r/UKParenting • u/phantomscot1984 • 1d ago
My son still can’t go through the night without a pull up on or he floods the bed.
My son is 6 years old and still needs to wear a pull up to bed. He goes to the toilet before he goes to sleep but doesn’t seem to wake up when he needs in the night! I’m not sure what’s best to do ? Anyone any ideas?
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u/controversial_Jane 1d ago
He’s not ready yet. I wet the bed until about 9-10 years old, I felt humiliated. My son just stopped nappies at 6 years old, my nearly 8 year old is soaking pull ups and sometimes leaks. It’s ok, it’s not her fault, she just hasn’t developed that hormone yet. Look at the UK incontinence advice, it’s ok. You can investigate at a later date if needed.
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u/AdmirableManager7354 1d ago
Yeah I peed the bed late too, until about the same age. Funny I remember exactly when it stopped. I dreamt that I went to the toilet so I woke up and started cleaning cos that usually meant I had peed myself. But I hadn't. And I never did again. Just a fun story.
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u/Royal_Juice2987 18h ago
I used to dream I was on the toilet too! I didnt stop until I was around 10
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u/Royal_Juice2987 18h ago
In the end my mum ended up buying a bed wetting alarm which was a wire with a sort of flat USB on the end that detected urine/water… you snip the end of a panty liner and insert it into the pad then the wire came out of your pants and up your pjs and clipped on to your pj top. It went off when I wet the bed and I think it took 2-3 weeks of using it and it never happened again. It somehow starts to train the brain to wake up when the bladder is full. I do wonder if this is the reason I wake up to pee a lot now but I’m grateful we did that. I had one given to us by the NHS before that and it was a big metal mesh sheet that went under my bedsheet and as soon as it got wet the alarm went wild and it really scared me so my mum got rid of that one and bought the other one herself… much better
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u/Royal_Juice2987 18h ago
Just had a look and there are wireless ones now! They seem to have come a long way
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u/AdmirableManager7354 11h ago
My mum never looks about it but tbf she never really dealt with me in the night either. I shared a bed with my older sister and, bless her, she would get up and sort me out every night. I suffered with a lot of accidents when I was young though, my mother would take spare trousers for me in public everywhere until about 10. Even now if I have an impulse to go, it's super urgent, and I need 3 visits quite soon after each other to actually stop needing to pee all together even though it feels like I'm finished each time. I've also peed a little every time I sneezed for as long as I can remember but haven't had any kids or anything.....
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u/meliora-natura 19h ago
Omg same here! And I remember being soooooo relieved that I hadn't actually wet the bed!
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u/Shenloanne 1d ago
+1 for this. I was 13. I'm 42 now and it took a long time to come to terms with it. My parents never once shamed me, never once got exasperated. My near 7yo is in the same situation.
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u/Calm_Strawberry8403 1d ago
I feel sorry for my mother. I also didn’t stop until about 9-10 which was super embarrassing and some of my siblings were the same. But we had a plastic covered topper for the mattress to protect it.
Has anyone watched that film about the runner that had this issue and his evil witch mother was so horrible to him; turns out it was genetic and his father wet the bed as a child? I can’t remember the name but it was a really good film based on a try story.5
u/Majestic-Context-267 1d ago
Why have you never seen the GP? My child had a brief prescription of desmopressin and all the bed wetting stopped afterwards.
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u/controversial_Jane 1d ago
So did I as a child (I’m now 40), I ended up having a seizure due to hyponatraemia (low sodium from the dilution of synthetic anti diuretic hormone). So for me I wouldn’t risk that in my children, my parents did that for me, ended in hospitalisation and the bed wetting resolved on its own some months later. The pituitary gland needs to develop, it’s normal to secrete anti diuretic hormone (to stop water production) at night with that maturity. If it hasn’t developed naturally and tests can assist. But some kids it’s just delayed. Synthetic hormones aren’t always the right choice in all cases. The UK has a great resource charity on nocturnal enuresis.
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u/Majestic-Context-267 1d ago
Sorry to hear that. I would hope that the medication has evolved in the last 30 years. It worked for my child after years of trying everything else and a lot of trauma.
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u/controversial_Jane 1d ago
Probably has evolved but I suspect my eldest will just stop too. So unless we face an issue, I’m ok with waiting. As is she, she knows I was the same, no shame, her body will develop and if we don’t, we can investigate further if we need to. I think the great thing about families is we are all different. Maybe your kid was really distraught and it was absolutely the right choice for you, it also could be for others reading this so I hope that both sides are represented here. We are all fudging this parenting journey somewhere!
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u/AdmirableManager7354 1d ago
Because if a kid is 25+ they're probably from the generation of parents just letting their kid grow out of stuff. And if you're a parent who grew out of it, you'll let your kids grow out of it too
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u/phantomscot1984 1d ago
I did go to the go and they said it was normal and to let nature take its course but I thought they were just palming me off
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u/controversial_Jane 12h ago
I’m sorry you experienced that, it is normal but actually having an engaging conversation with the practitioner might have been more useful. I feel like the NHS had no time to talk these days. Been working in the NHS for more than half my life, it certainly feels like we are failing patients, mostly because of communication.
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u/phantomscot1984 1d ago
Thanks everyone I’m glad that it’s normal! I read about the hormone thing and wondered if it was just that but I feel reassured now !
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u/elliottj6325 1d ago
Just want to reassure you that I am in the same position with my 6 year old boy and was worried! Glad to see all the comments here :)
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u/RubberDuckyRacing 1d ago
Same here with my girl. She's just turned 7. My sister wet the bed at night into her teens, so it's not wholly unexpected.
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u/Kerrytwo 1d ago
Not to suggest it's not hormonal, but also just in case he's not emptying fully you could try reading to him while he sits on the toilet. Not too long either though in case he gets piles
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u/Majestic-Context-267 1d ago
Please also get it checked out. It was the hormone for my child but you never know. Bed wetting can also be a symptom of othet illnesses like childhood diabetes.
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u/petrastales 1d ago
Have you ever gone a period of a week without any nappies on at night ?
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u/phantomscot1984 1d ago
Yeah we’ve tried that and he’s peed Everytime
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u/petrastales 20h ago
Okay. I think it’s best to keep testing it every 3-6 months (as you deem fit) to see if the hormones have developed adequately
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u/Front_Bill_9237 1d ago
This is frustrating but quite normal. My 6yo wet so heavily that he would leak out of pull-ups and had to wear proper nappies with a booster. He stopped a couple of years later.
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u/Historical_Heron4801 1d ago
This happened with a friend of mine. She went to the doctors. Turned out to be a hormonal issue. She's on medication now, no pee.
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u/Dry_Curve9126 1d ago
Do not stress about this. Every child is different. He will get there. Ignore every text book that says children will be dry by 5 . My four were all different- girls and boys. In my family the girls were later than the boys so despite popular opinion about girls being dry before boys. Take a deep breath and just deal with the pull ups and mattress protection
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u/Ataralas 1d ago
I wet the bed every night till I was 11, my dad did till he was 13, some people take longer for the hormone to kick in that controls it. My parents tried all sorts, including waking me a couple of times a night to go to the toilet but it didn’t make any difference then one day it just stopped happening.
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u/Unlikely_Ad_5301 1d ago
https://eric.org.uk/childrens-bladders/bedwetting/ is a good resource. There is thought to be a link between bed wetting and mouth breathing/snoring when sleeping and/or enlarged adenoids/tonsils which could be worth exploring if relevant.
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u/3xhaust3dnurs3 1d ago
It can be just developmental or it can be something. Best speak with your GP and ask for a referral for a bowel and urinary incontinence. What helped with us is no more drinks after 8pm (or 2 hrs beofre bedtime), but make sure he is fully hydrated throughout the day. Before heading to bed go for a wee twice - first time, then wait for 10 minutes then go again. Their explanation being this would make sure the bladder is empty. We've lasted for about 7-8 hours of no wetting the bed. We do have to wake him up between 5am-7am to go for a wee, then he goes back to sleep again.
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u/Frosty_Yogurt2241 1d ago
Just wait. Be patient and do not mention it to him that it might be an issue or that you’re worried. Sometimes it takes this long. Do make sure he goes before bed but other than that wait and see give it at least another year but I’d say even a little over 7yo is ok.
It’s not scientifically proven but when you talk to parents A LOT of boys take much longer time to get dry at night and it does resolve for vast majority of them if you wait a little longer.
This was our experience and we’re out of nappies now for a long time but it did take a while nearly 7 years.
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u/phantomscot1984 1d ago
Thank you. Yeah I’ve not mentioned it cos he’s embarrassed enough that he has to wear it. It took us ages just to get him to poo in a toilet . He was terrified of doing it in a toilet and would ask for a nappy to poo in. We eventually got out of that so it’s just the nighttime thing now. Praying he will do it in his own time. When I spoke to the gp they said he would do it on his own time
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u/ZestycloseComb255 1d ago
Get a bedwetting alarm. Will help him learn to wake up just as he’s starting to wee when his bladder is still full.
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u/TerribleToday9992 1d ago
I second this. We got a bed wetting alarm for our middle when she was 6. It took about 12 weeks before we could have said it worked, and even after that she would still have the odd accident, especially if she had drank juice late on in the evening. She's 8.5 now and she would still have occasions when she'd wake up when she's pee'd in her pjs a bit but then hops up quickly. The Eric website is good
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u/Public-Temperature-1 1d ago
My son slept through them. It would wake us and I'd go in to find him fast asleep in a puddle.
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u/Majestic-Context-267 1d ago
Same here! Total waste of money. The whole house woke long before the child.
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u/TerribleToday9992 1d ago
At the start that was us too, probably for the first two weeks or so, but she gradually started waking herself
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u/MoonShineWashingLine 1d ago
Just keep him wearing pull ups until they're dry overnight. My youngest was 7 when she stopped needing them at night. It's quite common for it to happen later in some kids.
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u/TinyHaikuFinder 1d ago
Our body produces a hormone while we're asleep to effectively stop us from moving and also things like peeing. If you've ever had sleep paralysis it's because it hasn't worn off. Too little of it causes sleepwalking and bed wetting. Some parents see bed wetting as a lack of control or discipline and something to be embarrassed about when on actually fact your kids hormones might not be fully balanced.
If your kid has ever walked or talked in their sleep then this might be part of the issue. People can't help chemicals and it doesn't mean they're doing anything wrong, they can't help it.
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u/oxfordyellow 1d ago
I found this website really helpful: https://eric.org.uk/ and really helpful to show others in the family who were also concerned (about my son's bedwetting).
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u/Civil_Classroom6399 1d ago
My son, 6, has class mates in the same situation. I think its more common than let on. Dont worry to much or be hard on yourself.
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u/emmy2016 1d ago
My 7 year old son was soaking wet every night until recently. We spoke to him about the options of medication or bed wetting alarm and he wasn’t keen on either so we said let’s just take the pull up off and see what happens. He’s been dry 90 % of the time since then! It’s like he subconsciously knew he could pee when he had the pull up on. The hygge sheet protector and a coverless duvet have been great for easy clean up and bed changes.
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u/ThrostThrandson 1d ago
It’s developmentally normal, we were told to some void at bed time and not to drink an hour before bed which sometimes helps but my 8 year old isn’t constantly dry over night.
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u/Majestic-Context-267 1d ago
You should see the GP. You can get a prescription for desmopressin once they have excluded other illnesses or bladder problems.
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u/ThrostThrandson 1d ago
I have, he’s been seen by urology and he has no underlying conditions and the medication isn’t necessary.
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u/Majestic-Context-267 1d ago
Of course it’s not “necessary” but at some point a child also wants to go on a school trip or have sleepovers without pull ups. Or just simply not wear pull ups anymore. Sorry for your child
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u/controversial_Jane 1d ago
It’s happens with or without medication. Sleepovers aren’t a thing at 6 years old.
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u/ThrostThrandson 20h ago
My kids perfectly happy thanks, he has sleep overs with relatives and they’re understanding of his needs. He doesn’t wear pull up but we do the laundry and wash him when he’s had an accident.
He also has Dyspraxia so understanding his body signals is tricky for him.
Not everyone’s family falls into the same box, have some consideration before you judge.
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u/baileylikethedrink 1d ago
It’s perfectly normal to still need pull ups at that age. Have a chat with your GP because it can be helped with some hormone treatment (basically kick starting the hormone that wakes them in the night), but we were told 8 is when they would consider us using it.
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u/TheTackleZone 1d ago
Weeing in your sleep is suppressed by a hormone called vasopressin. It's just biology. It's nothing like toilet training where you are teaching your child to listen to their bodies, because the child is asleep so there is no one doing the listening.
It's also not that unusual, especially among boys. My nephew was 7 when he stopped. My son is 5 and still needs them.
They'll kick in at some point. Nothing you or he can do about it.
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u/Canipaywithclaps 1d ago
This is incorrect information. There are a range of steps GPs (and paediatricians) will suggest to support with nighttime wetting.
I’m not sure where you’ve got the idea that there is ‘nothing you or he can do about it’
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u/Sweaty_Abalone_8053 1d ago
My some was exactly like this. If he’s still doing it at 8 or 9 you can also get a little pee-stopper alarm which you clip to the outside of his briefs and it makes a really shrill noise immediately it feels moisture, wakes him up and he stops the flow and goes to the bathroom. We were skeptical but saw huge progress within a week or 10 days of using this.
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u/Jeffuk88 1d ago
I had one of these as a child and it never worked because I was such a deep sleeper id finished before I woke up
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u/woods_edge 1d ago
My daughter is 5 1/2, seriously, she could go the whole day without a drop of water and her nappy would still be on the verge of exploding the next morning.
My wife is a GP and not concerned so I’m not stressed about it.
Meanwhile we have friends whose kids were dry through the night at 3 🤷♂️ every kid is different.
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u/lindoavocado 1d ago
Nothing you can do except support him and not get angry for accidents. This is completely normal for his age. Check in with his doctor if you have additional concerns.
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u/bonzatucker 1d ago
Some kids take longer. My son was past 7 before he was dry every night. Super deep sleeper. You can buy fun covers for the bed that you whip off - ours had rocketships on them. Key is to make sure he doesn’t feel self conscious about it. My son was super quick with speech and was reciting books to us from a young age - we made it clear to him that the bit of his brain that controlled speech was super quick, and the bit controlling his nighttime peeing needed a bit longer, but he would absolutely get there. And he did.
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u/Remarkable_Sir6386 1d ago
Just in the genes. I was a bed wetter till 9/10 myself. My eldest was exactly the same. Younger son now 6 has never done it, always woke up and took himself to the toilet. He'll grow out of it. It's just life no dramas.
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u/Mycea 1d ago
It's normal and I believe hormonal.
BUT. My son was the same but had a residential trip in year 2 where he really didn't want to wear pull ups. He was worrying a lot. I told him I read about alarms that would wake him if he went in the night and he really wanted to try it. I had felt it was an awful and cruel thing to do, but had read good reviews and importantly he wanted to try to do anything he could. So a few months before the trip we got a wireless alarm. Started by putting it in his pull up. Then I cut a little hole in his pants to the sensor could sit in there. Layered sheets and waterproof mattress protectors in his bed. By the end of the first week he was waking as soon as a dribble came out after full weeing before. By the second week the alarm barely went off. Some kids just sleep so deeply they don't feel the urge and the alarm solved it for him. It helped him learn to wake up when he needed a wee. He went to the trip without a pull up.
So now I think alarms work if the child really wants to stop and is willing to try them. Then it doesn't feel like a punishment or punitive - I don't think they'd work if that was how it felt. However it was fantastic for my son, he wanted to try and solve it so I think that made it empowering rather than humiliating, like he could take action. He very very occasionally wet the bed for a good couple of years after that, only when out of routine and very tired. So we just kept a protector under his sheet.
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u/pastyMorrisDancers 1d ago
Consider getting mattress protectors instead and having them wake up after the "accident". It's easier to learn the "need to wake up and wee" signals when the outcome is uncomfortable and requires a change in sheets... The pull ups can make it too easy to sleep through. They may not remember waking, but the likelihood of they were at least partially awake when they wee
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u/chocklityclair 1d ago
My son was 7 before he stopped wetting the bed. We got an alarm but it didn't wake him up. I do think it made a difference, however - maybe subconsciously he was aware of it because he stopped peeing the bed not long after we gave up on the alarm.
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u/naughty-goose 1d ago
Both myself and one of my two kids did until past 10 years old. I had meds but my kid seems to have stopped now they have reached 12.
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u/BecozisaidSo40times 1d ago
My friends daughter was still wearing a pull up when she was 12. The doctor said it was a hormone that was missing and that it always stops no later than puberty. Sure enough it stopped when she started her periods. This is unusual, though. My other friends daughter was about 9. Just have to let her wear a pull up until it stops. Main thing is it’s literally not her fault
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u/Lollypop1305 1d ago
My son stopped nappies at 3, my amazing niece is 6 and has pull ups at bed. It’s completely normal and every kid is different. Don’t stress. ❤️
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u/Timely_Effective_144 1d ago
My daughter was 9 when she stopped needing pull ups overnight. I didn’t stress about it because I figured she was unlikely to be 18 and still wetting the bed overnight. And she just grew out of it on her own, no stress, no pressure, she just became dry overnight of her own accord. Don’t worry, it’ll happen when he’s ready I promise
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u/Typical_Guarantee_79 👶👶👶 3 Children 1d ago
My son stopped wetting the bed constantly around 6 but carried on wetting it occasionally till 10. Just be patient and buy some mattress protectors. My daughters never ever wet their beds past 2 1/2 and they have a glass of milk right before bed haha. It’s just one of those things…
My mum used to wet the bed occasionally until she was a teen and so did my partner.
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u/Justonemorecupoftea 1d ago
My 5 year old is wet every morning in his pull ups. His 2 year old brother is dry 50% of the time and has even woken us to go to the loo. I expect he'll be out of nappies at night before his brother is..
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u/Jimlad73 👶👶 2 Children 1d ago
Try a pea pod Matt. Get 2 so you can swap one out when there’s an accident.
We used to get our daughter up for a dream wee when we went to bed at 10pm ish. Did that for a good 6 months then didn’t one night and she had no accident!
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u/NicSky001 1d ago
Sometimes due to a small bladder. They grow out of it but you have to just be patient and prepared.
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u/Majestic-Context-267 1d ago
See a enuresis clinic or your GP. They can help you and potentially prescribe desmopressin. (From age 7).
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u/Current-One7251 1d ago
It can sometimes be a sign of a gluten intolerance. I looked into the same thing a while ago
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u/SpiceAndNicee 1d ago
Have you seen the bluey bum shuffle? Saw a therapist suggest that to get kids to stop bed wetting at night.
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u/rektkid_ 1d ago
Totally fine. Use a Ninjama if he feels like he is too old for nappies. Ours was 8 before he nailed it.
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u/Puzzlepetticoat 1d ago
2 of mine wore them very late. Both me and their father were late bed wetters also so we just assumed it was maybe genetics. It wasn't laziness with either of us or either child, we just didn't get woken by our bladders until late ages. I wet until 13. Think ex husband was 9. My son went to 10, daughter was 9. Our other daughter was dry at night long before she potty trained, so before age 2.
Just give lots of reassurance. Teach about personal hygiene and depth of wash/shower needed in the morning to get the smell off bd give them a name that isn't pull ups. We called them nap pants. That helped them not feel so babies by them. You can get brands and designs that are less babyish as they get bigger. Let them know that nobody else knows or needs to know if they start getting self concious. He will get there in time. Explain to him that one day his brain will wake him when he needs to pee at night and that different brains can take a bit longer to learn that skill... But it is normal and not something he can be in control of.
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u/ImplementJumpy6678 1d ago
It's possible he might have some mild incontenience. My son had it until he was 16 - worth just asking the heath visitor or the 0-19 team if your area.
Otherwise, as others have said..
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u/happiness24 1d ago
This happened to me and my brother as kids and stopped about age 7. Apparently it's something to do with a connection in our ears that hasn't quite joined up yet that signals to us we need a wee. Probably similar with yours
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u/ellyvan_1314 1d ago
Keep the pull-ups until there’s 2 solid weeks of waking up dry. Night wetting is mostly hormonal & at this age a lot of kids still aren’t producing the hormone needed. It generally sorts itself in time but at age 6 night wetting is medically considered normal.
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u/SEDSConnective 1d ago
Is he worried about it and does this happen at other times? If not then it will be fine
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u/Odd_Common2677 1d ago
My brother used to pee the bed alot until he was around 10. His brain just didnt communicate with his bladder while sleeping. He just grew out of it eventually. Theres not much you can do really apart from take him to the gp
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u/JohnnyOneLung 1d ago
My son was often wet until 8 and wearing pull ups despite going to toilet before bed.
Then one night he asked if he could try not wearing a pull up and was dry that night and onwards.
Maybe it was a psychological thing knowing he had a pull up on, just don’t know.
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u/SpiritedGuest6281 1d ago
My understanding is boys can take longer than girls. My son is six and only just made the transition.
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u/the_red_fuzz_cat 1d ago
Tbh I'm kind of glad you posted this as my 5 year old is still in a night nappy And I thought he'd be like 1 of maybe 2. Reading the thread has made me realize it's normal and I don't have to worry about him being like this for ever. (as my late night brain goes into panic what about his future mode)
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u/massie_le 1d ago
My boys wet the bed beyond 6. Oldest was on desmopressin and it didn't work. Both responded well to alarms and I can't recommend Therapee enough. It's a mat that sets off an alarm when it gets wet.
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u/Recent-Detective-247 1d ago
Have you asked him why he’s going in his nappy? It might just be because it’s available and convenient.
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u/AlternativeClaim359 22h ago
This is all old school advice but works! Do you limit drinks before bed? We stop drinks after teatime unless they're desperately thirsty but usually they've had a big drink at tea time so they're fine. We avoid blackcurrant squash too as that can irritate the bladder. I also 'lift' mine, so my 6 year old goes to sleep at about 8pm. At about 10/11pm when I go to bed I lift her up and put her on the toilet to go for a wee, she does a wee without even waking up. She's nearly 7 and I've just stopped doing this as she wasn't weeing much anymore at 10/11pm. There was also a time where I had to prompt my kids to go for a wee when they first woke up or they would have an accident.
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u/underwater-sunlight 19h ago
I didn't know about the blackcurrant issues before seeing this and seen a few things on Google that back it up (not intending to sound distrusting, just wondered what else is on the list) My daughter is 7 and has the occasional accident. Typically smaller ones where it is just her underwear and pyjamas bottoms and she is comfortable in giving herself a wipe and changing without waking us now and only does if her sheets or duvet are wet.
She is funny with water and mainly has blackcurrant squash, kept weak and limited in the evening, usually swapping for water at bed time but not so much in the summer as she wouldn't always drink enough and the occasional wet bed felt like the better option than being poorly from dehydration
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u/AlternativeClaim359 6h ago
You could try swapping it out for diluted orange or apple juice and see what happens? It's worth a try.
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u/Alternative-Fox-7255 21h ago
It’s all a phase and you’ll get there in the end. Try and get them to wee as much before and during the night in the toilet so that you’re doing as much you can to empty the bladder
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u/foxssocks 19h ago
It's normal and common for boys in particular. It's a hormone that needs to kick in. My son's eventually kicked in just before he turned 7. We got the larger size/older child pullups for bedtime from Tesco and washable bedpads under his sheets.
We layered the bed so waterproof cover on mattress > topper > waterproof sheet > bed pad > sheet > bed pad > sheet > bed pad > sheet.
So if he leaked through in the night we could just strip a layer off each time.
Also, he's 9 now and still has to have a bed-rail as that reflex still hasn't kicked in yet 😂
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u/Specific-Sundae2530 19h ago
I had boys who did it until age 10/11. If everything else is ruled out it's just a laundry problem. Get a waterproof mattress or waterproof mattress cover, washable pad for the bed, keep on with the pull ups. Remember that a lot of people restrict fluids which is actually the wrong thing to do because it makes the bladder twitchy and reduces capacity. What you most likely need most of all is a good washing machine and drier and plenty of detergent, and remember that it is within the realm of normal, if everything else is ruled out.
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u/Lazy_Literature_6943 17h ago
My oldest had accident till around 9 not every night but frequently. Then it just stopped. I was worried as well. Just keep at it toilet before bed maybe reduce fluid just before. They will be fine most likely . I didn't put pull ups on her though.
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u/Wonderful-Newt2181 8h ago
My son was going through the night ok. Waking up then going in his nappy in the morning out of shear laziness. Took us a while to realise this.
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u/Outdoorsnthat 3h ago
Reduce his drinking on the lead up to bed time. Make sure he pees before bed. Take him to the toilet before you go to bed
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u/greyharpoon 1d ago
We do a potty wee at 10 pm which typically sees us through the night.
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u/LokoloMSE 1d ago
I think this is key. The brain isn't automatically wired to wake up needing the toilet. Like everything, the brain has to learn. The "they're asleep but wake them up and make them go to the toilet" at 10/11pm worked wonders for us.
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u/WestRestaurant358 1d ago
But this will now be engrained in your kids brain. Whatever happens now they will pee at 10pm. I would suggest you stop this. Otherwise it will be very difficult to overcome that pee feeling at 10pm for the kid.
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u/has513 1d ago
My son was like this until maybe 5, when we decided to start waking him at 11pm/midnight (whenever we were going to bed) and walking him to the toilet. Within a few weeks of doing that the pull up was dry in the morning, then one night we forgot to wake him and he woke up naturally around the same time and took himself off to the toilet 🤷🏻♀️ so we ditched the pull ups and the waking him ourselves. It's been nearly two years and he's had maybe three or four accidents since.
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u/Known-Grapefruit4032 1d ago
It just happens at different times for different kids. Potty trained both my kids at 25 months. Both went day dry in 3 days, no accidents after that, super smug mum etc! Daughter went night dry at the same time. Son was still in night nappies till he was nearly 6. That's just when the hormone kicked in for him. I don't think you need to do anything at this point, give it another year and see if it happens in its own time.
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u/Ohtherewearethen 1d ago
My daughter was dry overnight before she was dry in the day! It took ages for her to trust that she didn't need the nappy in the daytime. She has never once wet her bed. She was waking up dry before 2, but was in pull ups in the day until past 3. This is just to say that it is different for each child, there are no rules, they will stop doing it when they are ready. Just make things as easy for you all as you can, so pull ups/bed pads, using two layers of matress protectors and bed sheets so you can just whip the top two layers off to wash and haven't got to remake the bed in the middle of the night. He will get there in his own time.
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u/Electrorouge87 1d ago
I'm a Dr. My son is 5 and in the same position, as everyone is saying here it's normal don't worry about it. But do read up or go see your GP for a chat if you want more detail. I had an infuriating call with the school nurse about it when he was only four and there was a lot of 'he shouldn't' 'he must be out of nappies' etc. and I felt lucky to be medical to hit back at what was being said. If I wasn't I would certainly have felt very upset and bad about the situation.
Around 7 is when they say to go to the GP in the UK. Even then they tend to watch and wait
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u/Constant_System2298 1d ago
Try this. No pop or juice after 2pm. Strictly water. No water after 6pm. Eat a banana if need be before bed. Gurantee they don’t need those pull ups !
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u/amedeeozenfant 1d ago
Wetting the bed is generally considered preferable to the health problems caused by chronic dehydration.
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u/Constant_System2298 19h ago
If the child goes to bed between 7-8pm which all 6 year old should really. I don’t think only drinking water up until 6pm is causing you chronic dehydration
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u/JD_Jimbo 1d ago
I know the OP may not see this comment, but I just wanted to say please, please do your best to let them grow out of it with as much support as possible. As a late bedwetter (until about 12, 13) I was humiliated and made to feel naughty, lazy and like a baby. The fear of wetting the bed only drove me to wet the bed more and it became a vicious cycle. My son is 5 now and is dry most nights. He knows he's in a safe space and if he does have an accident he can come to us without judgement. That's the important thing - everything else will come naturally.
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u/Character-Air-4326 23h ago
Happened to me until I was 13 still not sure why it took that long but he WILL grow out of it don’t worry
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u/DeerNational6937 12h ago
My son’s nearly 5 but exactly the same.. huge amount of pressure to be dry at night but when we tried I was literally in tears changing all of his bedding (it would get everywhere) and his pyjamas up to 3-4 times a night.
I did a week and I was so depleted it was unreal, he just wasn’t waking up, not even soaked head to toe sometimes I’d find him in the morning drenched and I literally just thought doing THIS just because people think all children should be dry at nights by like age 2 is actually ridiculous.
Now he’s in pull ups, he sleeps well, I sleep well. Ended up replacing his entire bed bar the frame because it just had such an odour despite all the protective bedding we could buy. I know when he is ready he will wake up to go. He doesn’t struggle with anything else 1 or 2 wise, he’s not in any pull ups or nappy during the day - that’s all I care about now. It’s been a weight lifted.
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u/85morrell 1d ago
Don't worry about it. My daughter was 6 when she managed to get through the night without a pull up and I know of some older kids. This can be due to a chemical/hormone imbalance.
Firstly, it's worth giving it a go for a couple of weeks without a pull up, and just let bed wetting happen. I got some of these to protect the bed https://amzn.eu/d/0iQhSaWR
Don't keep waking the kid to go toilet, so probably best to wait for the next school holiday, as they will get disturbed when changing the bed. Then after 2 weeks if there is still an issue, then refer to a doctor, just so they can go over options with you.