Five-year-old bedwetting?

Totally normal, which is why you can find night nappies for much older children these days. HAve a look on the net and you'll see lots of information. More common in boys as well.


To help out I use the Slumber Dry mat which is a fabulous product from Australia - so much easier than having to change sheets in the night. They have a web site. Good Luck.

I really wouldn't worry about it. Like Ruth, my son also had the occasional wet bed until he was 7.

Aquarius, you just put your finger right on the cause, maybe even without realizing it! Some children are just heavy sleepers! Their body / brain just doesn't wake them up when it's time to pee. It's a neurological thing, completely within normal, and he will outgrow it. One of my friends just went through a huge medical workup of her son (who is 12 years old and still does it) just to be told this exact same thing. You could get it checked out "just in case," but don't worry too much. While it may be embarassing for him now (sleepovers and such) reassure him that it's okay, normal, and he'll outgrow it. My sister had this same problem, and well into her teens she used to set an alarm clock to go off at 1 AM or so. I think Ruth's ideas are really good, too. Another one to avoid is caffeine I think? Anyway, training the bladder to "hold it" a little longer during the day will help it learn to "hold it" a little longer at night, but one thing you do NOT want to risk is holding it too long and potential for bladder infections that can come from that. You could talk to a urologist about it, but my thought is that holding it just a few minutes, to build the skill a tiny bit, would be better than trying to "hold it" for a long time. I did have a child who had to to to a pediatric urologist one time (yes, there is such a thing) and he told my child that if a person didn't pee at least every two hours during the day, they weren't drinking enough fluid. A lesson for all of us to apply!! But if you do stay really well hydrated during the day, then I think it would be okay to cut back on liquids starting an hour before bedtime and then empty the bladder before bed, in the hopes that it wouldn't refill so fast.

Hi aquarius30,

Why don't you try the incontinence detector (a tiny machine that you can put on your boy's underpants at night)? It'll give your boy a buzz (a soft sound) and wakes him up when he starts to wet his pants (it is quite sensitive and can detect a small amount of liquid) so that he can go to the bathroom. That will train him to be able to wake up to go wee wee at night eventually. The machine boasts a success rate of 90% within 12 weeks. It is called "Dri Sleeper" and is made in New Zealand and 100% safe. I am a medical and have kids with similar problem cured by training with it. You can buy it from Medimart (G/F Johnston Road, Wanchai opposite to the Wesley Church ,phone no. 2866-8608). It costs around HKD1000 (may be more now). Or you Ccan hire a similar machine from Byrne & Hickman Physiotherapy (Shop 106 Hutchison House, 10 Harcourt Road, Central phone no. 2521 3531).

If this does not work, I suggest that you take him to a urologist to make sure that there is no abnoramilites in his urinary system.

Good luck!!