Bedwetting: nighttime survival strategies for your children

Fed up with wet and sleepless nights? If your child is wetting the bed, you’ve probably learned to dread those nighttime wake-up calls and frantic searches for dry sheets. Here are some simple strategies to help you and your child have a dry night:

Limit fluids after dinner.

Limit the amount of fluids your child drinks after dinner. Instead, have them drink more of their daily fluids earlier in the day.

Teach your child to use the toilet before bedtime.

If your child empties their bladder just before they go to bed, there’s less chance that they may wet the bed. Get your child into the habit of using the toilet before bedtime. Encourage them to go even if they don’t feel like they need to.

Provide easy access to the bathroom.

Make it easy for your child to reach the bathroom at night. This may mean installing a night light, propping doors open, and having a stool so your child can reach the toilet and sink.

Try absorbent products.

Absorbent products, such as nighttime underwear and disposable bed mats, can help minimize the discomfort of wet sheets and the frustration of nighttime sheet changes.

Take care of yourself.

To cope with bedwetting, you’ll need patience and understanding. This is easier when you’re not exhausted. Give yourself some extra attention – make time for the things you enjoy, and when you can, get to bed a bit earlier to make a deposit in your “sleep bank.”

Get help if you need it.

Talk to your doctor if your child is having accidents during the day, if bedwetting starts again after your child has been dry for at least 6 months, if your child feels a burning sensation when they urinate, or if your child is still wetting the bed at age 5 or 6.

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