Hi Hollyanne – there are a number of reasons why people wet the bed at night, some do so because their brain has not learnt to recognise the signal sent from their bladder to wake-up and go to the toilet, others do so because their bladder cannot hold the amount of urine they produce overnight. A very deep sleep pattern is certainly a contributing factor as this makes it even more difficult for you to respond to those signals. It is very common for bedwetting to run in families, when this is the case we find that children often outgrow their bedwetting around a similar age that their parent did. The fact that you are starting to experience extended periods of dry nights is a very encouraging sign that you are moving toward achieving permanent continence. This may be a good time for you to reintroduce the conditioning alarm, as individuals with less frequent wetting tend to experience greater success. If you do decide to do this, you should speak with a continence advisor as the more support you and your mother receive, the greater the likelihood of a positive outcome. It is important to stay as positive as possible during this time, while it may seem at the moment that this will go on forever, you need to know that it won’t. In the meantime you need to make sure that you do not allow yourself to become over-tired as this will make it more difficult for you to wake. You can reduce the amount of pressure you place on your bladder by avoiding foods and drinks high in caffeine – these include caffeinated drinks (sodas), coffee, tea and chocolate. Good luck – I’m sure your dry nights are just around the corner!!!

Regards, Dr Cathrine

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