5 1/2 year old still not dry at night!

[Tinylo]

My DS1 is as I've said above, he's no where near, even now he never wakes with a dry nappy. He does drink loads all throughout the evening and night time he takes a drink to bed, which is nearly always empty in the morning. I really don't want to stop him drinking because he must be thirsty and I feel that's cruel, but I don't see how else to help him! Should I contact docs/HV? I keep hearing he'll get there but he's started about talking sleepovers with school friends, but he thinks they'll call him a baby because he wears night time pants! Any words of advice / comfort?

 

[beetroot]

My DS was the same at 4.5yo, full wet nappies in the morning. One night, I ran out of nappies and couldn't go out to buy more, so I took him to the toilet before bed as I had for a long time, and hoped for the best. Unfortunately, he did pee the bed that night, but has been completely dry since the second night. He's always been lazy re going to the toilet and still is aged 9!
Maybe the comfort of having the nappy/night pants is hindering nighttime dryness
Good luck xx

 

[Tinylo]

Thanks for reply.

I have tried a few times over the last 2 1/2 years (blimey)! He'll have two good nights and then back to being wet, that's with restricting drinks, taking him for a wee before bed and another one at 9.30! If I miss the 9.30 one he's wet by 10!!!! I'm at a complete loss with what to do........

 

[Abblebubba]

I know this may sound totally impractical and a nuisance but if you took him for a wee just before he gets into bed and then again every couple hours or so and wake during the night couple times and go and wake him up an make him go to the toilet this may just do it because we done it with my little sister and she was dry by one weekend of doing this

Sorry can't be more help x

 

[KayBea]

my daughter is almost 3 so we arnt anywhere near this stage yet but...

she takes a drink to bed & its gone by the morning, however if i take the drink away 10-15 mins after shes asleep she doesnt wake up & doesnt ask for a drink all night either, i think its a habbit - could this be the case?


id also stop all drinks an hour before bed, make sure he goes to the toilet before bed & you take him when you go upto bed. xx

 

[Dream.dream]

Restricting drinks at night isn't cruel as long as you make sure he drinks more before that durin the day. That's what we have to do with my son . He was still in pull ups at night until 6 months ago .

We started cuttin out drinks 2 hours before bed and I wake him up once and take him to pee at 11 before I go to bed and he's been staying dry

 

[Tinylo]

Thanks, seems like cutting down/out his late drinks may the way to go. That and a late late toilet trip. X

 

[mummy2o]

My son was 6 and a half before being dry at night. Boys are generally later than girls anyway. I don't really have any tips though as he just did it all by himself.

 

[RachA]

I honestly wouldn't worry about it at this stage. It's not unusual for a child to be in night time nappies still at this age.
Personally I'd wait until he has dry pants in the morning for two weeks and then take them away. Being wet or dry at this point has nothing to do with a comfort thing or not-if he's not ready you cannot push him to be and in fact if you take the nappies away and let him wet the bed or wake him up several times in the night it's not great for them psychologically (sp).
Try to take a note of the colour of his wee the first time he goes to the toilet in the morning. If it isn't dark then he doesn't yet have the hormone which enables him to be dry over night.
Taking him to the toilet regularly overnight won't teach him to hold it all night-if anything it will teach him to wake up several times each night in order to go to the toilet. Also you may find he refuses to go-we tried this with my son and he literally screamed for 30 minutes as he really didn't want to be awake. We also tried just taking the nappies away but we ended up having to change his bedding 3 times every night. In the end we just decided to live with him being in nappies and after we took away the stress he suddenly started to be dry. We still have the odd accident-maybe once a month but this is because he is an insanely deep sleeper. With our son it didn't matter if we restricted fluid intake before bed unless we didn't allow him anything from midday and I didn't think it was right to make him go from midday until 7.30am the next day without a drink.

 

[Jaymes]

My ds and dd both wet the bed until 1st and 3rd grade. It was a maturity thing for us. My dd didn't stop until she started cheer which has been a big boost I her self esteem. Hugs and patience to you. If he does have a sleepover maybe you could remind him to not drink anything after 7pm and start restricting at home after 7. That helped with my ds.

 

[Tinylo]

I honestly wouldn't worry about it at this stage. It's not unusual for a child to be in night time nappies still at this age.
Personally I'd wait until he has dry pants in the morning for two weeks and then take them away. Being wet or dry at this point has nothing to do with a comfort thing or not-if he's not ready you cannot push him to be and in fact if you take the nappies away and let him wet the bed or wake him up several times in the night it's not great for them psychologically (sp).
Try to take a note of the colour of his wee the first time he goes to the toilet in the morning. If it isn't dark then he doesn't yet have the hormone which enables him to be dry over night.
Taking him to the toilet regularly overnight won't teach him to hold it all night-if anything it will teach him to wake up several times each night in order to go to the toilet. Also you may find he refuses to go-we tried this with my son and he literally screamed for 30 minutes as he really didn't want to be awake. We also tried just taking the nappies away but we ended up having to change his bedding 3 times every night. In the end we just decided to live with him being in nappies and after we took away the stress he suddenly started to be dry. We still have the odd accident-maybe once a month but this is because he is an insanely deep sleeper. With our son it didn't matter if we restricted fluid intake before bed unless we didn't allow him anything from midday and I didn't think it was right to make him go from midday until 7.30am the next day without a drink.

I never realised that about the colour of their wee, I'll have to check in the morning.
I might try stopping drinks after 6.30 and have a wee before bed then see what happens over the next week.

 

[Missnurse]

My DD is 5 And still wet at night. I started with the disposable bed mats which were great as she seemed to be dry most nights, then she went for a whole 2 months being bone dry just after starting school then after going back after the October holidays she started being wet every night again with the odd dry night so I bought waterproof mattress protectors instead as it was costing a small fortune to keep buying the disposable mats, I refuse to put her back in pull ups as she sees this as an excuse to pee instead of getting up for the toilet. I do not let her drink after tea time (5.30 pm) and I make her go to the toilet before bed and I take her again when I go to bed around 11.30 pm then it's just wait and see what happens. I've been told not to be too concerned until she is 7 if she is still wet most mornings to the take her to GP

 

[seoj]

I'll give ya my two cents- because I DID have issues holding it at night till I was about 7yrs old. The docs just kept saying "wait and see"- but finally, my Mom pushed for tests and answers. And, it turns out I had a reflux value that wasn't working right- thus, it was physically hard for me to hold it when I was sleeping if I didn't wake up in time to go. I did have an incident at a sleepover- embarrassing for sure! BUT- not the end of my world. My Mom was alwasys supportive and did whatever she could and never made a big deal of it. Which, I do think helped me a lot. The tests weren't all fun- I had to have blood drawn and other things- but, in the end, I made it through. I was old enough to remember it all too- and it's just one of those things I remember but have no real feelings about- least not in a negative way. If that helps?

I think, as the parent, you should trust whatever your gut is telling you. It could be nothing- and something he'll just grow out of. There are pull ups for bigger kids if he worries about sleep overs (not something they offered when I was that age)-- but just do what you feel is best hun. Regardless. It will be sorted out at some point. Best of luck!

 

[JASMAK]

Do not worry. My two older were forever in diapers at night. Felt like it would never happen. I think my son was SIX, or close to it...my daughter was older.....like 7. Only my youngest managed to stay dry (touch wood as she is without a diaper tonight) but I still put a diaper on her (tonight she refused) because she hops in my bed. They get there.