Dr Catherine
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Girl
4-7 years

Hi my son is 7 and can go for long periods of being dry, however recently he has started wetting the bed every night. However we recently spent 8 nights on holiday and he was dry every night. I find it so frustrating as he can obviously go through the night dry. Any ideas?

Hi Clare - It is not unusual for parents of children who wet the bed to comment on the fact that their children are able to stay dry when attending sleepovers or on holidays. While there is no clear medical explanation for this it has been suggested that children may sleep less soundly when away from home and therefore wake more easily in response to a full bladder. The fact that he is able to occasionally make it through the night without wetting is encouraging and a good sign that his bladder is learning to store the amount of urine his kidneys are producing overnight. Given this and his age, it would be a really good option for you to introduce a conditioning alarm. When it comes to treatment options bedwetting or conditioning alarms tend to experience the best outcomes. Bedwetting alarms work by helping children learn to recognise the need to pass urine and either wake-up and go to the toilet or learn to hold on until morning. Bedwetting alarms come in two main forms. One is a body alarm with a small sensor that can be worn inside your DryNites. The second type of alarm is a bell and pad alarm that is placed like a mat over the bottom bed sheet. Many children prefer the body alarm, as they don’t have to worry about dealing with wet sheets particularly during these winter months. It can take a few weeks until you begin to respond to the alarm and may take up to 3 months to achieve continence. Good luck!!! Regards, Dr Cathrine