It is not unusual for your 5-year-old son to be wetting the bed at night with about 17% of children continuing to do so. The ability to control our...
The reduction in the number of times children wet the bed is a very good indication that they are well on their way to achieving nighttime continen...
Children wet the bed for a number of reasons, some do so because they produce double the amount of urine overnight, others do so as they are unable...
It is completely normal for parents to feel tense or frustrated and at a loss when it comes to dealing with bedwetting – you are not alone! It help...
there are lots of other mothers out there asking the very same question. Many of us feel that once our child has achieved daytime control nighttime...
It is not unusual for bedwetting to run in families with studies showing an underlying genetic link. There is still a great deal of debate surround...
It is not unusual for your daughter to be wetting the bed at age 5 with about 15% of children still doing so by the time they start school. Typical...
One of the signs that your daughter is moving toward achieving nighttime continence is a reduction in the number of nights she wakes up wet. The fa...
Unfortunately DryNites only have these two sizes, however there are a number of products currently on the market that are designed for use with adu...
Hi S. S. – It is perfectly normal to feel nervous about your school trip but there are certainly things we can do in order to help you go away on...
In order for your son to be able to wake-up dry his bladder needs to be able to hold the amount of urine he produces overnight or he needs to be ab...
Hi Shaelynn - DryNites are marketed as GoodNites in Canada but they work in the same way. In Australia you can purchase DryNites in supermarkets an...
Hi Elise, it is certainly fine for you to wear DryNites both during the day and night. If you do wear them to school you should make sure you chan...
Ideally, it is best if children wear DryNites designed for their own gender. The built-in absorbency differs for boys and girls, with greater abso...
Hi Katrina – DryNites are certainly fine to be worn both day and night and would be a great way to help your son manage his daytime incontinence. ...
Hi Lisa – the time between achieving daytime control and nighttime continence can vary from child to child. While some children will become dry at...
Hi Matthew, we generally recommend that you treat DryNites as you would your normal underwear – refreshing them each evening, regardless of whether...
Hi Elise, depending on your size and weight, I would recommend you wear DryNites rather than nappies; these are much more suitable for older childr...
In the USA you can purchase something very similar under the brand name “GoodNites” – for further information visit www.goodnites.com Regards, ...
Hi Jake – it may take up to 2 weeks for you to receive your free sample (possibly longer given the postal strike). Regards, Dr Cathrine
Hi John - unfortunately the 8-15 years (27-57kg+) is the largest size that DryNites come in so you would need to look into purchasing a product des...
Hi John - unfortunately the 8-15 years (27-57kg+) is the largest size that DryNites come in so you would need to look into purchasing a product des...
Unfortunately this is beyond my area of expertise. I would recommend you speak with your GP if this continues to be a problem. Regards, Dr Cat...
Hi Chaza - would you mind providing additional information, are you inquiring about the availability of DryNites in Kuwait? Thank you for your i...
Hi Donna, DryNites are available for purchase in the United Kingdom, but I would recommend taking at least one or two packets with you just to cove...
Hi Lauren, firstly, apologies for the delay in responding to you. This is an incredibly frustrating situation for you all, and calls for LOTS of p...
Some children prefer to wear DryNites everynight even when they experience irregular wetting just so that they can go to sleep at night without the...
Hi Suzanne, unfortunately I am not familiar with this research, but if you have any concerns regarding the use of DryNites I would certainly recomm...
This is certainly a challenging situation. With respect to treatment, it is best that you follow the guidelines and recommendation of your Pediatr...
Boys DryNites are typically in higher demand due to the higher incidence of bedwetting among boys than girls. It might be helpful to share this in...
Boys DryNites are typically in higher demand due to the higher incidence of bedwetting among boys than girls. It might be helpful to share this in...
Hi Bridget – it sounds like you have a lot to deal with at the moment. In terms of stopping the leakage, I would recommend that you try using DryN...
DryNites function in much the same way as a nappy, and can hold both urine and faeces. Due to their high level of absorbency, parents of children ...
Hi Julie – one of the best indicators that a child is moving toward achieving nighttime continence is a reduction in the number of times he wakes-u...
Starting school can be an incredibly stressful time for young children; there are new routines that they need to become familiar with, new rules, n...
Hi Dianna, it is not unusual for children with additional support needs to take a little longer to attain both daytime and nighttime continence. A...
Dear Brooke, while it is not unusual for 5-year-olds to experience the occasional daytime accident it is probably worth having your son asses...
Hi Tracey, this is certainly a challenging situation. While it is not unusual for young children to experience the occasional accident for months (...
Your son is experiencing secondary enuresis which occurs when a child has had proper control over their bladder during the night for a period of si...
probably the most suitable treatment would be a conditioning alarm – these currently experience the best outcomes with about a 75% cure rate. A sen...
A lot of doctors only use medication as a short term solution so that children can attend school camps or sleepovers or as a last resort in cases w...
some children are able to identify the feeling of needing to have a bowel movement, but ignore the urge because they do not want to take the time t...
I think the main issue here is how best to manage his bedwetting so that he is able to get a good night sleep and not be disturbed by waking up wet...
when bedwetting continues over many years it becomes increasingly frustrating for both the parents and the child. It must feel at times that this w...
Children wet the bed for a number of reasons, some do so because they produce double the amount of urine overnight, others do so as they are unable...
If you look at the research the most effective treatments are conditioning alarms – they are successful in about 75% of cases, unfortunately your d...
it sounds like your niece’s urinary incontinence is due to underlying medical causes, something I am unable to comment on. I would recommend your s...
Hi Eman – lifting or waking is typically not recommended as a form of treatment as it does not teach children to wake on their own and can be stres...
Hi Shaelynn, unfortunately it is quite common for people to start wetting the bed again once they are no longer taking the medication. Alarm treatm...
Hi Toni – the time it takes between achieving daytime continence and being dry at night is quite variable, some children are lucky to do this in ...
Your best move is to contact the Continence Association of Australia (1800 330 066) who will be able to recommend a medical professional in your ar...
Hi Dustin, one of the many wonderful things about having a best friend is that we can share personal thoughts and feelings without the fear of bein...
DryNites and Huggies nappies have not been compared on levels of absorbency as they are designed for and marketed to different age groups. Huggies ...
It is quite common for children to experience the occasional accident during the day for a couple of years after being toilet trained. Young childr...
Hi Aly – nighttime wetting is considered to be completely normal until the age of 7 years – particularly when it comes to boys. Most parents and c...
Hi Sonya – the first thing to check is that they are fitting correctly as improper fit can contribute to leakage. From personal experience I found...
Dear Parent, Unfortunately this is really beyond my area of expertise. If this behaviour continues, I would strongly recommend that you speak with...
Hi Naomi, nappies with tabs can certainly be more easily removed by children than absorbent pants. You could try him in DryNItes at night. If you...
This must be very distressing for your daughter and your family. As I am not a surgeon I am unable to comment on the efficacy of surgical intervent...
while it may not be medically necessary to treat bedwetting after the age of 6 years – some children due to social and emotional reasons benefit fr...
This must be really frustrating for you. If your diabetes is being effectively managed it should not be the cause of your bedwetting. There are a n...
as frustrating as this may be let me reassure you that you are not alone – it’s highly likely that there’s at least one other mother of a child in ...
bedwetting is always a challenge for parents and when this involves more than one child in the family it becomes even more difficult to manage. The...
We would still consider your son to be experiencing primary enuresis, even though he did experience a short period of dryness. While there are alwa...
Medications are typically used for short-term needs like sleepovers and school camps and don’t continue to be effective once you stop taking the me...
a delay in achieving nighttime continence is typically due to a delay in maturation of your child’s nervous system. There are two main reasons he c...
A popular method for treating bedwetting is the use of a conditioning alarm – this currently has the best success rate with approximately 75% of ch...
There are a number of factors that contribute toward children’s bedwetting. Some children who wet the bed release less vasopressin at night – a hor...
this type of bedwetting is called secondary enuresis (SE) – this occurs when children have developed control over their bladder during the night fo...
Due to the strong family history it is not unusual for a number of siblings to experience bedwetting. Current statistics suggest about 8 in 10 chil...
Hi Kate, firstly, my apologies for the delay in responding to your question. The first thing to check is that his nappy is fitting correctly as imp...
Hi Melanie, firstly, my apologies for the delay in responding to your question. The first thing to check is that his nappy is fitting correctly as ...
Hi C.M. - The first thing you need to do is check that her nappy is fitting correctly as improper fit can contribute to leakage. From personal ex...
While urinary tract infections are certainly one underlying cause, a return to bedwetting may also result from increased anxiety due to a change in...
When bedwetting goes on for a number of years it is perfectly normal for parents to feel helpless and overwhelmed. Children typically wet the bed a...
bedwetting can be a source of great embarrassment and if allowed to can significantly interfere with your son’s social life. It is not unusual for ...
this must be incredibly frustrating and upsetting for you. One of the major side effects of bedwetting, particularly among adolescents, is the impa...
I would recommend that you get a referral to meet with a continence advisor who can help tailor at treatment that best suits your son’s individual ...
firstly, let me apologise for the delay in getting back to you I have had an overwhelming number of questions to answer over the past two weeks. It...
Children wet the bed for a number of reasons, some do so because they produce double the amount of urine overnight, others do so as they are unable...
Bedwetting has a genetic link so it is not usual to find a number of children in the same family wetting the bed – siblings typically outgrow bedwe...
your son is one of those 2% of children who continue to wet the bed into their teenage years. I have had a few parents comment to me that their chi...
It is not unusual for parents to talk about their child experiencing dry nights when away on holidays or in warmer weather. Often on these occasion...
it is perfectly normal for parents to feel frustrated and overwhelmed when faced with chronic bedwetting. Bedwetting is rarely a result of laziness...
firstly, let me apologise for the delay in getting back to you I have had an overwhelming number of questions to answer over the past two weeks. Ch...
Hi Jessica, it is difficult to say why one sibling wets the bed while another doesn’t. Sometimes it is helpful to think about bedwetting just like...
Hi Ryan – your first school camp is a very exciting experience, so it is important that you are able to attend this without having to worry about y...
One of the most common concerns for children who wet the bed is attending social events like school-camps. Their biggest fear typically revolves ar...
Hi L.T., unfortunately there is not a lot we can do in the short time between now and school camp. The first and most important thing to do is to d...
Hi Carmel, I had a search on the internet for you and the only sleeping bag liner that I could find was from a online store in the US, and unfo...
The idea of heading off to school camp can be an incredibly nerve racking experience for children who wet the bed, particularly, as was the case fo...
Hi B. S. - one of the most common concerns for teenagers who wet the bed is attending events like sleepovers or school-camps, in fact many childr...
Hi Natalie – it is not unusual for parents of children who wet the bed to comment on how deeply their child sleeps. One theory when it comes to be...
the decision to pursue treatment is really up to you and your son. About 15% of 8-year-old children who wet the bed will achieve nighttime continen...
One possible cause of children’s bedwetting is thought to be a deep sleeping pattern. In these instances children often sleep so deeply that they a...
Urinary incontinence during the day is called diurnal enuresis and is much more common in girls like your daughter. There are a number of causes of...
I have a very close girlfriend who is experiencing the very same thing with her 3 ½ year-old son. Firstly, let me reassure you that it is quite com...
I generally recommend that if children experience frequent accidents during the day after age 5 or they start wetting the bed again after a period ...
It is not unusual for children to occasionally have accidents during the day – this can continue to happen for a couple of years after they have be...
It is not unusual for children to experience accidents during the day for a number of years after they have been toilet trained – this typically oc...
Toilet training can be a little trickier for some children and while one child may get the hang of it in as little as a week, for others it takes a...
It is not uncommon for parents to respond to bedwetting by either punishing their child or ignoring the problem with the hope that it will go away....
When children experience daytime incontinence after 4 years of age you need to consult with a GP to check if there is an underlying medical conditi...
As you’ve already found out, each child is different when it comes to toilet training. While one child may pick it up in a matter of weeks, others ...
There are a number of treatments available to help children attain nighttime dryness – the suitability of these depends on each individual so it is...
we usually do not consider daytime wetting to be a problem until after children have turned 4 years of age or reach a developmental age of 4 - this...
Gaining control over your bladder is a gradual process – typically children gain control during the day first then gradually achieve nighttime cont...
Urinary tract infections are a known cause of both daytime and nighttime incontinence. It is unusual for 5-year-old children to wet during the day ...
The ability to control the bladder at night is usually achieved after your child learns to stay dry during the day. Incontinence happens when the c...
Hi Daphne – it is not unusual for children to experience some regression in their toileting skills at times of stress and certainly the pending bi...
Hi Christine – stress is a frequent cause of wetting for children who had previously achieved daytime continence. Daytime wetting may begin after a...
Hi Anna, DryNites are perfectly suitable for daytime use. The largest size is designed to fit girls who weigh between 27 to 57kg. The new DryNite...
Hi Amanda – while it is quite common for children to continue to experience nighttime incontinence at age 5, regular daytime accidents are less com...
Given his age and the regularity of his wetting it is very important that you make an appointment with your GP so that they can investigate the c...
Coping with children’s incontinence problems is incredibly challenging for most parents, so it is completely normal to feel frustrated and a litt...
Hi – it is not unusual for children your daughter’s age to continue to wet the bed at night, although any form of daytime incontinence after the ag...
Hi Carmel – while some children do wet the bed because they are too scared to get up by themselves, this is rarely the cause of chronic bedwettin...
While it is quite common for children to continue to experience nighttime incontinence at age 6, regular daytime accidents are less common and shou...
Any kind of daytime incontinence after the age of 5 years needs to be investigated further by a pediatrician who specialises in treating urinary pr...
While DryNites are not specifically designed for the management of menstrual flow they can certainly be used in conjunction with tampons when you h...
Hi Jake – this must be incredibly frustrating for you. Any type of daytime incontinence at your age should certainly be investigated further. Ther...
Hi Amanda, daytime wetting can be very embarrassing so it is important to try and treat this as soon as possible. One of the main causes of daytim...
Hi Penny, it is perfectly fine to wear DryNites to help manage your daytime wetting. You can try and minimize your daytime wetting by making sure y...
We are much more likely to see persistent bedwetting as well as daytime incontinence in children with delayed development. I'm not surprised he has...
Firstly – I wouldn’t be concerned about his nighttime wetting – he is still very young so it would be unusual for him to be dry every night. Waking...
doctors typically recommend holding off on treatment until children turn 7 years of age due to the high spontaneous cure rate up until then. Also t...
the most important thing to understand is that this is rarely a medical or psychological problem - many children continue to wet the bed at night f...
Firstly, please accept my apologies for the delay in getting back to you I have had a large volume of questions to answer over the past two weeks. ...
unfortunately not all children outgrow bedwetting – with some requiring more than just the basic measures we can implement at home. If you are conc...
This is fairly typical – the majority of children who wet the bed at night are unaware it is happening and will continue sleeping even when wet. On...
Bedwetting has been found to run in families so it is not unusual to find a number of siblings in the same household wetting the bed. I’m sure if y...
Your daughter is experiencing what we commonly refer to as secondary nocturnal enuresis (SNE) – this occurs when a child has maintained nighttime c...
It is perfectly normal for you to feel overwhelmed and a little helpless – this is the most common response for parents whose children continue to ...
Most children who wet the bed tend to do so in the first couple of hours after they have gone to sleep at night, when they are in a very deep sleep...
dealing with constant wet sheets can be incredibly frustrating – I find just keeping up with the standard daily load is difficult enough let alone ...
Please accept my apologies for the delay in getting back to you I have had a large volume of questions to answer over the past two weeks. Firstly, ...
Even though it is the child who wets the bed, I often find it’s the parents who need the most support. Coping with bedwetting can be overwhelming f...
Unfortunately there is nothing we can do to make a child wake-up on their own, this is why we do not recommend that parents lift or wake their chil...
The first thing to keep in mind is that bedwetting is quite common among 5-year-old children with about 17% continuing to wet the bed at night – at...
The first thing to keep in mind is that bedwetting is quite common among 5-year-old children with about 10-15% waking up wet at least once a week o...
waking your son at night to take them to the toilet may help in reducing the number of wet beds, however this should only be done if it does not re...
Lifting or waking children is generally not recommended as it results in broken sleep and while it may lead to a dry bed in the morning it will not...
lots of patience and understanding are needed in the management of bedwetting and that’s not just for your son but for you too! A small bladder cap...
it can be extremely frustrating when a bedwetting treatment does not seem to work for your child. While the conditioning alarms currently have the ...
you would find most children your daughter’s age would still be wetting the bed at night with many professionals not even viewing nighttime wetting...
Feelings of helplessness and frustration are common among parents with children who wet the bed – you are not alone! Given her age I would recommen...
Many parents of children who wet the bed have commented to me on how deeply their child sleeps and while it definitely plays a role in bedwetting i...
many parents of children who wet the bed have commented on how deeply their child sleeps. Despite this a number of controlled studies have shown th...
it is not unusual for children to be wetting the bed at age 5 with about 15% of children still doing so by the time they start school. Children dev...
Hi Sandra, this is a very timely question! There was a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics (July, 2009) conducted by Dr Joseph Barone...
Hi John, there are a number of possible explanations for why your son continues to wet himself throughout the day. Given his age and the frequency...
Hi Rachel – it sounds like you have your hands full! I would not be overly concerned about her nighttime wetting at this point, this is perfectly...
Hi Peita – it is important that we help her to manage her daytime incontinence first before making any attempt to stop her nighttime wetting. It...
Hi Carol, there are a number of possible explanations for why your son continues to wet and soil himself throughout the day. Given his age and the...
I completely understand your frustration with this very challenging situation. While DryNites could certainly hold faeces overnight, this is not id...
Hi Michelle, it is important first to separate her daytime toileting from nighttime wetting. The important distinction here is one she can conscio...
Hi Elaine – this is an incredibly challenging situation for all involved. Firstly, my sympathies to you and your family for the loss of your grand...
It is always wise to follow-up with your doctor when children return to wetting after a significant period of continence. There are both physical ...
Hi Leisa, the first thing you need to do is seek medical advice – any form of daytime incontinence after the age of 5 years needs to be investiga...
Regular urination throughout the day can be a result of a number of different factors. The fact that he also wets through his DryNites at night m...
Hi Claire, There are a number of possible explanations for why your son is wetting himself. Given his age and the frequency of his wetting I would...
Hi Belinda – it’s always a good idea to have children seen by their GP if they are over 5 years of age and continue to experience regular daytime a...
Have you discussed with your daughter whether she is aware of the sensation that she needs to go to the toilet and just doesn’t respond (which woul...
This must be very distressing for both you and your daughter. I would imagine that your daughter is also having to deal with negative comments dir...
While some children take months to toilet train, others will experience success within a few short weeks. The key to successful toilet training is ...
Hi Melissa - There are a number of reasons why children experience daytime accidents. The most common reason is that they have overactive bladders...
This is certainly a challenging situation. I would not be overly concerned about his nighttime wetting at this point, what we need to help him with...
Hi Jennifer – this must be very challenging for both you and your son. It’s great that he has a teacher who is supportive as this will certainly m...
Hi Trish – firstly, I’m very sorry for your loss and congratulations on the birth of your new baby. Faecal incontinence in children is typically a ...
It’s always lovely to hear from another parent! It is certainly true that many a daytime accident occurs as a result of children holding on for to...
Hi Lyndamarie, this is certainly a challenging and complex situation. In these situations I generally recommend that you adhere to your doctors su...
Hi Madeleine, while it perfectly normal for your son to be still wetting the bed at night, any type of daytime wetting after the age of 5 years sho...
Hi C.W., This certainly sounds behavioural and most likely in response to the birth of her baby brother. It is not unusual for children to regre...
Hi Luke, given your son’s age and the complexities involved with the situation I would recommend that you make an appointment with your GP. Ther...
Hi Robert, while DryNites can certainly be used for the management of daytime continence I would recommend that you have a few trial runs at home f...
Hi Robert, while it is perfectly fine to use DryNites during the day to help manage your daytime wetting it is important to understand that these w...
Hi Beckie, this must be a very challenging time for you. While it is perfectly fine for you to use DryNites if they provide a proper fit, there a...
While it is perfectly fine to use DryNites to help manage daytime wetting it is important to understand that these will not help him to stop wettin...
Many parents of children who wet the bed comment how deeply their child sleeps - while this plays a role in children’s bedwetting it is not a prima...
Unfortunately nighttime continence does not work in the same way as daytime training – nighttime wetting typically happens when children are asleep...
Hi Belinda – this is incredibly frustrating but not that uncommon. The average time it takes children to become toilet trained is anywhere between ...
Hi Amanda – bladder infections are certainly one cause of nighttime wetting so I would definitely have your son checked by your GP. I would also d...
Hi Kerry – divorce can be incredibly stressful for all involved, especially young children. It is not uncommon for children to experience toiletin...
Hi Christine - Faecal incontinence in children is typically a sign that your child is suffering from constipation. If left untreated, constipation ...
Children diagnosed with kidney reflux can experience bedwetting as a symptom of this condition. Depending on your daughters diagnosis, children wi...
your son’s type of bedwetting would be considered secondary enuresis (SE) – this is less common and has different underlying causes. When children ...
Hi Britney – nice to hear from you again! Leakage often results from improper fit, which can occur if your DryNites are too small. Check that the...
While perfectly normal, this must be incredibly frustrating for both you and him! Reassure him that it is very common for children as they move tow...
When it comes to parenting, consistency is certainly the key, whether we are talking about managing challenging behaviours or bedwetting. The good...
While it is true that some children are able to outgrow bedwetting on their own, others do benefit from some form of treatment. When the bedwettin...
Trying to manage our children’s bedwetting can be quite the juggling act. We try and hide our frustration and exhaustion at coping with the consta...
Hi K. C. – your daughter has very little control over her bladder while asleep, so while rewards can be very motivating during the day, they will d...
This is a very challenging situation. While you can certainly use reward systems to encourage her to drink regularly throughout the day, this is i...
Hi Dianne, one of the trickiest things for parents when it comes to managing our children’s bedwetting is ensuring that it does not impact advers...
Hi Delia, due to the underlying genetic link it is not unusual to find a number of children in the one family experiencing nighttime wetting. Whil...
Hi – there are a number of treatments available to help your daughter to become dry at night. While conditioning alarms experience the best outcom...
It can be incredibly frustrating when it seems like you’ve tried it all yet met with little success! While conditioning alarms continue to experien...
Dealing with bedwetting can be incredibly challenging and failure to respond to treatment only adds to our stress. If you have not done so already ...
Hi Fiona, the most frustrating thing about bedwetting is that there are so many potential underlying causes that it can be difficult to treat. T...
Even though it is our children who wet the bed, it’s often the parents who need the most support (and often don’t receive any!). Coping with bedwe...
DryNites work in much the same way as a nappy, and can hold both fecal matter and urine. Parents of older children with significant developmental d...
It can be very frustrating and disheartening when treatments do not result in the desired outcome! Nasal sprays are generally seen as a form of man...
While there is less scientific support for natural remedies, some parents and children have reported improvements in bedwetting following the use o...
Hi Ruth – it really sounds like you are doing all the right things. As I’m sure you are fully aware, the tricky and often frustrating thing about ...
Continence issues are often an indicator of stress in young children, which explains why your daughter returned to wetting during the day after you...
Hi Miranda, It is quite common for parents of children who wet the bed to comment on how heavy a sleeper their child is. Researchers have shown tha...
It can be incredibly frustrating when you feel like you’ve tried it all and yet met with little success. When it comes to the more traditional m...
Hi Jenayah – while it’s great that your daughter is not upset by the fact that she wets at night, I see how frustrating this must be for you given ...
Hi Rachael, due to the strong genetic link it is not unusual to find a number of children in the same family experiencing bedwetting. When genet...
Hi Brooke - while we no longer recommend restricting fluids completely before bedtime it is perfectly fine to reduce the amount he drinks in the ev...
It really is a personal decision as to whether or not to use DryNites. Many parents (and children) choose to use DryNites to reduce the stress asso...
Hi Kelly, when bedwetting starts to impact on a child’s self-esteem then it is time to think about treatment regardless of how old they are! Fir...
Hi Jack – first let me say what a wonderful thing you are doing. I have a number of colleagues who foster children and I understand how challe...
In can be incredibly frustrating and disheartening when you feel like you have tried it all and still your child continues to wet at night. While ...
It can be incredibly frustrating when it seems like you’ve tried it all yet met with little success! The best forms of treatment are conditionin...
Bedwetting can be incredibly distressing for the whole family. If you have not done so already the first step is to make an appointment with your ...
It is not uncommon for children your son’s age to still be wetting the bed on a regular basis; bedwetting is far more common among boys than gi...
Hi K.W. – the majority of children who wet the bed have nothing medically wrong with them. While doctors and researchers have been able to ident...
Hi Paula - Your first step is to meet with your GP just so he or she can run a few tests just to make sure your daughter’s nighttime wetting is not...
It’s great that you’ve been able to identify a pattern to your daughter’s nighttime wetting. From what you have written it appears that you daught...
Once upon a time parents used to be encouraged to carry their child to the toilet during the night to help avoid a wet bed. While waking or lifting...
Hi Vanessa (and Jye) – I am so sorry to hear that your son was made to feel responsible for his bedwetting. As I am sure you are fully aware, chil...
Hi Emily – you are spot in describing waking or lifting as being an ineffective means of managing children’s bedwetting. Children who have achi...
Hi M. B., the way parents manage children’s bedwetting can often make or break a delicate situation. It really is a personal decision as to whether...
Hi Cassie, given the frequency of your daughter’s bedwetting I would certainly recommend that you make an appointment to discuss this with your GP....
Hi Gina – firstly in the short-term I would recommend trying DryNites rather than Pull-Ups, these are specifically designed for nighttime use and a...
Hi H. C. – it can be incredibly frustrating when you feel you have given your all to a treatment and it still doesn’t result in a positive outcome....
Hi R. P., when bedwetting continues for many years it is completely understandable that children start to believe that it will never stop! Have yo...
Hi Antoinette, firstly, my apologies for the delay in responding … The most successful form of bedwetting treatment is the conditioning or bedwet...
Unfortunately while medications are helpful in the short-term they generally do not help children to achieve permanent nighttime continence. Abou...
Hi Claudia – given your concerns I would certainly recommend that you speak with your GP and organise a full physical examination which may inclu...
While research certainly shows links between deep sleeping patterns and bedwetting, it is not the primary cause of why it happens in the first plac...
Hi Monica, I am not familiar with this centre so am unable to advise whether or not to pursue this further. The underlying cause of children’s bed...
Bedwetting runs in families, which means that children who have parents who wet the bed, are much more likely to wet the bed themselves. The upsid...
Bedwetting can be incredibly distressing for children especially as they move toward the teenage years. Given her age and the negative impact th...
Hi D.T. - there are a number of causes to bedwetting and genetics certainly has a role to play. We typically say that if one parent wet the bed as...
DryNites fit like an underpant and can be worn comfortably under pyjamas or boxer shorts at night – some individuals choose to wear underpants over...
It is not unusual for teenagers to experience a return to bedwetting at times of stress or emotional upheaval. Although this may seem incredibly e...
Unfortunately I do not reside in Auckland. I would recommend that you contact the New Zealand Psychological Society (http://www.psychology.org.nz)...
Hi D.S – given your age and weight you need to look into purchasing a product designed for adults – it is important that these fit properly around ...
If you have outgrown the largest DryNites I would recommend that you look into some of the incontinence products designed for adults – you can pu...
It is not unusual for chldren who have been diagnosed with a small bladder capacity to experience nocturnal enuresis. This form of incontinence of...
Hi Chantell, it is perfectly normal for your son to be still wetting the bed at night so there is absolutely no cause for concern. Many children, ...
Hi Lisa, while it is certainly true that many children outgrow bedwetting on their own, this is not the case for everyone. The important thing to ...
Hi Rachael, firstly I would recommend trying DryNites rather than Pull-Ups, these are specifically designed for nighttime use and are much more abs...
Hi Sarah – unfortunately unlike daytime continence the road to achieving nighttime continence is less direct, with many a speed bump! Unlike toile...
Hi Natasha, parents of children who wet the bed often comment on how ‘heavy a sleeper’ their child is. Researchers have shown that while deep sleep...
Hi T.L – symptoms of Neuronal Intestinal Dysplasia (NID) can include constipation, abnormal sleeping patterns as well as incontinence of the bladde...
This must very challenging for you. In a very small percentage of cases bedwetting can extend right through to our adult years. The fact that y...
Hi Nikole – it can be incredibly frustrating when you continue to wet the bed at night despite a strong motivation to stop. It is unlikely that yo...
Hi David – while I’m not aware of any research directly linking testosterone with bedwetting in boys, there may be an indirect link in that increas...
The time between being daytime trained and achieving nighttime continence is quite variable. Unlike toilet training, which is conscious and delibe...
Hi Kerry, many children prefer to wear DryNites as it gives them confidence they need in order to go to sleep at night and reduces the anxiety asso...
Hi Vicki, in order for your daughter to become dry at night she either needs to learn to wake in response to a full-bladder or her bladder needs to...
Dear H.M., It is not unusual for children to waiver between periods of dryness and return to wetting as they move toward achieving permanent nightt...
Hi Charlene, the time it takes between achieving daytime control and nighttime continence is quite variable. Some children achieve this in a matte...
Hi Louise, given your daughter was dry for over two years it would be a good idea to first have her checked by your GP just to make sure there is n...
In must be incredibly frustrating and disheartening when you feel like you have tried it all and still your son continues to wet at night. While m...
Hi Emily, in the vast majority of cases children are completely unaware that they are wetting or have wet the bed. Unfortunately there are a lot ...
Hi Natasha, you are not alone here with many parents experiencing similar patterns of nighttime wetting with their young children. It is quite c...
Firstly, let me reassure you that it is perfectly normal for children to continue to wet the bed at night up until around age 6 years. I generally ...
As I am sure you are aware, bedwetting has a number of different causes, with low hormone levels being just one possible factor. Without knowing...
Hi Cathy, it is not unusual for children your daughters age to still be wetting the bed at night with around 1 in 7 children continuing to do so by...
Hi B.H., unfortunately there are no simple answers when it comes to understanding children’s bedwetting. The most common causes of bedwetting incl...
Hi A. H., given the frequency of his wetting it is unlikely that he is ready to go to bed without the use of an absorbent pant of some other absorb...
It is not unusual for parents to comment on an increase in bedwetting during the winter months and then find their children stop wetting again ...
Hi S. B. – while you are correct in saying it is perfectly normal for a child your sons age to be still wetting at night if you are at all concerne...
Dear R.M., that is wonderful to hear - thank you so much for sharing that with us! Regards, Dr Cathrine
Hi S.C. – as children move toward achieving permanent nighttime continence it is not unusual for them to waiver between periods of dryness than r...
Given his daytime wetting it is a very wise decision to have him checked by your GP. Your doctor will want to know things like how often he wets t...
Hi Liezle – the frustrating and challenging part of bedwetting is that we often do not know what is causing it to occur – this also presents a numb...
Bedwetting can be incredibly challenging to manage, particularly when it occurs on a regular basis. There are a number of reasons as to why childre...
Hi Razan – bedwetting treatments are generally not recommend for children under 6 years of age, this is largely due to the fact that it is consider...
It is not unusual for children your daughters age to still be wetting the bed at night with around 1 in 7 children continuing to do so by school-ag...
Hi Michelle - Happy New Year to you too! It can be incredibly frustrating for parents when you feel you have done all the right things and your chi...
Hi Aleisha – firstly, please be reassured that it is perfectly normal for a 5-year-old boy to still wet at night. If you are however concerned abo...
Hi Y. S., it can be incredibly frustrating when you feel like you have tried it all and still your child continues to wet the bed at night. The fi...
Given your son’s age and the potential impact his bedwetting can have on his social interactions – now is the time to look into introducing some fo...
Hi Jane, Sleepovers, slumber parties and school camps are common sources of stress for children who wet the bed. It is important that your son is...
Hi Lisa, while there has certainly been some debate about the use of absorbent pants in the management of children’s bedwetting there is no resea...
Hi Michelle, it’s lovely to hear from you. Bedwetting has a number of underlying causes. The most common cause of bedwetting is a neurological-de...
Hi P.C, it is perfectly normal for your son to be still using nappies throughout the day. The average age for boys to achieve daytime continence i...
Hi Melissa, the age at which children achieve nighttime continence is quite variable with many boys not becoming dry at night until 8 years of age....
Hi Rebecca, it is perfectly normal for your son to still be wetting the bed at night. The time between achieving daytime continence and nighttime ...
Hi L.T. - Not surprisingly, bedwetting becomes more of an issue as children get older and want to start attending sleepovers or school camps. Give...
Dear Karen and Ben, it must be incredibly frustrating and disheartening when you feel like you’ve tried it all and still no success. There are a f...
Hi K.J., this is perfectly normal behaviour, in fact some medical professionals argue that bedwetting, particularly among boys, is developmentally ...
Hi Kristy, while reward systems are generally discouraged in the management of children’s bedwetting you could certainly adopt this approach to try...
Hi Tiffany, while bedwetting can be incredibly distressing for parents please be reassured that it is perfectly normal for your son to still wet th...
Hi D. B., It sounds like your son is experiencing night tremors, a common occurrence among toddlers and preschoolers. Night tremors differ from nig...
Hi Rochelle - Unfortunately when it comes to treating children’s bedwetting, what works for one does not necessarily work for others. How old was ...
Hi Velika, the time it takes between achieving daytime control and nighttime continence is quite variable. Some children achieve this in a matter ...
Hi Karolyn, this must be incredibly distressing for you all. Certainly when it comes to the more traditional measures, conditioning alarms continue...
Thank you for submitting your question to Dr Cathrine. It has come to our attention that you have submitted 18 questions to Dr Cathrine. We und...
Children’s overnight urine output can be quite variable – parents of children who seem to pass a lot of urine overnight sometimes find it easier to...
There is little evidence to suggest that wearing absorbent pants either extends or shortens the bedwetting process. The main purpose of DryNites i...
Hi M. A. – It is quite common for 3-year-old children to be wetting the bed at night. While some children become dry at night a few weeks or month...
Hi Kim - the age at which children stop wetting the bed is quite variable. Given the strong genetic link it is not unusual for a number of children...
Hi Pauline, given the strong genetic link it is not unusual to find a number of children in the one family who wet the bed – however, if neither yo...
Children with special needs often take longer to attain bladder and bowel control, with many parents sighting toileting issues as one of the bigges...
Hi Michelle, you do not mention in your question how long your son had been dry at night for. If it has been for a period of 6 months or more then...
Hi Angela, you seem to be completely on top of the situation. While we no longer recommend restricting fluids completely before bedtime it is a go...
Hi Sharyn, the first thing you need to do is rule out any underlying medical cause. Sometimes a return to daytime wetting may be a sign of a urina...
Hi Maria - It is not uncommon for parents of children who wet the bed to comment on how heavy a sleeper their child is. Children who are particular...
Hi A.K. - The tricky (and frustrating!) thing about bedwetting is that we do not always know why it happens – which means that it is not simple and...
Hi Dianne - Secondary Nocturnal Enuresis (SNE) is the term used to describe a situation where children have been previously dry for six or more mon...
Hi Carmen - if your son’s kidney is healthy and completely normal it may not be the cause of his bedwetting. Bedwetting can be the result of a num...
Hi K.T. – firstly, let me congratulate you on making the distinction between accidental and deliberate wetting, this is not always easily done espe...
Hi Kathleen - It is quite common for parents of children who wet the bed to comment on how heavy a sleeper their child is. Children who are particu...
Hi S.C. – bedwetting tends to become more of an issue as children get older and want to start attending sleepovers. One way you could reduce his an...
This is certainly a challenging situation. Alarms are generally the most effective means of treating bedwetting, although it is true that they do ...
Sometimes a change in environment can contribute to children’s bedwetting. It is also quite common for children to experience an increase in bedwe...
Absorbency levels are the same for both sizes so the only reason to change would be if the small size were too small. It is important that the DryN...
Hi Jodie – one of the most frustrating things for parents of children who wet the bed is that we don’t always understand why it is happening. W...
Firstly, let me reassure you that what your son is experiencing is perfectly normal for someone his age. There are a number of possible reasons why...
Given you are not aware that you are wetting at night, I would not necessarily describe this behaviour as deliberate. If your wetting were uncontr...
Hi D. K. – parenting can be both incredibly challenging and equally rewarding. As parents, we can become frustrated or angry with our children esp...
Hi Anna, your son is experiencing what is commonly referred to as secondary nocturnal enuresis – a term which is used to describe the condition w...
Hi Sue – Parents of children who wet the bed often comment on the fact that their child sleeps through unaware of the fact that they have wet. Thi...
Hi Christine, as frustrating as this behaviour may be please be reassured that it is perfectly normal and has very little to do with anything you o...
Hi Hilary, the time between achieving daytime continence and nighttime control is different for every child. While some achieve this in a matter o...
There are a number of possible contributing factors at play here. Firstly, there is a much higher incidence of bedwetting among children with autis...
Hi Diana, the best indicator that your son is moving toward achieving nighttime continence is an increase in the number of mornings he wakes-up dry...
If you have not done so already the first thing you need to do is schedule an appointment with your GP for a full medical assessment. Bedwetting m...
It is very common for children as they move toward achieving permanent nighttime continence to oscillate between periods of dryness and times when ...
In order for your son to become dry at night he either needs to learn to wake in response to a full-bladder or his bladder needs to develop to a po...
Bedwetting among teenagers can really impact on their self-esteem and can lead to isolation and alienation. Having a teenager who wets the bed can ...
Hi Cherie, firstly, let me reassure you that your son’s behaviour is perfectly normal. It is quite common for children to experience daytime acc...
Bedwetting can be incredibly worrying especially when children continue to wet at night beyond the age most people think it should stop. The reass...
Hi Sarah, in terms of management it sounds like you are doing everything right! The amount of urine children produce overnight is quite variable. ...
Hi V.S. – It is not unusual for children to waiver between periods of dryness and wetting as they move toward achieving permanent nighttime conti...
Hi M.L – there are a number of possible reasons why children wet the bed. Some do so because their nervous system is slow to process the feeling...
Hi Nelly, nappy rash typically results from skin contact with a wet or dirty nappy. Mositure plus friction resulting from his DryNites moving again...
Waking or lifting children to the toilet during the night is typically seen as a practical approach to managing children’s bedwetting in the short-...
One of the best indicators that your son is moving toward achieving nighttime continence is an increase in the number of mornings he wakes up dry. ...
Hi Danielle, it can be very frustrating when treatments do not result in the desired outcome! Nasal sprays are generally seen as a form of manageme...
Hi Jacqueline, it is not particularly unusual for boys your son’s age to be still wetting the bed at night on a regular basis. However, given th...
Hi Alice, it is perfectly normal for your 4-year-old son to still be wetting the bed at night with many children continuing to do so right up to sc...
Hi Rebecca – it was once common practice to encourage children who wet the bed at night to try and hold on to their ‘wees’ during the day, as thi...
Regardless of what other issues you have to deal with, coping with bedwetting can be incredibly testing and if not managed effectively can exacerba...
Hi Christine – managing children’s bedwetting can be incredibly challenging and this is partly due to the fact that we do not always know what is c...
Hi N. C. as challenging as this may be please be reassured this is perfectly normal behaviour for a 4-year-old boy. If you are at all concerned abo...
Hi Rebecca - While stress can certainly be a contributing factor in secondary bedwetting it would be worthwhile having your son checked by his GP j...
Hi James - it is preferrable that you use the DryNites designed for boys as the aborbancy patterns differ and a change to girls DryNites may in fac...
Hi R. M., please be reassured it is perfectly normal for your son to still be wetting the bed at night with many children (especially boys) conti...
Hi A.R., firstly, let me reassure you that it is not uncommon for 6-year-old boys to be still wetting at night, with some doctors suggesting it i...
It is not uncommon for children your son’s age to still be wetting the bed on a regular basis; bedwetting is far more common among boys than girls,...
Hi Helen – children generally become dry at night when their body has matured to the point where it can store the amount of urine their kidneys p...
Hi Y. J., bedwetting can be incredibly frustrating especially when there seems to be no obvious cause. As a parent, the most important thing is to...
Hi Alison – the way parents manage children’s bedwetting can often make or break a delicate situation. The first thing you need to do is reassure ...
Hi Jacquelene, it is very unusual (but not unheard of) for children to wet the bed out of laziness. Developing nighttime continence is not dissimil...
Hi Michelle, your son’s wetting would be considered secondary nocturnal enuresis, which describes the condition where a child returns to nightt...
Hi Jane – as frustrating as this is, it really is a very encouraging sign that your son is moving toward achieving nighttime continence. While som...
Hi Carina, this must be incredibly frustrating. Children’s nighttime urine output is quite variable. A small number of children who wet the bed do...
Hi Josie, it is not unusual for children who take longer to become dry at night to return to wetting at times of stress, sickness or when they be...
Children’s bedwetting can be incredibly challenging as often there appears to be no pattern or clear explanation for why it is occurring. What you...
Hi Georgie, sometimes there appears to be no rhyme or reason to children’s bedwetting, which can be incredibly frustrating! It is not particularly...
Hi Elisa, please be reassured it is perfectly normal for your son to still be wetting the bed at night with many children (especially boys) conti...
Hi Carrie, the age at which children achieve nighttime continence is quite variable with some children becoming dry as young as 3 years of age an...
Hi Katie, this not particularly unusual but frustrating nonetheless. I think what is most frustrating for parents in these situations, is there ap...