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“You Mean Your Child is Dry Overnight?”

Posted April 21, 2011

Michelle's boy, Sheraton, age 3.5 years began to wake up dry about 1 month after he was able to stay dry during the day.  This made Michelle believe that dry nights and dry days went together.  "No," said Jasmine, mother of Katie, also age 3.5 years.  "In fact we've been working on overnights for 4 months!  We limit fluids, take her to the bathroom as we go to bed and promise her treats if she keeps herself dry overnight.  This is getting very frustrating."

Sheraton and Jasmine are developing normally.  The fact that one wakes up dry and the other doesn't has nothing to do with training, promises, obedience or intellect.  In fact, I recommend parents do not "try" for dryness overnight with their child.  The child has no control over what the body does when the child is soundly sleeping.  It is their job to be sound asleep and not lying awake trying to be "good" or gain the treat or please parents in the morning.  This represents too much pressure over something that happens while the child is sound asleep.

The more soundly the child sleeps, the more likely the bed is to be wet in the morning.  Interestingly, the tendency to sleep very soundly is believed to be inheritable often from genes passed down through the paternal line.  (Sorry, dads, uncles, grandfathers...)  Bladders also grow at different rates leading us to know that dry nights will happen at remarkably different ages.l

"Bed wetting" isn't usually labeled as such until after age 5.  Even then most doctors are hesitant to take action, preferring to take a wait and see approach. 

Obviously, this knowledge helps Michelle and her partner relax and opt to buy a large box of the most sophisticated overnight pull-ups they can find. Now they can think about other, more interesting things. It is also very important to let your child know that it's not their fault if their pull-up is wet in the morning.  Tell them that they have a very smart body and their body will decide all by itself - when it is ready to hold on to the pee overnight.

 

Feel free to share this blog with other parents who may be struggling with this issue.

May Seminars

Sleep from the Start (pre-postnatal)                   Thursday, May 2, 2011

Toilet Learning the Easy Way                              Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Setting Healthy Limits Age 1-4 Years (discipline) Tuesday, May 17, 2011

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