Proper Approach to Dealing with Bedwetters

What to Expect in This Article:

• Is my child a bedwetter?
• Causes of nighttime bedwetting
• Help and treatment
• Approaching the child with calm and understanding
• First aid for more relaxed nights
• Conclusion

In their early years, a child learns a great deal. In fact, every day is a learning experience. Little ones learn to walk and talk, their motor skills develop, they grow intellectually, and they thrive. Another important milestone is becoming potty trained.

Babies and toddlers naturally still use diapers, but eventually, those days will be behind them. The little ones gradually learn to use the potty or toilet, to recognize when they need to go, and to signal this to Mom and Dad. Of course, there will be accidents at first, but over time, using the toilet typically becomes a smooth process.

Not only during the day, but also at night, there can be accidents at the beginning. Most parents handle it by allowing the little ones to gain experience during the day without diapers, and only later at night. However, accidents decrease, and children become dry and clean, both during the day and at night.

But what if a child suddenly starts wetting the bed again?

Is My Child a Bedwetter?

In practice, the term "bedwetter" is often used too quickly and prematurely. Not every child who has an occasional accident at night is automatically a bedwetter.

The term bedwetting can be defined as follows:

• Bedwetting refers to someone involuntarily releasing urine while sleeping; there are also children who wet themselves during the day.
• A child is classified as a bedwetter if, between the ages of five and seven, they wet the bed more than twice a month for a period of at least three months.
• For children over seven, a bedwetter is defined as someone who wets the bed at least once a month.

Perhaps your child has wet the bed recently? And maybe you, as parents, are very concerned about it? Generally, your child does not need to be labeled a bedwetter just because of this. Up until the age of five, it is perfectly normal for a child to have such little accidents at night.

There are no rules or fixed timelines for when a child becomes clean and dry. Many children achieve this around their third birthday, while others do so earlier or later. Nighttime accidents can still happen during this time.

If your child wets the bed, it is not a reason to panic. This can be quite normal, especially for younger children. They need a certain and individual amount of time to become completely dry at night.

Causes of Nighttime Bedwetting

If your child is older than five and regularly wets the bed over an extended period, it may be a case of true bedwetting. The reasons and causes can be very individual and varied.

If you are unsure, have questions, or simply want to talk about your problem, the pediatrician is a good first point of contact. Here, you can speak openly and honestly. The topic should not be taboo. There is usually no reason to feel ashamed. It is not uncommon for parents to say that their child would never do such a thing. Bedwetting can affect anyone, and there is no reason for parents to feel bad or ashamed.

If your child regularly wets the bed at night, it is essential to find out what reasons and causes lie behind this nighttime bedwetting.

The following reasons and causes typically lead to bedwetting in children:

• Organic complaints or issues, such as urinary tract infections.
• A delay in cognitive development.
• A hormonal disorder; certain hormones ensure that the bladder does not fill as quickly at night as it does during the day. If there is a disorder, the little ones may need to urinate as frequently at night and in their sleep as they do during the day.
• Various psychological factors can trigger bedwetting, such as fears, unresolved events, or changes in the family or daily life.

The possible reasons may sound worse to parents at first than the causes need to be. The pediatrician can provide guidance and support. Most causes can usually be effectively addressed once identified.

As individual as the causes are, so too is the diagnosis. The pediatrician will first ask many questions and examine the child closely. You may also need to keep a record of when and after which days and events your child wets the bed at night. This can help the doctor get a clearer picture.

Help and Treatment

Depending on the cause, the issue of bedwetting must be addressed individually. If organic or physical causes are behind the bedwetting, the doctor will suggest appropriate medications and treatments.

However, if the doctor believes that psychological factors are influencing the situation, it may make sense to work through the respective worries, fears, and problems with the help of therapy. This often happens together with the parents.

Even if cognitive underdevelopment is considered a possible cause, the doctor will suggest appropriate solutions. There are many experts who can help as a second point of contact. The pediatrician can often provide many useful tips and advice.

It is not uncommon for there to be a very simple cause for nighttime bedwetting. If children drink too much before bedtime and perhaps do not go to the toilet afterward, it can quickly happen that there is an accident during the night. As parents, you can quickly address this by reducing the amount of liquid before bed and ensuring that the child goes to the toilet one last time. A simple solution that can help many little ones.

Because children are so individual, they often take different amounts of time for various developmental phases. There can also be significant differences in becoming dry at night. If the doctor finds no physical, cognitive, or psychological causes, the solution may simply be patience, calm, and time.

Approaching the Child with Calm and Understanding

No matter what causes and reasons are present: if your child regularly wets the bed at night, you as parents should always remain calm. Many parents believe their child is doing this on purpose. However, practice shows that this is only the case in rare instances. Most of the time, bedwetting occurs unconsciously and uncontrollably.

The little ones need a lot of love and understanding right now. Under no circumstances should you scold your child, belittle them, or even threaten consequences. Bedwetting usually indicates that something is not right. The causes can be very harmless, but the child is certainly not to blame. So, approach your child with calm and understanding, even in the middle of the night, and be there for them. This is certainly not always easy, but it will help in managing the problem.

First Aid for More Relaxed Nights

Bedwetting is a challenging time for both child and parents. As parents, you often have to change your child, freshen up the bed, and ensure everything is clean and dry. This is a significant extra effort, especially at night.

As long as the cause is unclear and no therapy options have been implemented, the following products can help ease the nights:

• Pull-up diapers for older children, which catch the urine and ensure dry nights.
• Protective pads can safeguard the mattress and other surfaces, especially if the child may not want to wear a diaper anymore.
• There are even special waterproof underwear that catches urine; these are less like diapers and more like regular underwear, often with nice, child-friendly designs.

Conclusion

Bedwetting can have many causes, and it occurs in the best of families. It is a topic that should not be a source of shame. What is important is that you as parents remain calm and do not make your child feel that they are bad or wrong. Scolding and threatening consequences are out of place at this time.

The pediatrician should always be the first point of contact. Often, the causes are harmless, and bedwetting can be quickly brought under control. Both physical and cognitive or psychological factors can contribute to bedwetting. Individual therapies and treatments usually lead to dry and restful nights again with a bit of patience.