Bed wetting is a concern to the parents. What can be causing it? Parents are usually upset when their child after becoming fully potty trained and regresses to the not being able to control going to the bathroom especially at night. The main bed wetting concern is the child.
Parents can become frustrated especially when bed wetting occurs after a child stays completely dry. It can appear anywhere from 6 months to years later. It can be upsetting and often treat it as a behavioral issue. Children don’t usually; wet the bed because they are mad at their parents.
Instead of becoming angry and criticize the child try to figure out what might be the cause.
Illnesses can cause less control of the bladder. Has the child been ill lately or ill now?
Wait and see if it stops after the child becomes well.
Stress can also cause the lack of control of the bladder. A child can experience stress when they start school, when the family moves to a new area, or there is conflict in the home. Stress can occur when good things happen like a ride on a roller coaster. These are all external causes of bedwetting.
There are physical causes of bedwetting as well. The child may have a smaller than normal bladder and it may not be able to hold as much as normal bladder and so it empties.
The child may also be a deep sleeper. They sleep so deeply that they cannot feel the need to get up and go to the bathroom.
There are prevention techniques that will work for some but not all children. Allow them no liquids for up to 3 hours before bedtime. There are a variety of bedwetting alarms that help but parents need to find the one that will work for their child.
It is important to protect the mattress. Plastic covers that fit over the entire matress will prevent damage to the mattress from urine stains and smells. There are paper diapers that lie flat and put under a sheet. There are also rubber sheets that can be placed over the mattress and minimize or eliminate urine from getting on the mattress.
Last but not least is to refrain from being angry at the child or fall into belittling them. This will only make the child feel more shame and embarrassment due to bed wetting. They must be assured that parents and even siblings might support the child while they go through this.
