How to Cope With Bed Wetting in Older Children

Bed wetting occurs in 20 percent of kids at age 5, 10 percent at age 7 and 5 percent at age 10, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. A number of factors may contribute to the problem, including stress, changes in her life, a small bladder, sound sleeping, increased urine production at night or simply the inability to hold the urine. Bed wetting usually isn't a medical problem, but an older child may feel embarrassed by the nighttime bladder control issues.

Things You'll Need

  • Plastic mattress cover
  • Bed wetting alarm

Instructions

    • 1

      Talk to your child's physician about the bed wetting if it is a concern. The doctor can evaluate your child's health to determine if a medical condition is to blame. A medical assessment is particularly useful if your child has other symptoms, such as changes in urine appearance, accidents during the day, bowel control issues, pain or mood changes, according to the AAP.

    • 2

      Support your child to prevent him from feeling worse about the situation. Never blame or tease your child for wetting the bed. KidsHealth suggests letting him know it is normal and sharing stories of family members' bed wetting problems.

    • 3

      Cover the mattress with a plastic cover so the urine doesn't soak in. Keep extra sheets on hand so you can quickly put on a clean, dry set when your child has a nighttime accident.

    • 4

      Slow down your child's liquid consumption in the evening. Cutting her off from liquids completely may make her feel as if she is being punished, according to WebMD, but reducing the amount she drinks can reduce urine production.

    • 5

      Send your child to the bathroom right before he goes to bed. Wake him up one or two hours into the night to go to the bathroom again. Getting rid of that urine may help him stay dry the rest of the night, according to the AAP.

    • 6

      Try an alarm designed for bed wetting if your child continues having problems staying dry at night. These alarms have a success rate of between 50 and 75 percent and work best if your child has at least some bladder control, says AAP. The alarm rings at the first sign of moisture so your child can get up to use the toilet.

    • 7

      Reinforce dry nights with lots of praise. Some kids also respond well to a reward system for staying dry, according to KidsHealth.

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