I was a chronic bedwetter as a kid so I know what your son must be going through. Have you tried some kind of protection, nappies, pull ups etc as this would keep him comfortable duringt the night and allow him to get a good nights sleep.

I have tried pull ups in his size but they leak a lot. I don't know how to approach protection which is absorbent.

Hi, sorry to hear that the pull ups are not providing sufficient protection because of course they are much more like ordinary underwear. If you need something more absorbent then you are looking at products such as TENA Slip, Attends, but these are basically nappies/diapers and that can be very difficult for a young chap like your son to accept. Though he is most definitely NOT alone in having to deal with this. There is an organisation called ERIC in the UK, who can provide huge support and advice for you and your son. www.eric.org.uk Go online and take a look.
I am glad to hear that there is no underlying medical issue. Any other idea why this may have started - emotional issues? Is he worrying about something? Not being bullied at school? You might also ask your doctor about Desmopressin. I don't know if children can use it but it comes as a nasal spray and is very effective. It basically stops the body from producing urine and so could give him a dry spell that may be all he needs to get over it, especially if he is now worrying about wetting the bed as well as whatever may have set it off.

Hi adfw61,

We tried Desmopressin and it was helping. It reduced his wet nights and the amount of urine but the effect was temporary.

I am worried about giving him hormones and our doctor says that the wetting will stop eventually when his body is ready.
Tena or Attends would be better in the long run I think.

My advice would be to use protection rather than medication. Hopefully he will grow out of it as most do.

POh geez. Poor guy. Dipaers on a 4th grader will be hard to take. I know caue I am a teen who got put back in diapers. At first I was horrified. I am more accepting of it as time went by. But eys it is still embarrassing. Have you thought about how to approach your decision with him yet;

I am sorry to hear about your son's sudden bedwetting experience. In all of my research on the subject most experts feel that when a kid who was dry suddenly starts to sleep wet with no apparent medical cause, it is usually something emotional causing the problem. Did a grandparent or favorite aunt or uncle die recently? Does he have older siblings? Has his relationship with them changed? Is there a big event scheduled that he could be stressing about?
I agree that some form of nappies is needed but you need to point out that in his situation, it is more grown up to wear protection to bed than not to.
lildman53

When we were dealing with this at the same age I used cloth and plastic pants for a few reasons. One being that we live in a kind of a remote area and getting to the store was not a simple thing. Also I had another still in night diapers while training and so cloth just made sense. Using a night diaper of your choice involves talking with the bedwetter and assuring that the diaper is to help keep him comfortable and in no way has anything to do with being treated like a baby. It is a time consuming issue and I wish you good luck in your decision.

Thank you for all the advice!

I sat down with him and he came to the conclusion that he wants to be comfortable at night and get a good night sleep. Otherwise he won't be able to do well at school.

I have gotten him real diapers / nappies to wear at night and assured him it is not punishment for wetting the bed. His first night went very well.

That's great to hear! It's never an easy discussion to be had. Just keep reminding him he's not the only one and there are many people out there who still wet at night.

Well gueelss he is ahlevto sleep all the way through the night now. Wet beds and pjs are cold. I admit The diapers are more comfortable. But I would nt ever tell mom that. It still embarrassing stillneeding diaoers at my age so I imagine your son feels the same. Didyou get him disposbles or cloth ones?

i would try the pull ups again but add plastic pants this way he can change and dress himself and it would be less embarrassing then having you dress and change him at 9 he may have trouble changing a diaper

I got him disposables. I feel th epull ups with plastic pants will still feel like diapers and perhaps even more babyish.

He is worried about sleepovers and I know he used to enjoy them a lot.

Hi Kate
Your son has just started wetting the bed at 9 did he have any issues with bedwetting before this?
If not just wondering if there is anything that is upsetting him like being bullied at school or anything going on that has been causing him a lot of stress.
I was a chronic bedwetter and for sleepovers I found that they just didnt work out so good tried a few times and when youre so worried about having an accident you can pretty much guarantee that it will happen.
So if your son decides to do it he needs to be prepared for his friends finding out and if he has good friends telling them up front could be the best thing most guys his age probably wouldnt care about it.
I also tried going to my friends and staying late but said I couldnt sleepover because we had something on early the next morning and my parents would come pick me up I at least got to take part in some of the fun and didnt have to deal with friends finding out.
Hope things get better for him it is a tough thing to deal with.

I have discovered that bedwetting is directly linked to sleep disorder breathing. If your child snores, mouth breathes, grindes their teeth, wakes to a destroyed bed they should have a sleep evaluation. I am not a doctor, but I am a reformed mother that once thought my son's issues were bad behavior, poor table manners, laziness, and bed wetting.

If you can, please watch: https://vimeo.com/122806565.

A better explination of how the mouth plays such a dramatic role - please watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk5qsmRyVcE

If you need to speak with an expert visit: www.AirwayHealth.org