A Typical Scenario between Parents, their Child and a Wet Bed (the Tale of a Bedwetter)
Sammy has grown out of diapers; she’s a bright, fun and energetic girl and loves taking on the world day by day. She has no problem staying dry during the day, but after she goes to bed at night there’s a wet bed by morning. She was in a deep sleep and didn’t even know she wet the bed.
Sammy is a bedwetter, but she isn’t alone. This common occurrence is known as bedwetting in children. It is so common that experts say bedwetting in children is normal through the age of 6. A wet bed generally stops after this age; only a small percentage of kids continue bedwetting after 6 years of age.
How to Handle a Wet Bed Situation
When Sammy woke up in a wet bed for the first time, she probably felt confused and unsure of herself. She may have been thinking did I do that?, and possibly even embarrassed to tell her parents she’s a bedwetter.
Parents may also be confused at why their child has become a bedwetter and flustered over having to clean a wet bed night after night. It can be easy to develop frustration over the situation, but parents should be reminded that bedwetting in children is an extremely common occurrence. Maintaining dryness throughout the night can be a cumbersome skill for the one wetting the bed since it requires them to hold their pee for a lengthy time period – that’s why many children often end up with a wet bed in the morning because they have yet to fully develop this skill.
Sammy rarely has accidents during the day, but if she starts to go before reaching the potty she can’t stop. She hasn’t mastered how to “hold it” yet. At night, she wears bedwetting diapers and checks every morning for a wet bed. If she’s dry, she gets a high five from her parents, otherwise she’s told gently “it’s ok, try again tomorrow.”
Parents can make it a routine to have the one wetting the bed make regular trips to the potty throughout the day and every night before bed.
Both the bedwetter and the parents may get discouraged if little or no progress is being made from a wet bed to a dry bed. Parents should always encourage positive reinforcement when it comes to bedwetting in children. Be mindful that a wet bed may simply be due to your child not having fully developed control of their bladder yet. The one wetting the bed can learn to control their bladder and refrain from a wet bed with time.
A bedwetter may also be sensitive in social situations, especially sleepovers. Parents can help the bedwetter overcome fears of bedwetting at a friend’s house by helping them pack any bedwetting essentials for the night. Bedwetting diapers, bedwetting underwear and even bedwetting pants can help avoid a potential wet bed in someone else’s home.
Good News for the Bedwetter
Sammy might have felt embarrassed and shy about being someone who wets the bed, but she knows that her parents are trying to help her correct the situation. Bedwetting is not a case of ‘once a bedwetter, always a bedwetter.’ There are many helpful methods such as bedwetting alarms, behavior modification and even bedwetting medication that can make a wet bed a thing of the past.
Even some parents may be familiar with being a bedwetter when they were young. Similarly, the bedwetter will learn over time and most likely grow out of it. Certain wet bed situations may call for treatment via a doctor.
Just remember that a wet bed is not a problem that can’t be solved. There are plenty of options for the bedwetter to make a blossoming transition from a wet bed to a dry bed.