children hold onto their bowel motions for a number of reasons. For some it is a matter of control - this is often the case when other things in th...
I’m very sorry to hear that your son has been the victim of abuse this must be very upsetting for you. Abuse is a known cause of secondary nocturna...
Firstly let me apologies for the delay in getting back to you we have had an overwhelming response to the “ask the expert” feature and I have been ...
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...
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 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....
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 ...
I completely understand your desire to help your child achieve nighttime dryness before the birth of your second child. Unfortunately while childre...
Given the strong family history it is quite common for more than one child in the family to experience bedwetting. Perhaps either you or your husba...
There are a number of treatments available to help children attain nighttime dryness – the suitability of these depends on each individual so it is...
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. Wh...
firstly, let me say that she is still very young so I wouldn’t be concerned about the occasional wet bed – this is something that will come to an e...
It is perfectly normal for your 3-year-old daughter to be wetting at night. In fact many professionals do not even consider bedwetting to be an iss...
Gaining control over your bladder is a gradual process – typically children gain control during the day first then gradually achieve nighttime cont...
Unfortunately there seems to be no quick fixes or simple solutions when it comes to bedwetting with the most common resolution being time. While un...
Unfortunately there seems to be no quick fixes or simple solutions when it comes to bedwetting with the most common resolution being time. While un...
Developing bladder control can take a little longer for some children with about 15% of children still wetting the bed by the time they start schoo...
It is perfectly normal for your daughter to be wetting the bed at age 4. While it is true that some children do achieve nighttime dryness within a ...
Hi Shona - It is very common for a child with additional support needs to take a little longer to attain bladder and bowel control. In order for ...
Hi Kathy - the key to successful toilet training is timing. In order for Jack to succeed, he needs to be physically, emotionally and mentally rea...
Hi Mary, as with all children it is best not to begin toilet training until the boys show signs that they are physically and mentally ready and int...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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, ...
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 – there are a number of treatments available to help your daughter to become dry at night. While conditioning alarms experience the best outcom...
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 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 Brooke - while we no longer recommend restricting fluids completely before bedtime it is perfectly fine to reduce the amount he drinks in the ev...
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...
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 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 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...
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 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...
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. ...
If you look at the research the most effective treatments are conditioning alarms – they are successful in about 75% of cases, unfortunately your d...
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...
There are a number of bell and pad alarms currently on the market - some of these allow you to use a recording (which can be your voice) instead of...
this must be incredibly frustrating and upsetting for you. One of the major side effects of bedwetting, particularly among adolescents, is the impa...
Understandably, the older children get the greater potential their bedwetting will impact negatively on their self-esteem. This has a lot to do wit...
Most children who wet the bed have no underlying medical condition and many of these are able to outgrow it on their own. However if your child’s b...
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...
While children can be taught to control their bladder during the day, nighttime continence is a completely different story. The first and most impo...
it is not unusual for children to experience periods of dry nights then a return to wetting as they travel the road toward nighttime continence. Th...
Unfortunately when it comes to bedwetting many parents and children suffer in silence, too embarrassed to discuss their situation with anyone while...
this must be very distressing for both you and your daughter. It is not unusual for a child who has experienced some difficulty achieving nighttime...
it is perfectly normal for parents to feel worried as well as a little frustrated when their child continues to wet the bed at night. Urinary tract...
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...
Sometimes children begin to wet the bed again after experiencing a period of dryness – these children are experiencing what we refer to as secondar...
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. ...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
Your daughter is experiencing what we commonly refer to as secondary nocturnal enuresis (SNE) – this occurs when a child has maintained nighttime c...
Even though your bedwetting occurs relatively infrequently it still must be very frustrating and inconvenient. The first thing to think about is wh...
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...
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...
feelings of frustration and desperation are common among parents of children who wet the bed – particularly if they are like you and have to deal w...
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 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...
firstly let me reassure you that this is perfectly normal behaviour with at least 1 in 5 children your son’s age still wetting the bed at night on ...
Hi Tania, if you haven’t done so already I would recommend that you make an appointment to see your GP. While it is not unusual for children you...
Hi Karolyn, this must be incredibly distressing for you all. Certainly when it comes to the more traditional measures, conditioning alarms continue...
Hi Jimmy, while it is certainly true that some children outgrow bedwetting, this is not the case for everyone. The good news is that there are a n...
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 S.B – your daughter is suffering from secondary nocturnal enuresis (SNE) a term used to describe the condition where a child has maintained prop...
Hi M.J., it doesn’t sound like your son has a problem with bedwetting given he is able to wake-up in response to a full-bladder and has a dry nappy...
This must be incredibly distressing for you all. Certainly when it comes to the more traditional measures, conditioning alarms continue to experien...
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 Anna, while it is perfectly normal for 5-year-old children to be still wetting the bed at night, given she had been dry for an extended period i...
This is certainly a challenging situation. Alarms are generally the most effective means of treating bedwetting, although it is true that they do ...
Hi Kath – one of the common misconceptions surrounding bedwetting is that children somehow have control over the situation and if presented with ad...
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...
While children have conscious control over their bladder during the day this is not necessarily the case at nighttime which is why many children co...
Hi Faith – when bedwetting continues into the teenage years it can begin to impact on a child’s self-esteem and social relationships. One of the m...
Hi Kerry – divorce can be incredibly stressful for all involved, especially young children. It is not uncommon for children to experience toiletin...
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...
Hi Renay, it can be incredibly frustrating when your child continues to wet at night despite your best efforts to help them stop; please be reassur...
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...
It is very common for children as they move toward achieving permanent nighttime continence to oscillate between periods of dryness and times when ...
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...
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-...
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 ...
About six percent of children continue to wet the bed at night by age 7 years – so you are not alone! While many children do outgrow the problem,...
Hi Simone - The incidence of bedwetting in children with ADHD is about two to three times higher than for other children. Children with ADHD are al...
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...
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...
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 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 Steven – as embarrassing as this may seem you are not alone. There are thousands of people, including teenagers and adults, who wet the bed at ...
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 Edmund, while parents used to be encouraged to wake their child throughout the night to help avoid a wet bed, this is no longer recommended as...
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 M. B. – given your daughter’s desire to move toward greater independence it would certainly be worthwhile making an appointment for her to see y...
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 Antoinette, firstly, my apologies for the delay in responding … The most successful form of bedwetting treatment is the conditioning or bedwet...
Hi M.O – due to the underlying genetic cause, it is not unusual to find a number of children in the one family who wet the bed at night. Knowing t...
Hi Michelle, your son’s wetting would be considered secondary nocturnal enuresis, which describes the condition where a child returns to nightt...
It can be incredibly upsetting for children when they start wetting the bed again after being dry for an extended period. Firstly, you need to r...
Hi Dominic, while it is certainly possible that your son will outgrow bedwetting on his own, the chances of children doing this reduce, as they get...
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...
It is perfectly normal for a 5-year-old boy to be still wetting at night, with about 1 in 5 children continuing to do so at age 6. While the maj...
Bedwetting does run in families so it is not unusual to find a number of children in the one family experiencing nighttime wetting. When genetics ...
Hi Kristi, it can be incredibly frustrating when there appears to be no clear reason why children continue to wet at night. While the majority of...
Hi C. R. – bedwetting is often one of those things that no-one likes to talk about, with many parents feeling embarrassed and therefore suffer in s...
Hi K. S. – there are so many mixed messages out there; no wonder parents are confused when it comes to managing children’s bedwetting. I think the...
Hi Kersty, there is a lot of debate and discussion surrounding the causes of bedwetting. The one thing we do no is that not all children wet the b...
Hi Carey, it is very common for parents to comment on their child wavering between periods of being dry then returning to bedwetting again. The go...
Hi Michelle – managing children’s bedwetting can be incredibly tricky, partly because we often do not understand the underlying cause and partly be...
Unfortunately DryNites are only designed for children and adolescents up to age 15 years or 57 kg. Please see the Depends range - www.depends.com.a...
The benefit of DryNites is they encourage independence in children as they can take them on and off by themselves. However if your son experiences ...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
While it is quite common for children to continue to experience nighttime incontinence at age 6, regular daytime accidents are less common and shou...
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 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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
Hi Velika, the time it takes between achieving daytime control and nighttime continence is quite variable. Some children achieve this in a matter ...
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 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 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...
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...
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 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...
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...
There are a number of possible contributing factors at play here. Firstly, there is a much higher incidence of bedwetting among children with autis...
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...
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 Lyndamarie, this is certainly a challenging and complex situation. In these situations I generally recommend that you adhere to your doctors su...
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...
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 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...
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 distressing for the whole family. If you have not done so already the first step is to make an appointment with your ...
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...
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 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 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 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 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 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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Hi Helen, 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...
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...
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 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 ...
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...
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...
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 Emily – you are spot in describing waking or lifting as being an ineffective means of managing children’s bedwetting. Children who have achi...
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....
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...
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...