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 absorbent product.
One of the best indicators that a child is moving toward achieving nighttime continence is an increase in the number of mornings he wakes up dry. Unfortunately many children link bedwetting with daytime wetting and feel that they are not as grown-up as other children because they still wet. An important role for you as his parent is to help him to understand that bedwetting is something quite different, with even some teenagers and adults wetting the bed at night. There are some great information books and stories that you can read to him which will help him to put this more into perspective (if you use the terms “children-stories-bedwetting” on one of the online bookstores you will find some useful resources). Have you tried him with DryNites? Many children prefer these to nappies or Pull-Ups as they look a little more like an underpant and less ‘nappy-like’. It is important however that he does not feel forced into wearing them as we want him to continue to feel positive about himself and the situation. If he really does not want to wear the DryNites you can use other bedwetting products like plastic mattress protectors, although this will not save on laundry. You could also think about introducing a conditioning alarm. These are usually not recommended until children are a little older however given his obvious motivation to become dry you may find this works for you. If this sounds like a good option it is important that you meet with a continence advisor first as the more support you receive, the greater the likelihood of a successful outcome. All the best!

Regards,
Dr Cathrine

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