Bedwetting: Back in Diapers

"I need advice. My 7 year old still wets most nights. He insisted that he did not want to wear disposable pants any longer and wanted to wear regular underwear to bed.

That was a month ago. He was dry the first 2 nights but has wet every night since then (sometimes twice a night). I have had so much laundry to do and he is so frustrated that we have gone back to disposables. What should I do?

First, it sounds like your son is motivated to stay dry at night, so that is a first step. You just need a plan and some tools to help him accomplish this.

Use waterproof bed overlays that lie on top of his sheets to help with the burden of extra laundry when he transitions out of disposables.

Buy several so you can easily switch a wet one for a dry one during the night. In the morning, just wash the waterproof pad. The tuck-in ones are best because they stay in place.

Buy a bedwetting alarm to help alert him when wetting occurs.

Currently, he sleeps through the wetting episode and you have no idea when it happens. Bedwetting alarms sense the wetness and sound to alert the user. Over time, his brain will begin to make the connection that a full bladder means to wake up instead of let the urine out in bed.

The average child takes a few weeks to learn this new behavior but that is better than wearing disposables for another year or two. The best part of using a bedwetting alarm is that it is usually a permanent solution and relapse is rare.

Be positive.

Children do not wet on purpose, because they are lazy or don't want to be dry. Your son would like to be dry, as evidenced by not wanting to wear disposables any longer.

Let him know that you would like to help him and will be getting something to help remind him when he needs to wake up and go to the bathroom. Most kids are excited to have a tool to make a change.

Choose a time to begin the bedwetting alarm when you can assist him.

In the beginning, you will need to wake up when the alarm sounds to insure he is getting up. Over time, he can handle this more independently.

Remind him to urinate twice before bed, spaced about 30 minutes apart.

Drinking throughout the whole day is important so he isn't so thirsty in the evening. If he is thirsty, though, water is the best drink. With this plan and a few tools, your son should soon be on his way to dryness and permanently out of disposable pants.