Bed wetting

[Imogen C]

Hi everyone. I've joined here for some anonymous advice, please.

My eleven year old son recently started wetting his bed. At first I just thought it was a one off problem, but he started doing it more and more often.

I sat him down and talked to him about why he thought he was doing it, but he didn't know. And although he was embarrassed about it I took him to our family doctor who recommended the usual things like not having any drinks after tea time, and see how it goes.

We did that, but he continued wetting.

After a couple of weeks it was getting to be a real problem and I told him it might be best if we got him some nappies to wear at bedtime. Again he was embarrassed, but I got him some 'pyjama pants' to wear.

He's been wearing them to bed for two weeks now, and he's wet them literally every night. Even though he doesn't have any drinks after tea time he wet so much that I had to get him some pastic pants to wear over them.

He now seems to just accept that he has to wear them, and doesn't mind at all. He's even asked to be put into them straight after supper. I was really surprised by this, especially as his sister teased him about it before I told her not to. He didn't seem to mind what she said, though, and quite happily sat in the lounge in his pyjama top, nappy and plastic pants.

I'm now worried, not only that he still wets every night, but that he actually seems to enjoy having to wear them.

I'm sure this isn't normal. Does anyone have any advice on how I can get him to stop?

Thank you

[mtiger]

And what did the doctor say when you brought him back?

[bec428]

If he is not drinking after 4pm (that's around when you have tea?) and he is peeing so much it goes through a nighttime diaper, then it may be a physiological problem - that is a LOT of urine to be passing. The fact that he asks to wear the diaper and plastic pants immediately after supper is also alarming - perhaps he is losing control while still awake as well? Do you know for a fact that he is not peeing in the diaper before he sleeps? Either way, I think the excessive amount of peeing warrants a follow-up visit to the doctor. This could be a psychological issue, or could be a physiological one, both warrant appropriate intervention for the sake of his health.

[One_Girl]

Are you sure he isn't having wet dreams? It is a normal part of development for boys.

[Shantimama]

One of my children had this problem and it turned out that we were actually dealing with epilepsy and the bedwetting was a sign of seizure activity during sleep   I wouldn't jump to this conclusion right away but it is a reminder of how important it can be to rule out medical causes.

[pigpokey]

Also food allergies and sensitivities can cause bladder inflammation and so the nighttime wetting.