Hi Karen, When children return to bedwetting after an extended period of continence the first thing to consider is what has caused this change. The fact that you daughter was able to sleep though the night for 6 months or more without wetting is a very good indication that her bladder is able to store the amount of urine her body produces overnight. The fact that she wets within the first couple of hours of going to sleep is not particularly unusual as children move into REM sleep (which is a deep sleep pattern) within about 60-90 minutes of falling asleep. REM (or Stage 4 sleep) is typically the part of the sleep cycle when behaviours like bedwetting and sleepwalking occur. Given your daughter was dry for an extended period I would recommend that you have her checked by your GP just to make sure there are no medical reasons for her to return to wetting. Once you get the all clear I would probably hold off on introducing any form of treatment at this early stage. You can try and minimize the amount of urine she produces overnight by making sure she drinks water regularly throughout the day while tapering off in the evenings. Continue getting her to use the toilet just before bedtime and perhaps think about bringing her bedtime forward a little to avoid over-tiredness as this can make it more difficult for her to wake in response to full bladder.

Regards,
Dr Cathrine

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