Perspective and advice on bedwetting

Most children are toilet trained between the ages of two and three, and about 95% of children stay consistently dry by the age of four. But it takes longer to stay dry at night. By age four, most children stay dry all night, but many still wet the bed. By age seven, about 1 in 10 children still wet the bed at least once a week. Using the toilet during the day is a new skill that children are learning, but staying dry at night is an unconscious skill that cannot be "taught" or "practiced." Discipline, practice, or rewards will not help overcome the problem. Take these two examples from my pediatric practice. I remember a seven-year-old child who was very upset because he was still wetting the bed. His mother said he slept soundly and was virtually impossible to wake when he was asleep. The family was reassured to learn that sound sleep was contributing to his bedwetting; his own bladder was failing to wake him, even when it was full! Over the next few years, he began to spend more and more nights dry, and he completely overcame bedwetting by the age of nine. When his younger brother started having the same problems, he was relieved to know that his older brother had overcome the problem. Until bedwetting is overcome, children should use nighttime pants, like disposable pads, to stay dry and enjoy greater comfort. Although certain medical conditions can contribute to bedwetting, many children who wet the bed do not have any underlying health problems. It is important for parents to reassure them that it is nothing terribly serious. A child who begins wetting the bed after being consistently dry may be suffering from a bladder infection or other health problem and should be seen by a doctor.