Is Five Too Old to Wet the Bed? A Parenting Myth Debunked

As a member of the NiteLite™ Expert Panel and parenting author, I get asked this question all the time! Parents tend to stop talking about bedwetting with other parents once their children are past the typical potty-training age, and I believe this is why people think five is "too old" to have accidents. So, we have no way of knowing how many other parents and children are going through the same thing! In reality, many children five years and older experience bedwetting occasionally, or even frequently. In fact, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, between 15% and 30% of 6-year-olds experience one bedwetting episode per month. This means that in your child's kindergarten class, there are likely several other children who are still having accidents. If, after staying dry for six months or more, your child suddenly starts wetting the bed, I recommend talking to their pediatrician. Sometimes, bedwetting can indicate a medical problem. But most of the time, it's due to a common developmental abnormality or changes in the child's routine. It's quite possible that your child will begin sleeping through the night without incident within the next year or so. Each year, by the time they turn 5, 15 percent of children who have suffered bedwetting accidents stop wetting the bed without any intervention, notes Dr. Howard Bennett, clinical professor of pediatrics at the George Washington University Medical Center and author of Waking Up Dry: A Guide to Help Children Overcome Bedwetting. In the meantime, I recommend making your child as comfortable as possible by having them wear absorbent underwear for the night such as Drynites, Abena Frantex, Libéro Junior underwear.... This will make your life easier and your mornings much less stressful. No more emergency laundry while everyone else is getting ready for work or school! I believe we parents should start talking more openly about bedwetting. We would then see how common it is, which would help our children—and ourselves—feel less ashamed and confused. A great place to start is the Parent Support section of the blog. . You will find questions and comments from other parents who have experienced the same thing and who can reassure you: your child is going through a normal stage and will stay dry all night, perhaps faster than you expected!