Bed Wetting
Bedwetting is a common childhood problem, with more than 20% of five
years olds and 10% of ten year olds frequently wetting their beds
during the night. At an early age, this mishap could be due to
immature bladder control, and one would find that, once the child
has learned to effectively control brain/bladder connections, the
problem becomes a thing of the past.
In a few cases though, bed-wetting may be a sign of a more
serious underlying problem, such as diabetes or urinary tract
infection, although these children seem to succumb to day-wetting as
well. Many children who have managed to remain dry for a substantial
period, and then all of a sudden begin wetting their beds again,
could be affected by stress of some sort, like for example with the
arrival of a new baby, or a change of schools or house.
Children will eventually grow out of this problem, but in some
cases bedwetting may cause the child to become withdrawn and refuse
to sleep out, in the fear of embarrassing himself infront of his
friends. If you find this is the case, it is best to speed up the
process, by helping you child gain full bladder control. This can be
done by waking the child every evening, and taking him to the
toilet, to relieve himself. After a given time he will be so used to
waking during the night when his bladder is full, that he will be
able to escort himself to the toilet. Remain supportive and
sympathetic during this stage, rewarding him in a way that allows
him to monitor his own progress, such as sticking stars on to a
chart. This is an embarrassing stage for the child, so it is best if
the matter remains secret, and you don't go discussing the problem
with other adults infront of him.
Dry nights
Remaining dry throughout the night, only happens at a much later
stage, and by not expecting it to happen too soon, you will be
saving yourself a lot of grief and washing. Once she starts waking
with a dry nappy quite often, it may indicate that she is ready to
go without a nappy during the night. Although it may be wise (if she
is a good sleeper), to gently carry her to the toilet at some stage
during the night, for her to be able to relieve herself.
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