What practical steps can I take to help my child not wet the bed?
Originally posted here.
Look at your child’s sleeping environment. Is the bathroom a long way from her room, or in an area of the house that she finds scary at night? Ask her gently if there’s any reason why she doesn’t want to go to the bathroom at night.
If she’s afraid of the dark, let her know it’s okay to wake you if she needs to go. You can also put a nightlight by her bed or leave a hallway light on.
Keep an eye on your child’s fluid intake. It’s important that kids drink enough water. The amount of fluids they need depends on things like weather, what they’ve eaten, and how active they are. It’s a myth that restricting fluids will make it less likely that he’ll wet the bed.
But you can encourage him to drink more early in the day and see if that helps. Aim for roughly 40 percent of his fluid intake in the morning, 40 percent in the afternoon and 20 percent in the evening. Your child may still wet the bed, but he might be less wet.
Make a bathroom stop part of the bedtime routine. Make sure your child goes to the bathroom right before bed, and if she wakes up during the night, ask if she’d like to use the bathroom. Offer to go with her if she’s reluctant. However, research shows that waking up a child deliberately to go to the bathroom or carrying her to the bathroom while she’s asleep won’t cure bed-wetting.
Monitor daytime bathroom breaks. Your child should be going to the bathroom regularly, about four to seven times, throughout the day. If he attends daycare or school, check that he’s comfortable using the bathroom there. If he isn’t, he may be avoiding drinking and going to the bathroom during the day, and urinating more at night instead.