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Bed-Wetting
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Just when you thought your preschooler was finally in "big kid" underpants for good, you awaken to a child with a wet bed. But you don't have to run out for a box of nighttime diapers just yet. The American Academy of Pediatrics reassures us that some 40 percent of toilet-trained 3-year-olds still wet the bed at night, and it's entirely normal for kids up to age 5 to occasionally do it, too.
While experts don't know why some children continue to wet the bed after they've been toilet trained, it's likely because their bladders aren't able to hold urine through a long night, or because the child isn't awakened by the feeling of his full bladder. Rest assured, your child is not wetting his bed on purpose, and it's important to tell him he isn't doing anything wrong....
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Just get your child on a routine, and everything will be fine.
Well, that's one way to do it, LOL, but may not work all the time. Especially if your kid is scared that if they don't fall asleep right away, or if they get up, you're going to be mad. The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry says that "parents should remember that children rarely wet on purpose, and usually feel ashamed about the incident." They suggest that parents should never make their child feel ashamed about wetting the bed but instead offer encouraging words. Some helpful tips to assist your child stay dry through the night include, limiting liquids before bedtime, making your child go to the bathroom before bed, waking them in the middle of the night to empty their bladder and praising them on dry mornings. Above all, avoid punishment. If your child is stressed out about wetting the bed, harsh words, criticism and punishment may only worsen the problem.
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Actually, bedwetting is considered a "normal part of growth & development" in many children up through the age of 9. One thing that most parents don't understand though is that daytime toilet training and bedwetting are 2 completely separate animals; daytime the child has 100% control and at night, they don't. The myth of restricting liquids after a certain time, etc. really has no bearing whatsoever on whether a child wets at night or not. The "problem" is that the brain and the bladder just aren't communicating with one another in most instances, so it really makes no sense to restrict liquids, as the kidney's produce urine 24/7. You can HELP by eliminating caffiene (sodas & candy) and also eliminating milk products after dinner, as all of these things stimulate the bladder and put it into over-drive. Also, if you wake a child up in the middle of the night when they're sound asleep to go in and use the toilet, they really have no conscious idea of what's going on, and the odds of them sleeping even more deeply when you take them back to bed increases. Best advice is to use pull-ups or diapers until the child stops wetting at night!
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In Need Of Help
I have searched through many websites regarding children and potty training issues. My daughter will be 5 in 3 months and still will not use the toilet on a regular basis. We've spoken to her pediatrician several times about this issue... read more
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February 27, 2008
RE: IN NEED OF HELP
Hopefully by now, your daughter has gotten the hang of things since you made your post. Yes! It most likely is behavioral as your ped. suggests. Also kids at that age become more pre-occupied with doing something that they enjoy, and... read more
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