Toddler Bed Wetting

The key theme for toddler bed wetting is to stay relaxed and calm and don't panic or scold your child.  Gaining bladder control at night time is usually a gradual process, it takes time and can come in fits and starts.  Kids wetting pants or pyjamas is a nuisance at any age but you need to try and respond always with patience and reassurance.

Toddler bed wetting at some point during your child's toddler years is almost inevitable.  Sometimes a child is dry for months and then returns to bed wetting - possibly triggered by changes in his sleep habits or stress, such as a new sibling, moving house or family changes.  The best thing you can do to support your child and make the process of coping with a wet bed as easy as possible for yourself is to follow some top tips:

1. Remain calm if your toddler has an accident at night time - do not scold him.  He hasn't meant to wet the bed and simply could not avoid it.

2. Always have a spare set of bedding and bed clothes to hand in his bedroom or have a regular sheet, followed by a mattress protector, followed by a regular sheet already on the bed so that you can very easily and quickly have a dry, clean bed.

3. Do not make a big deal of any accident - your toddler may become anxious about what he has done and this could make the problem worse

4. When he does do a wee on the potty or toilet during the day or night always praise him.

5. Use nappies or training pants at night time until your child dry for at least a week, ideally longer.  There's is no point rushing it.

Learning to stay dry during the night usually takes longer than staying dry during the day because your toddler needs to tackle being asleep!  So firstly do not attempt to put your toddler in bed without a nappy on until he is totally secure in being dry during the day.

Causes of bedwetting vary and differ to a child's age.  For your child to stay dry his body has to be able to recognise the feeling of a full bladder and be able to wake up and make his way to the toilet, or for his body to be able to hold on until it is morning time.  Being able to go to the toilet at night time requires a number of different bodily functions to work.  The kidneys produce urine which is then stored in the bladder.  When the bladder is full nerves in the wall of the bladder send a message to the brain telling it that it needs to be emptied.  The brain "hears" the message and arouses your child from their sleep.