How To Deal With Bedwetting

We have had personal experience with bedwetting in our home. I am excited to be able to offer some advice, and tell our story as part of this sponsored campaign from White Cloud Sleep Pants. 

Bedwetting can be a really frustrating challenge to deal with. Especially when our children are a bit older and have been trained for years. Often times a child who has started school and has had dry pants for years, starts to wet the bed. As parents, we have no idea what to do. We might feel ashamed or even like we have failed.

One of our children struggled with this for over a year. The emotional stress was exhausting, not to mention the extra laundry every day really began to take its toll. I went through a gamut of emotions, including blaming myself, and blaming him.

At first, we wanted to respond with frustration, threats and consequences if the bed didn't stay dry. It was very hard to be patient.

My husband and I would sit and talk every night about why it was happening, and what we needed to do to stop it. I knew the research behind bedwetting, and what I needed to do, but it didn't seem to make it any easier while it was happening in our own home.

After it went on for quite some time, we made a visit to the doctor just to make sure it wasn't a medical condition. Everything checked out fine.

We had to come to the understanding that our child was not wetting the bed on purpose. It was not their fault and they were not being lazy. It was just going to take time as their bladder control was taking a little longer for some reason.

Although there could be a number of different reasons for bedwetting, the most common are...

1. Bedwetting is hereditary.
2. Children have a sleep condition that makes them sleep so soundly, they don't wake to respond to their body prompts that they need to go.
3. Bladder control takes longer for some children than others.
4. A medical condition (although it is very rare that this is the cause).

Bedwetting is fairly common. 10% of 6 year olds wet the bed. It is much more common in boys. Children usually grow out of it by the time they are 10.

Luckily, that is what happened to our son. He eventually grew out of it.

What can we do as parents to help our children?

First and most important, we have to be patient. Really really patient. We shouldn't ever shame our children, or punish them for wetting the bed. No threatening or demeaning. It is important we stay positive and supportive.

Then, some basics.

1. Don't let your child drink a lot of fluids within two hours of bed.

2. Keep your child clear of caffeinated beverages. Caffeine is a natural diuretic.

3. Wake your child up and take them to the bathroom right before you go to bed.

4. Look for physiological stresses. A recent move, divorce, new school or trouble in school, etc...

5. Have them wear protective pants at night to help save the sheets and bedding. Some parents feel this is supporting the problem, but it isn't. It takes away the shame for your child, will save you laundry, and  will allow your child to help themselves in the middle of the night when they wake up wet, and can then take care of the situation. The best brand we found was White Cloud Sleep Pants from Walmart. The price was reasonable, they looked like underwear, and they didn't leak.

6. Apply a special sensor in their bed, or on their pants that alerts them the second they start to get wet. The alarm will wake them so they can stop and go to the bathroom.

7. Keep track of how many nights in a row your child stays dry, BUT, if they have an accident, don't get mad. Just start keeping track again. Be careful with incentives. If children don't earn the incentive, it can make them feel like a failure.

8. Consider spending more one-on-one time with your child. Make it a point to strengthen your relationship and spend time together. This will also help ensure that your child isn't wetting the bed for attention.

Above all other things, be patient. Think about how your child must feel, try to see and understand their perspective. They don't want to wet the bed. They don't want to disappoint you either. Be positive, uplifting and don't force, punish or demean them.

For my husband and I, the patience took time. But we got there. We also simplified things. At first I was against any sort of "night time pants". But, after chatting with my mom about the situation, she suggested I stop worrying, get our child some sleep pants, and move on with things. She was exactly right. We tried a number of different brands and were happiest with WalMart's White Cloud Brand. The protection and price were the best. They helped make a tough situation, much easier.

Do you have a child who wets the bed?
Was it hard for you to be patient?

Did you know that over 5 million kids a year experience bedwetting and it is one of the most common experiences during childhood development?

White Cloud Sleep Pants have been developed to provide exceptional comfort and leakage protection while looking like underwear. White Cloud Sleep Pants offer thin, discrete absorbent protection for your child. They have soft, stretchy sides that fit like real underwear, plus leak guards to help protect against leaks. The soft inner liner is hypoallergenic and treated with vitamin E and aloe for skin protection.

Each bag contains two unisex graphic designs and at $7.75, White Cloud offers exceptional value.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of White Cloud Sleep Pants.