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 recommend to parents that if children continue to wet the bed by the end of kindergarten (first year of school) then it is a good idea to have them checked by a GP just to make sure there is no underlying medical cause. Unlike toilet training, which is conscious and deliberate, nighttime bladder control is more dependent on maturation of children’s nervous systems and bladder so it is much more challenging to train a child. One of the best indicators that a child is moving toward achieving nighttime continence is an increase in the number of mornings where she wakes-up dry. Training at night usually involves the use of a conditioning alarm (also commonly referred to as a bedwetting alarm), this works by helping your daughter learn to recognise the need to pass urine and either wake-up and go to the toilet or learn to hold on until morning. It is not unusual for children to require fluids throughout the night especially in summer although it does sound like she is drinking quite a lot. In saying this, it is important that you do not restrict her fluid intake as this can lead to constipation, a known contributor to bedwetting. Is the water in a drink bottle or in a baby bottle, if the latter you may find that she is using it as comfort rather than to quench her thirst? If so, you may need to substitute this for another item (such as a cuddly toy) that will serve a similar purpose but not result in a full bladder. The leakage of the nappies is most likely due to improper fit; this should reduce once she starts wearing her DryNites.

Regards,
Dr Cathrine

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