Is Your Child Wetting the Bed

You wake-up at night and find your child lying in a pool of their own pee. You are confused because you had successfully toilet trained your child. What every parent needs to understand is that even when a child is toilet trained, they will often wet the bed. Some children wet the bed occasionally, which should not be an alarming situation for the parents because it is totally normal. However, if your child is wetting the bed too often, then you can schedule an appointment with a pediatrician.

In either case, bed wetting should not come as a surprise or shock for parents. In order to make you feel more comfortable, we have given detailed information about bed wetting below. This information will help you learn about your little one’s bed wetting problem, and give you a direction to better parenting.

Why is your Little One Wetting the Bed?

A little child is in the process of developing muscle coordination between the bladder and the brain. Therefore, it is quite common for a child to wet the bed three to four times a week. When the communication between the brain and the muscles of the bladder is weak, your child is unable to hold their pee.

Another common reason for bed wetting is a small bladder. A child with a small bladder is unable to hold their pee. Furthermore, if the child is constipated, the pressure from his/her rectum falls on the bladder, making him/her wet the bed.

Another reason for bed wetting is poor toilet habits. If your child doesn’t like going to the toilet and tries to delay important business, then they might wet their pants when they are asleep. When your child is holding their pee, it is quite easy to figure it out with their unusual expressions and body language.

All of the above mentioned reasons fall in the primary bed wetting category. The children that fall in the secondary bed wetting category are the ones who have an underlying medical condition. Secondary bed wetting might be caused due to a number of conditions including:

Diabetes – Due to the high levels of sugar in the blood, kids suffering from diabetes often have to pee frequently, which usually results in bed wetting incidents.
Urinary Tract Infection – Children suffering from UTI often experience a burning or painful sensation while passing urine. They also have a stronger urge to pee immediately, which results in bed wetting.
Emotional Stress – Children who are under immense emotional stress or are going through a change in their life often wet the bed. The stress from going to school or seeing their parents fight is a common symptom of bed wetting.
Neurological Problems – An abnormality in the nervous system can make it hard for the brain to control the process of urination.
Anatomical or Structural Abnormality – Abnormalities in organs, muscles, and nerves can show their effect on urination.

If your child falls in the primary category, then you don’t need to worry about its bed wetting habits. However, if your child falls in the secondary category, then you need to visit a pediatrician and get your little one checked.

How to Deal with Bed Wetting?

Bed wetting is common in young children. Therefore, at no point should you make your child feel stressed or scared. Of course it is a hassle to clean and change the sheets, but try not to scold or scream at your child, as it is only going to make the problem worse.

Staying dry and learning to use the bathroom is something that every child learns at the right time. Some children might take longer than others, and it is also totally normal. As parents, you need to understand that just like you, your child is also not happy with this incident.

When you know you can’t make it stop immediately, you need to take some precautionary measures to keep the inconvenience at the minimum. Below are a few tips that will help keep your bed from getting wet.

Bed sheets and mattresses are extremely absorbent, which means that they will instantly absorb the urine. So, make sure you keep your mattress covered with a plastic sheet.
Make your child wear absorbent clothes so that their pee doesn’t directly flow to the bed sheet.
You can also make your child wear a soft diaper, which will absorb the pee. If you are using a thick piece of cloth or an absorbent undergarment, make sure you change it immediately after your child has wetted it.
Make use of rewards to help motivate your child to learn to stay dry all night. When he/she doesn’t wet the bed, give her a new toy to play with, and if she wets the bed, do not give her any incentive, which will make her learn the difference.

Unless your child is feeling irritation and pain while passing urine, bed wetting is nothing but a normal learning process for a child. Your child will eventually learn to stay dry in a few months’ time. So, do not panic and never punish them for wetting the bed because your child is experiencing everything for the first time.

If your child is wetting the bed, you need to make sure that you change their clothes immediately. Leaving your child with wet undergarments will cause rashes, which will make them feel irritated. It is also important to talk to your child, make them feel comfortable, and train them to make use of the toilet when they need to pee. When you understand your child’s problem by comforting them, they are able to improve and learn to avoid incidents like these.

If your child is trying to delay passing urine, then there is a high chance that they are in pain. In cases like these, it is important to be friendly and polite with the child so that they tell you what they feel. You can get them checked from a doctor to surpass any major health problem or abnormality.