kids and bedwetting?

[mtemm]

my ds9 still wets the bed. a few years back I started having him wear goodnights to help curtail the mess. His pediatrician told me it was normal for some older kids to wet, so really was easy going about it. Now we have decided to go with an alarm system, so started that 2 nights ago.

the good thing so far is that my son is eager/motivated to do this, and now after 2 nights with the alarm I know for sure he is just a super sound sleeper...he doesn't hear or feel the alarm at all, so I keep me ears sharp and grab him once I hear it. I'm not worried about this part yet, since I'm reading reviews on amazon from those whose kids were the same way and it did end up working.

Just wondering if others have gone thru this and what they did/what worked for you?

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

Yep, been there, done that! It was my oldest and he was in second grade when we decided to do the alarm.

I felt so bad for him. He really didn't want the Good-Nights to sleep in anymore, but I got so tired of changing sheets every day. He'd try so hard to make it through the night and just couldn't do it. My pediatrician said the same thing about not worrying, especially with boys. But it was really getting hard because his younger brother was fine and didn't need the overnight diapers anymore.

So we ordered the alarm and decided to do it during one of the school vacation weeks--figuring sleep may not be so great with the alarm. We did it for two nights. Same thing you're going through. I'd go running as soon as I heard the alarm; he'd still be sound asleep.

On the third night, he asked once again if he could try on his own--no alarm, no diaper. I didn't want to but he was determined. He made it through the night! Amazing thing is he's 13 now and never, ever, ever wet the bed again after those two nights with the alarm!

I know it won't work the same for every child, but we were very lucky that we had such wonderful success so quickly. Hope the best for you and your son as well! Just be patient and encourage him. He'll get there!

 

[NAB]

My son was a bed wetter too. Our doctor told us that boy can be up to the age of 12. My son was 11. We used the Goodnight pants too. Doctor said he didn't know any teenagers that wear them so not to worry.

I noticed that the diaper was warm in the morning so I knew he was going then. He got used to them or lazy take you pick. That is when I tried with out using them for a few days it was a learning curve for him but after that we were ok. He is a sound sleeper but it seemed to fix itself with him just going in the morning like most do but he decided not to get up. Believe me he didn't want a wet bed after that.

Your son might not be ready yet. Never used the alarm system. Not sure my son would hear it. Maybe he is just not developed yet to not go durning the night.

 

[LisaR]

The number one complaint about the alarm is that the child doesn't hear it but everyone else in the family does. Keep at it! He will start to sleep lighter and hear it on his own. It takes time and conditioning. The first few weeks were much harder on the rest of the family than they were on my son. In time, the alarm would wake him up and he would shut it off before it disturbed anyone else. It worked exactly like it should, but it does take time. Good luck!

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Our DD never, ever woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom from the time she was potty trained so she wore UnderJams to bed. Very heavy sleeper, sleeps though an alarm clock- a wet bed wouldn't wake her up either. Our doctor told us to wait until 6 years old to try the Malem alarm and that was our original plan. At 5 years, 3 months we were coming home from Disney and DD fell asleep on the plane and had an accident (she never had an accident napping in the car- only at night) and for her it was the final straw- she begged us to try the alarm. Since we she was the one who was taking the initiative we ordered one.

First night it didn't wake her- accident. Second night she was drowsy and almost made it to the bathroom with my help dragging her out of bed. Every night got better and after a week no more accidents. We kept the alarm on for an additional week but it never went off. This was 2.5 years ago- since then she has had only one accident!

 

[dyna]

Never tried the alarm with DD who wet the bed regularly thru high school. This was before the days of Good Nights or anything to help with the mess or the embaressment.

What I did at about age 4 DD was to bring the wet bedding to the washer I'd wash an dry an help her make her bed.

Age 6 or 7 she was responsible for making her own bed as well as bringing the bedding.

A couple of yrs after that she was responsible for putting bedding in washer if it was not a school day in dryer as well an making bed.

I never fussed at DD for wetting bed or anything I'd been there knew no child over the age of 4 would not willingly wet the bed at night.

Another thing was that DD did not get fancy character bedding ect I can not day that was right or wrong. My other 2 got character bedding about age 4 or 5. The rule was you pee bed you don't get to sleep with the pretty fancy bedding for a week. My other 2 only had to go 1 week without there fav character bed. Finally when the bedwetter turned 13 she got a nice bed set she picked out. I was surprised how well it held up.

 

[MAW137]

My dd is almost 9 and still wets the bed too. I have decided to try medication instead of the alarm since she is a sound sleeper. I have tried waking her up every 2 hours during the night for weeks and she would still wet the bed in between. That also meant she had to sleep on the floor since she is in a loft bed. Hubby isn't too keen on the meds idea but he hasn't even tried to help out and dd wants to try them.

 

[Sydney2977]

Both of my boys were potty trained at two years old and never had accidents during the day. At night it was a different story- they just slept too soundly to wake up. They wore the goodnights, but they were wet every night. It never mattered if we stopped having drinks at a certain time at night either. We tried the alarm with the oldest and he'd sleep right through it. The pediatrician recommended medicine and that worked for him. When we had the same problem with the youngest we put him on it too. We'd try different times to not have them take it, and try the alarm again, but both ended up growing out of it around 11. Funny thing was that was around when they started middle school and they started using an alarm to get up in the morning. Neither has ever missed the bus or has been late to school.

(As if I needed more proof that my oldest is a heavy sleeper: he's gone backpacking on the Appalachian Trail over Spring Break the last four years for Boy Scouts. One year a bear got into their camp in the middle of the night and tore up their food bags up in the trees. The other Scouts and adults all got up and scared it away. DS slept right through it!)

 

[LBAK]

Both of my girls wet the bed. My oldest outgrew it at 12 but my younger one was going on an overnight trip with school and I didn't want her embarrassed about bringing goodnights so she went on the medication. She was 10 at the time. A few months on the nose spray and then we weened her off and she was fine.

 

[dimimi]

My son had the same problem. We used good nights, but moved to the pills. Keep the faith...it does go away.

 

[poohfriend77]

My dd is almost 9 and still wets the bed too. I have decided to try medication instead of the alarm since she is a sound sleeper. I have tried waking her up every 2 hours during the night for weeks and she would still wet the bed in between. That also meant she had to sleep on the floor since she is in a loft bed. Hubby isn't too keen on the meds idea but he hasn't even tried to help out and dd wants to try them.

My DD10 is (was?) a bed wetter too, and my DH is extremely opposed to medication. I do not want her to experience side effects either, but I was willing to consider it. I feel he does not understand the social/emotional impact of the issue on her, especially as she enters the "sleepover" stage. He just doesn't want to let her do that either, so she won't be embarrassed. But being the kid who's not allowed on sleepovers can be almost as bad as being the kid who wets, you know?

We tried the alarm, and it did work... but she "regressed" after a few months. She refused (freaked OUT) pullups after that, so it was just lots of laundry for me. She FINALLY at 10 is doing much better. Only 2-3 accidents all summer (I think it helped that she stayed up later), and things are still going well since school started. I'm crossing my fingers we are over this!

 

[mtemm]

thank you all! it helps so much to hear all the stories. I'm really hoping the alarm works for us, will keep with it.

I know its been only 2 nights so far, but if those nights are indicative of his habits, he only wets once per night...fingers crossed that holds true! I think even just knowing he is sleeping so deeply and that's why, not that he might not want to get up and go to the bathroom in the night, helps me understand what we are dealing with.

most likely won't talk about meds until his well child next march. hopefully we won't need to, but good to hear success with those, too.

 

[shoney]

I was a bed wetter until I eventually stopped at age 11! (A year after I got my period..TMI, I know )

My boys were also bed wetters. They wore pull ups until about 9 or 10 when they stopped.

They are now 12 and 13 and never, ever get up to go to the bathroom. I am 41 and never get up to go during the night. The only time I ever got up to pee during the night, was when I was pregnant!

We are very heavy sleepers and I think we just needed time to grow out of it.


Good Luck!

 

[DLgal]

In the meantime, buy a couple washable vinyl backed bed pads. I got 2 from Amazon for my DS7 who wets the bed about twice a week (through a pair of Good nights!). They were about 10 each and the best money I've spent in a long time. Now, if he wets, I just remove the pad and replace with the clean one, and change his pj's and he gets back into bed. He usually wakes up soaked around 3am. The pads really hold a lot! I haven't had to change bedsheets in the middle of the night for months!

 

[mtemm]

In the meantime, buy a couple washable vinyl backed bed pads. I got 2 from Amazon for my DS7 who wets the bed about twice a week (through a pair of Good nights!). They were about 10 each and the best money I've spent in a long time. Now, if he wets, I just remove the pad and replace with the clean one, and change his pj's and he gets back into bed. He usually wakes up soaked around 3am. The pads really hold a lot! I haven't had to change bedsheets in the middle of the night for months!

oooh, that would be nice! is there a brand? where do I find these???

 

[DLgal]

oooh, that would be nice! is there a brand? where do I find these???

Go to Amazon and Iook for:
Priva Ultra Plus Waterproof Sheet Protector. 34"x52"

They are $18.99 each but WELL worth the price. There are smaller ones for cheaper but that size covers about 2/3 of a twin mattress. I tuck one end under the pillow and the length is perfect to catch any leaks.

Seriously, I wish I had found these years ago!

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

My dd is almost 9 and still wets the bed too. I have decided to try medication instead of the alarm since she is a sound sleeper. I have tried waking her up every 2 hours during the night for weeks and she would still wet the bed in between. That also meant she had to sleep on the floor since she is in a loft bed. Hubby isn't too keen on the meds idea but he hasn't even tried to help out and dd wants to try them.

DD was a sound sleeper and the alarm worked, you just have to be prepared to jump out of bed and drag your child out of bed when it is going off! To this day DD is still a sound sleeper (smoke detectors, alarm clocks do not wake her) except she will wake up to go to the bathroom. It is very strange how the alarm works!!

 

[mamacatnv]

My parents used the alarm with me - it worked in a matter of days.

DS used the nasal spray, that did it

DD, the spray/pills did not work but the alarm worked like a charm.

We put DD's mattress in our bedroom for the first several days so that we were closer to hear the alarm and get her out of bed. Took a week or so and we have had dry nights ever since.

I highly suggest the alarm, they are a bit spendy but looking back, worth every single penny

 

[mtemm]

Go to Amazon and Iook for:
Priva Ultra Plus Waterproof Sheet Protector. 34"x52"

They are $18.99 each but WELL worth the price. There are smaller ones for cheaper but that size covers about 2/3 of a twin mattress. I tuck one end under the pillow and the length is perfect to catch any leaks.

Seriously, I wish I had found these years ago!

thank you! off to amazon to get one.

he was up at 12:30, again, I heard alarm, not him. hopefully it wasn't going off for too long. he rooms with his brother who doesn't sleep as deeply, so I think I must be getting to him fairly quickly if he isn't waking. I would be all for having him sleep in our room for the time being but dh isn't going for that one.

again, so far at least, he is only wetting once per night, and that is a pretty long stretch from 12:30 till 7. will see what tonight brings! I really appreciate all the advice and personal stories...they help me see there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[mtemm]

DLGal I just had to come on and thank you for the tip about that pad! it has been so helpful...really makes a difference in the middle of the night. works great!

things are marching along. last week DS9 was up once per night at varying times and he didn't hear the alarm at all, I had to shake and shake him to wake him up. one night was dry all thru. and the last 2 nights he has woken by the alarm alone...in fact, he had already taken care of business when he woke me up at 1am!

Hoping this is a trend and things will keep going in the right direction. In the meantime, the pad makes such a difference...just whip it off, and since he is really only wetting once per night he can just crawl right back into bed.