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 to wake to the signal that their bladder is full and needs to be emptied, others just have a smaller bladder capacity. Most children who wet the bed have no underlying medical condition with many outgrowing it on their own without the need for treatment. If however her bedwetting has become an issue for either yourself or her, then it is time to explore treatment options. Conditioning alarms currently have the highest success rates with about 75% of children achieving nighttime continence. The time it takes for the treatment to work can vary from child to child and it is common to experience one to two relapses in the first year so you will need lots of patience and understanding! Keep in mind that the success of these interventions depends on receiving correct instruction as well as the level of support provided. There are medications that are sometimes effective for treating bedwetting – the trouble is that once you stop these the bedwetting usually resumes. Doctors typically prescribe them for short-term use only and usually when children want to attend sleepovers or school camps. If you haven’t done this already I would recommend you schedule an appointment with your GP to make sure there is not a medical cause for her bedwetting, you can discuss different treatment options while you are there. In the meantime you may find it helpful to use an absorbent pant like DryNites – this will at least reduce the frustration associated with dealing with lots of wet sheets and will ensure your daughter isn’t waking up cold and wet in the middle of winter!

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