Dry at night

[Klou]

Hello All

 

I have stayed away for a while. Not purposefully but I think I was getting used to the AS diagnosis and what it means.

 

Anyway, the next hurdle after just about getting DS dry in the day is getting him out of night nappies. He's 4 and half and I know by normal standards this is late. But we have just got to the point where he will stay dry/clean if he isn't too tired/stressed and doesn't decide to wet/soil on purpose. Happened once or twice lately but not a big problem.

 

 

So......how do I get him to stay dry over night or should I just leave it for now? Any advice gratefully received!

[DaisyProudfoot]

Hi Klou,

 

Just take it as it comes really. My friends NT daughter was still in night nappies when she was 10 years old. If you are concerned though it may be worth speaking to your GP there are various methods you can try from alarmed sheets to medication.

 

There seem to be a few folks on here with kids who are still not dry at night so they may be able to advise the steps they have taken.

 

When night training my own kids we always used to get them up just before we went to bed and take them into the toilet, explain why we were there and get them to pee before putting them back to bed. We also took away bedside water so they couldn't drink at night. All this didn't seem to work any differently for my AS son and he was dry at night certainly by 3 or 4.

[Valiant_Skylark]

We tried everything in vain to get eldest son dry at nights. He was still wetting at 10 yrs. Only had success after going GF/CF... which may have been coincidence, of course. Perhaps it was just maturation.

 

If you contact your health visitor you may be able to get free nappies, as your child is over 4.

 

vs xx

[pim]

hi, no real advice but we're in the same boat. DS is 4 and 1/2. I thought I'd try soon as the weather gets warmer. I think he can now tell when he's going to do a wee while sleeping. He's not been well this past week and he's been sleeping in the day. I noticed he's woken up and taken himself of to the toilet. Before he would let himself get wet as he was so dopey. Whether he will do this at night when he's in deep sleep I don't know. But his nappies are wet in the morning, which makes me think he is not ready. Also I don't want ds to sleep in a wet bed as in the past if I had forgotten to put a nappy on this is what happened. He never woke up. He doesn't like wearing a nappy at night and he says he is a baby at night not a big boy. So come summer I'm buying some waterproof sheets and hoping for the best.

 

With DD it was easier as she started to have dry nappies and I knew then she didn't need them. I'm also going to start toilet training DD2 as she is nearly 2 this summer. So I'll have lots of washing to do. I'm just hoping dd2 is like DD and will learn quickly.

 

I've read conflicting info about what is the best way. From the longer you leave it the more difficult it will get as the body gets used to it. It doesn't learn to become aware that you need to go for a wee. Then this habit is even more difficult to break. To it's only better to do it when the body regonises the signal that it needs to go. Before this it's pointless.

 

pim

Edited March 26, 2006 by pim

[LizK]

It's normal for a child not to be dry at night up until their 7th birthday so your son still does fall within normal limits. I know of other NT children who are still wearing pullups at night after their 4th birthday. Only if they are still wetting after that age would medication or other strategies be put into place. Children with ASD tend to potty train as a later age than their NT counterparts so it seems reasonable to expect them to be older when they are dry at night. Being dry at night is a bit different to daytime potty training as it depends largely on when the brain starts producing the hormone that stops you weeing at night. If the child's brain isn't making enough of it then they won't be physically able to be dry at night and again as many of our children are developmentally immature they are likely to be older when they start making the hormone

 

My 4.5yr old son is still in pull-ups at night. We get the odd night when he's dry but often his nappy is soaked. At the moment this is preferable as if he gets up at night to use the loo he gets in a terrible pickle trying to get his pants back on and sits in the bathroom wailing until one of us wakes up and rescues him! I'm leaving it at the moment and hoping it will come in due course

 

HTH

 

Lx

[Flora]

If a child is dry during the day, then I'm not entirely certain being wet at night is ASD related. I have 3 children, and the only one who was dry at night at an early age was William who has AS. Luke (9) has ASD and was late (4) being dry during the day and is still in nappy pants at night. My daughter, NT, was nearly 11 before she was dry at night!!! I think a laid back attitude is best, it'll happen when they are ready and not before. It's to do with neurological connections in the brain, and until that is made then it isn't going to happen.

 

Lauren

[Klou]

Fascinating Thank you all.

 

I had absolutely no idea that a hormone stops you weeing at night. I am fairly sure DS isn't making enough of it. His nappies are always wet in the morning. I was unsure of whether this is just because he couldn't be bothered to go when he got up but having sneeked in and checked while he sleeps I don't think it is just that.

 

I think I might leave it for now, especially as I think we started the day time thing way to early and gave ourselves unnecessary grief largely because I thought a three year old should be coming out of nappies. He just wasn't physically ready. I've also heard weting at night till quite late runs in hubbies side of the family so I think I'll buy the waterproof sheet and wait till the summer!

[on the edge]

My son (3 yr 4 mnths) is dry at night (bar the odd mishap which is bound to occur to night now I have written this!!!) and has been for a good 5 months. In the 'dry in the day but not at night stages', I found that leaving him bed in the morning for too long would definately guarantee a wet nappy. If I went in and woke him I could normally catch him before he had a wee - I think he tended to wee in the first part of the waking up cycle. If he woke in the night I would take him for a wee before re-settling him. I think this may have helped him get out of the habit of just weeing in his semi-conscious sleep...I don't know how this works in deep sleep cycles, but I am a great believer in needing a wee being one of the causes in nightmares and night timewaking in children. If I wake up from a bad dream I often find I need to go to the loo too!!

[rainbow queen]

my son whos 5 in june still in nappies at night too.

[tmf]

Hi,

 

4 1/2 isn't considered late. My neighbours boy was 5 before he became dry at night, and then there were lots of accidents that followed and he is NT! She was worried and sought advice from HV who informed her not to be worried, they would only be worried if the child was 6/7.

 

With my ds we tried him when he was 3, which was the wrong time as i had just had baby. We stopped for a while and tried him again when things settled down and he was used to his new sister. This seemed to work, but the main factor i think like one of the others have said, we used to lift them out of bed to go to the loo when we went to bed. We then explained why, but also made them walk back to their bedrooms to get them used to walking in the dark bleary eyed! We did this until one day we put ds to bed and he asked us not to wake him up....we didnt and not had one accident since. My daughter was the complete opposite, she was ready before we were and was dry at 2 both day and night.

 

Please don't worry, they will do it when they are ready, not when we are ready! Unfortunately!!!

[jomum]

My son will be four this May and still has problems in the day, so there's no way I am even considering getting stressed about nights yet. x

[lisann]

Char dry in the day but needs changing at least twice in the night still in nappies .He's 4 1/2 and doesn't seem to know he is doing it in the night!!!!

 

Lisa x

[adamsmum]

All my boys wet bed Kieran is 8 and wets most nights Adam is 6 and in nappys and joshua is 5 he has terrable rash from bed wetting. We have tryed it all to stop them wetting bed but nothing works even continance nurse is at a loss. I think it will just take time.

[Suze]

Klou try not to worry my son was 6 1/2 before he was dryat night .My nt nearly 4 yrold is still in nappies at night.

[BusyLizzie100]

Our ds2 (ASD) is 6 1/2 and just this week has decided he doesn't want to wear pull-ups at night. The first night was great, but every night since has been wet! I think it's an early morning thing; he's very sleepy in the morning and hard to get going (unlike the other two, who are up and at 'em as soon as poss) and i think maybe it's become a habit to wee in the nappy rather than get up. I could be wrong! My ds1 (AS) was 4 1/2 when he became dry at night, and ds3 is still nappy-bound at night at 3 1/2. We get free pull-ups for ds2 - ask your health visitor. I think generally bedwetting is not at all uncommon; just depends on your stamina for washing sheets every day!

[Klou]

Thank you. Your replies are reassuring.

 

Given that my stamina for washing sheets everyday would be zero just now I think we'll leave it a little longer. I also think DS wees in the nappy before getting up although lately he is getting more independent about taking the thing off after he wakes. SO fingers crossed! Or maybe that ought to be legs.......

 

I put go to the toilet on his vis timetable as the first thing to do so maybe that has also had an influence.

 

Cheers Klou

[jools]

my son is 8 1/2 and still in pullups on a night. we have been going to the enuresis clinic for a few months.

he has been given an alarm to try and i'm feeling brave so i think we will give it a go over these holidays.

we have been told to try it for a week and if he doesn't wake up when it goes off (he is a fairly heavy sleeper) or if it wakes the whole house up then to stop trying it and she will have a re-think.

 

i'll let you know how we get on!

[lil_me]

My son was just over 7 before he was dry most nights, still has some accidents now but try not to emphasise it as makes it worse.

 

You can get free nappies & depending on area services free waterproof pads

[jools]

the alarm was on then taken off then on then off then on then off...........

 

he cried about having it on, then off, then on then off then on then off..........

 

he was excited to use it but once on he was so upset. we have never pressurised him into being dry so told him he wasn't happy then that was ok....he could take it off.

he cried when it came off.

 

he found it hard to make a decision and we eventually agreed (1 1/2hrs later!) to leave it off and try again in a few days if he was happy

 

watch this space

[katkin]

My only advice is don't worry too much, don't feel pressurized by anybody (mothers and mils are great at this) and buy some Kylie sheets - when they are wet you can just whip them off and saves changing the whole bed - unless of course like my small person who sleeps wrapped in the duvet like a cocoon!!! 6-7- is a little late but not terribly, amazing how many children do wet when you are brave enough to talk about it. Kylies are a life saver though. Love Kat

[Klou]

At the moment we are leaving the nappy on and taking him to the loo when we go up to bed. Though DH had an interesting experience when I was out one night. He tok ds to the bathroom, got the pullup and trousers down at whech point ds pulled the whole lot back up and toddled back to bed laid down and went back to sleep. SO we have to be quick. DH obviously went to slowly and gently with the whole thing!

 

Had an interesting problem last week I bought pullup type nappies from a different supermarket to the one I usually use but those ones were very tight and I have been changing the bed because they leak. DH went to get the other more reliable type from a different supermarket yesterday and bed was dry again this morning. Both brands were the same size - junior 5 - but one fits the other doesn't. I am now thinking I will have to talk to health visitor because if the other type stop working to because he gets too big for them we will be stuck. He is not a large child - tall and thin to the point that jeans in his age size fall off around his waist - another problem LOL......

[jools]

huggies do night time pants (pullups) up to age 15.

these are the ones we used, although i couldn't imagine that they would fit him age 15!

 

we are perservering with the alarm.

after a few days break he asked to use it. its been in use for 13 nights and we have had 4 dry nights.

thankfully he was dry last night so we all got a good nights sleep before school!

i think it will be a long process but fingers crossed it will work.

[palgem]

hello

we have also been to the enuresis clinic they r now putting stuart aged 8 on a new medication it appears some children don,t produce a hormoan as they get older so can,t conrol the amount of eurine they produce . these tablets r suppose to induce the body to prduce this thus giving bladder control .

the tablets r called desomelt we had a heck of a job getting them as gp and chemist had never heard of them and had to check to see if they could be prescribed , after a couple of weeks of dithering we finnaly got them he,s been taking them for the last 6 nights 1st night was dry then weve had 3 wet nights and last night he was dry so fingers crossed will let you know how it proceeds

but also in your case you cannot rush things stuart has had periods either way but you just think you have cracked and you go back full circle because of his stress levels but sometimes his bed is wet just through sweat

good luck

 

 

bye for now paul