sleep training. It may take a while. Night "training" isn't really there. It's a biological thing and TOTALLY different than day time training.

Put a plastic sheet on the bed. I have a friend, whose son will be 11 this year, that still wets the bed. He wears pull ups. I have purchased a thicker plastic sheet as he comes over frequently. I don't remember the name of it. I got it at Target. It was $15 so it withstands washings.

Find out which helps keep the bed dry better - pull ups or a diaper. And just let it be. Don't get mad. His body is not ready. Don't push it. it will happen in time.

3 moms found this helpful
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M.M.

answers from Lake Charles on

He won't hold his bladder through nap and bedtime until he develops this protein, it's not a choice or anything and it will happen when it happens.. we just try to go potty before nap that way it's not this huge amount. Don't let him just walk around with water or sip on juice all day, if he wants something to drink then make sure he drinks what he wants then put the water/juice up. All day access to liquid means all day peeing. Don't get frustrated, look into overnight diapers, if you can't find them in stores diapers.com has bigger sizes that are more uncommon. Good luck!

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B.G.

answers from Champaign on

Staying dry all night (or waking up to pee) is a biological thing, so there's nothing you can do about that.

My son soaks through pullups. I don't think they hold as much as diapers. I'm thinking of trying Huggies Slip On's. They only go up to size 5, so I don't know if that's an option for you. You could try Goodnight's. I haven't heard how good those are. Both our sons went through a phase as babies when they would wake up soaked, so we began using a thicker Huggies diaper just at night. Normally we use Huggies in the white package (Snug n Dry?), so we began using the red package at night. Some parents have used the Huggies night-time diapers. My guess is that they would hold even more.

Good luck!

2 moms found this helpful

M.J.

answers from Milwaukee on

We use the waterproof crib pads for all the kids just in case. I have waterproof mattress pads as well. I put the pad over the cushioned mattress pad and under the sheet. If they are in a bad stage also put one over their sheet (under them). They are soft and sold at Target.

1 mom found this helpful

P.W.

answers from Dallas on

Keep it mind it could be years before your son is control during his sleep, so please don't put too much pressure on him. It is beyond his control.

Buy a plastic mattress cover for the bed. Then put a washable mattress pad on top of it for your sons comfort. That will protect your mattress.

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S.N.

answers from Minneapolis on

I have a waterproof mattress cover AND I put a crib cover over that up by my daughter's bottom.
It is just a plastic sheet that has rubber bands on all four ends that we had bought for the crib mattress (no knowing that they were plastic!). It works so well that I have yet to have to wash the mattress cover.

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L.K.

answers from San Francisco on

I would keep him in pullups at night until his pullup is pretty dry when he wakes up. At 3 years old, I think it is too early to expect him to be out of pullups completely. You are going to be washing LOTS of sheets if you expect him to sleep in underwear at night. Kids sleep very sound at this age so I would just keep him in pullups for now.

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J.C.

answers from Indianapolis on

I don't remember what brand makes them but there are little pads, kinda like cloth versions of puppy-pads, that you can put on the mattress on top of his sheet. We still use these for my kids for those random accidents.

R.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

You're received excellent advice on protecting his mattress and keeping him in pull-ups for a few more years until his body is capable of holding pee all night...I just want to add that I read a review by someone that said she had used Huggies Slip-On's (diapers) and that they hold MORE than Pull-ups...so you might want to give them a try if the largest size will fit him.

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E.W.

answers from Cleveland on

Just don't yell at him or make him feel bad about it. My son did it past 10. A lot of kids bladders are smaller than what we think and we fill the up with so many juices. My son's issues I believe were neurological. He could not feel when he had to go and when you are sleeping deeply you body can't tell it can go. Also boys don't potty train as early as girls. My son was 4 when he was potty trained and learned this was normal for them. Buy some waterproof mattress covers.

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C.R.

answers from Columbus on

For the mattress, I do similar things as mentioned below. I have a fitted waterproof mattress pad on the bed. I also put a smaller waterproof mattress pad (similar to ones on a hospital bed - washable not disposable) on top of the mattress pad and then the sheet. I place the smaller pad about at the end of the pillow so it is located in the main area where the kids sleep. Most times the accident just gets the sheet and the smaller pad. That way in the middle of the night I am just taking off the sheet and smaller pad and putting on a new sheet rather than having to fight with the fitted mattress pad (but the mattress is still well protected).

As for pullups, I would suggest Goodnights as they are specifically designed for older kids and hold more. They are more expensive though. If you can get away with diapers, particularly at night, I would do that. Diapers hold more and are cheaper. The Goodnights work though!

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K.B.

answers from Tulsa on

Medical supply companies sell thick, absorbent pads to put on the bed.
The nursing homes put 2 or 3 on at a time and remove as needed.
I would also dry the mattress out in the sun then put a waterproof mattress pad on

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C.B.

answers from Columbus on

I didn't read through all the responses so you may have already gotten this, but I triple make all of our beds with waterproof mattress pads and a fitted sheet. That way when we have accidents in the middle of the night (or vomit or overly sweating), all I have to do is quickly strip the top sheet/pad and there's a fresh set of both underneath. And if I don't get to washing the dirty sheets the next day, there's still another back up set already on the bed in case there's another accident that night again.

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T.S.

answers from Washington DC on

For the mattress, pick up a zippered vinyl mattress cover. It's sort of like a big bag you put the whole mattress in (then put on pad and sheets as usual. We have them on all the beds in our house. They don't interfere at all with comfort and totally protect from spills, leaks etc. as well as allergy issues like dust mites and bed bugs that can get into and out of soft surfaces.

That being said, is he soaking THROUGH the diaper or pull up to his clothes and bedding or are you sometimes having him "go with nothing?" It wasn't clear to me from your post. If he's going with nothing, why? If he isn't regularly waking up completely dry, why stress everyone out by sending him to bed without a diaper? He can't willfully hold it in his sleep just because he's wearing undies. Keep him in pull ups to sleep 100% of the time until he is waking up dry EVERY time for about a week.

HTH
T.

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