Wetting the bed after 4 years is not a disease!
If most children learn to be potty trained during the day between 2 and 4 years old, for the night it often takes several years of learning. It is estimated that up to 8% of children still wet their beds after 8 years.
Nocturnal enuresis is involuntary
Having trouble controlling your bladder while sleeping is usually not related to an illness but rather a sign of an emotional or cognitive disorder. It is a stage of development to be crossed that most often happens on its own over time. It is therefore useless to make the child feel guilty, it is preferable to support him and to look for a physical cause (urinary tract infection, diabetes, sleep apnea…) or psychological (stress, reaction to change, regression…).
To help him, show patience, keeping a positive attitude and encouraging him during clean nights, without punishing him if he wets his bed.
What to put in place on a daily basis?
Several measures can be useful to help him gradually pass this stage of his development:
– limit the liquids drunk in the evening.
– get him used to going to the toilet before going to bed.
– avoid putting on a diaper but leave a plastic cover under the sheets to protect the mattress.
– do not change him as soon as he wets his bed, but leave him a spare towel, sheet and pajamas when he wakes up.
– leave a night light so that he can access the toilet easily during the night.
– involve him in cleaning his sheets, his pajamas or his bedding without presenting it as a punishment, but rather as a help.
If after 6 years you notice that he still wets the bed, do not hesitate to consult a doctor to consider drug treatment and possibly psychotherapy.
Find out more: “How can I help my child stop wetting the bed?” by Dominique Van der Kaa, 50 Minutes editions.
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