Bedwetting

Bedwetting in itself is completely harmless and often simply stops of its own accord, although there are also some things you can do as a parent to help your child. And even though bedwetting is harmless, it can of course be a very difficult situation for the child – not least if he or she is old enough to have a sleepover at a friend’s house.

How common is bedwetting?

Bedwetting is common among children up to the age of six or seven, and roughly one in ten seven-year-olds regularly wet themselves at night. By the time children reach the age of 15, this figure decreases to approximately one in a hundred. Bedwetting is more common among boys than girls. It is also often hereditary, and if both parents used to wet the bed as children, the risk of their child also wetting the bed increases significantly.

How to help your child stay dry at night

If your child has not yet turned five, he or she may simply not yet be ready to stop wearing a nappy at night. Regardless of whether or not it is a case of bedwetting, you can help your child by:

• reminding the child to pee regularly during the part of the day he or she is awake
• making sure that the child has regular eating habits
• reminding the child to drink less in the evening
• not forgetting to tell the child to pee just before bedtime

The idea of waking up your child to pee in the middle of the night can no doubt help ensure that the child doesn’t wet the bed that particular night, but it doesn’t usually affect how quickly the child stops wetting the bed in general. Having to wear a nappy at night could, of course, be a sensitive issue for some children, in which case it may be a good solution to wake up the child to pee during the night, as a visit to the toilet in this situation may feel better than having to wear a nappy. If you decide to do so, bear in mind that it is good not to wake up the child several times during the night, as it is wise to avoid excessive disruption to your child’s sleep.

Bedwetting diapers for older children

When children get older, they usually don’t want to wear a nappy, and naturally they shouldn’t have to. If, however, your child thinks that it is okay to wear a diaper at night in certain situations, for example when having a sleepover at a friend’s house or while attending camp, it may be good to know that there are discrete and effective diapers available for slightly older children. This could be a decent option to utilise in situations where the idea of waking up to wet sheets is particularly sensitive.

How to discuss bedwetting with your child

How children perceive and feel about their bedwetting is very individual and differs from child to child. Some children simply don’t care at all, which can almost feel a little provocative for parents who are faced with yet another pile of washing consisting mostly of bed sheets. For other children, it is a very sensitive issue that they don’t want to talk about. Regardless of how your child feels about the situation, it is usually a good idea to have a little chat about it sometimes, to ensure that you eliminate any potential feelings of shame. For example, you could say something like “at the moment it’s a little difficult for your body to learn not to pee when you are asleep, but it will learn eventually”, or “many kids wet themselves at night when they are your age”. You could also tell your child about your own experiences or, if there is a sibling in the family who had the same problem, what it was like for him or her, and when the sibling’s bedwetting finally stopped.

However, one thing you must avoid is constantly raising the subject of bedwetting and nagging or placing blame on your child. Children are often not particularly interested in discussing problems – they have other, more important things to think about! You should therefore try not to nag your child too much about the subject of bedwetting, even if the situation is almost driving you crazy. If you’re not a single parent, you can always talk to your spouse or partner instead and try to identify different solutions that you can test in an attempt to help your child.

Treatment of bedwetting

The most important thing in this context is the child’s perception of the situation and his or her desire to receive treatment. As a parent, it is inadvisable to try to force your child into wanting to undertake some form of treatment for their bedwetting. Doing so could create feelings of not being good enough as you are, which of course is not the way you want your child to feel. If, on the other hand, the child expresses a desire to receive help, it is then possible to seek care via the school nurse/doctor, or via a children’s health clinic if the child is not yet in school. Treatment of bedwetting is not usually undertaken until a child has turned six, although younger children who feel bad due to their bedwetting can also receive help.

Children who wet themselves during the day

It is also common for children to have difficulty staying dry during the day. The most common reason why children don’t make it to the toilet in time during the day is an overactive bladder, but it can also have to do with pure willpower! Quite often, children do not want to acknowledge the fact that they need to pee while they are playing – and let’s face it, why would a child want to interrupt a super fun game for something as boring as a visit to the toilet?! Having a toilet schedule usually helps, and it is also good if the parent – or preschool staff – can gently but firmly help the child to interrupt the game and go to the toilet at regular intervals, even if the child emphatically claims that he or she does not need to pee.

Please note that all information above is based on Swedish recommendations.