Sudden bedwetting in a 5.5yr old

[Belle]

I know there's a thread about this, but it seems like a slightly different issue.

My 5.5yr old has suddenly started bedwetting in the night - he gets up (not uncommon for him to come through and get us in the middle of the night) then realises he's wet, and we usually have to change everything so we're not talking a tiny bit. What's weird about this is that he's been dry at night for two years. I am not sure if I can ever remember him wetting the bed before now.

I know kids wet the bed from time to time. But 3 times in a week seems like it's about something. He has had water before bed on the nights in question - but he often does this, and we are not talking gallons. He ALWAYS goes to the loo right before bed. And he's capable of going to the loo in the night if he needs to (which is rarely). On the other hand, he regularly has nightmares and night terrors (quite different things) and has sleep walked in the past. We have had a run of pretty bad nights with him, culminating in him wanting to be in bed with us a lot of nights, which we're trying to coax him out of. I'm worried that in succeeding in this, we've inadvertently stressed him out hence the bedwetting. We were really gentle though - stressed that he must tell us if he's scared or come and get us, we will stay with him as long as he needs, it's just that when he sleeps in our bed none of us actually sleep.

Any thoughts/similar experiences? Looked up NHS website and it recommends a GP visit if suddenly wet after being dry a long time. But I want to be really careful how we handle it - we've obviously been really gentle when it happens and not in any way told him off, just said "don't worry, we just need to change these sheets quickly".

[goldilocks]

I think that the GP visit would just be to rule out anything like a urine infection rather than anything else.

[Giacomelli]

Hello,

Sorry to hear you are going through this. Second going to the GP to check for infection - you could just take a sample down I think if you don't want him to be at the docs? Is it possible to watch him while he sleeps for a while - if he is a sleepwalker it's quite common for them to think they are going to the loo. I knew an adult who on occasion went to the wardrobe thinking it was the loo.

Hope it gets better.

x

[Belle]

Will definitely check with GP. He did it again last night and I was there when it happened/just after - he seemed to be having a nightmare/night terror (when he woke up he claimed he hadn't had a bad dream so thought poss the latter). He was completely drenched, so it's not just a case of not quite waking up in time.

[rfoxxi]

Have you asked him if there is anything worrying him about school? Is he happy at the beginning and end of the day? Are there any other unusual stressors in the family just now?

[standswithfist]

Belle - so sorry to hear this as it must be quite stressful. My daughter - same age as your boy - has over the last week to 2 weeks started with the nightmares and getting up in the night and being generally scared. Getting up in the night too to go to the toilet even though she has been just before bed. I had thought it was the stress of going back to school and going up a year which i tried to broach and then wish i hadnt! (she got very upset and cried, saying didn't want to leave reception). She did it again last night and refused to go to sleep unless she slept with me holding my hand last night (her on one side baby on the other!).

I would try the doctors to see if it is an infection perhaps. Other than that cant offer much other help as i'm also at a loss as to what to say or do to take the stress away. X

[Belle]

He's moving to a new school, which I know sounds like the obvious reason - but he's actually very relaxed about that! Saw GP today who on initial testing thought likely UTI so have antibiotics, though we will only know for sure once the lab tests are back. I do think regardless of whether it's an infection that th ere is an issue with sleep/nightmares. Replacing the hall lights (several of which had died) has really helped last night.