It can be hard to know how to handle a 7-year-old who still wets the bed. It can be frustrating and upsetting for both parent and child, but these phases in life don’t last forever.
How do you handle a 7-year-old who wets the bed still? Patience is key with children who still wet the bed after 7-years-old. It isn’t your child’s fault and may be caused by genetics. Some things you can do include taking away beverages at night, starting a bedtime bathroom routine, get a moisture alarm, remain calm, don’t assign blame to your child, and consult a doctor if the condition seems serious or escalates.
Bed wetting is common among young children and is usually something that is grown out of quickly. Every child is different, so it’s important to be aware of your own situation and be open to the challenges ahead.
Keep reading to explore many ways to minimize stress and encourage good behavior in regards to bed wetting.
Handling a 7-Year-Old Who Wets the Bed
It can become increasingly frustrating for a parent to have a 7-year-old who consistently wets the bed. This issue is a lot more common than you would think.
It has been said that there is little need for concern about bed wetting if your child is 5-years-old or younger. Once your child is 7 and still has a problem then you can seek out a doctor if you’re overly concerned.
In the majority of cases, bed wetting is not linked to any serious medical issues. A lot of the time a child’s brain is still developing connections, the bladder isn’t fully mature, or other developmental processes are slower than other children.
Bed wetting is genetic and can greatly affect children whose parents may have had issues. Don’t be too concerned that your child isn’t dry every night unless it becomes worrisome.
It’s very important to keep calm during this frustrating time. It is embarrassing and frustrating for your child to deal with this too. They don’t want to wake up soiled just as much as you don’t want them to. This isn’t a factor of laziness or resistance.
Sometimes the child is a heavy sleeper and hasn’t gotten the signals that their bladder is full yet. Other times it’s just an inability to control the bladder just yet. These are systems and parts of our bodies that need time to grow and develop fully. Every child is different and will develop at a different rate.
This is an issue that children grow out of on their own in almost all cases. I had a friend who struggled for years throughout her youth to stop wetting the bed to no avail. Then one day it suddenly stopped.
She would wake up to go to the bathroom, or she could hold it all night. You can’t imagine the relief she felt by being free of such a burden. Your child will be happy to grow out of this particular stage of their lives!
It may take a few months or a few years, but your child will grow out of it!
Encouraging Good Habits to Stop Bed Wetting
In this section, I am going to share some tips that may help children become more accustomed to making it through the night dry.
Establish a Beverage Routine
This is a strange title, but it’s important. We don’t want to take water and other drinks away from our child because they need to be hydrated. However, it may help them produce less urine throughout the night if they hydrate throughout the day and stop at a certain point at night.
If you don’t already, try giving your 7-year-old a water bottle that they can carry around at school. Encourage them to drink their water throughout the day.
This can help them not have the overwhelming urge to chug water as soon as they walk through the door after an active day. Later that night, try stopping all beverage consumption after dinner or a few hours before bedtime.
Once the drinks stop at night, then it should give their bodies a few hours to regulate what they already have in them.
This is not a perfect solution but may be able to take some of the pressure off of the issue. Make sure your child goes to the bathroom right before going to sleep.
Establish a Restroom Routine
Many parents have recommended a restroom routine throughout the day to help your child’s brain recognize the importance of actively seeking a restroom.
Routines are very good for us. It seems that we respond well to having a routine because our bodies tend to get used to them quickly and start to expect them.
A bathroom routine may look like you encouraging your child to use the restroom every few hours. It may not be helpful to force them to go, but the monotony of the exercise may help their bodies wake up if there is a full bladder situation.
It isn’t advisable to wake your child up in the dead of night to get them to go to the bathroom because it can cause increased frustration and problems. The randomness of this practice may not help them develop a natural reaction to having to use the restroom.
This is a different matter entirely if you choose to get a bed wetting alarm which I discuss later in the post.
Consider Positive Incentives
Sometimes you may find it helpful to take a positive spin on these events. If your child has a dry night then consider giving them a small incentive to express that it was a good thing.
I’ve had a lot of economics professors that swear by positive incentives rather than punishments. There is a higher response to things when something positive happens if you do the right thing instead of a punishment when something goes wrong.
Negative emotions surrounding a mistake a child makes can cause stress and fear in your child. They may be ashamed to tell you when an accident happens or stressed that one may happen, which may cause the problem to worsen.
Positive incentives for doing something good, like getting up to go to the bathroom or having a dry night, can surround that action with positive feelings. This will make your child determined to have that outcome more often and can help jump-start the process!
Your child will quickly learn how happy it makes you when they don’t wet the bed, and they will also feel that pride and joy themselves. It’s easier for a child to work towards something when they feel good and proud about the outcomes.
These incentives don’t have to be something big or expensive. They can be praise, stickers, or other things that your child would be happy to receive.
Talk to a Pediatrician
Sometimes there may be an issue that needs to be addressed by a professional. It seems that some bed-wetting may be caused by constipation or other issues within the body. If you’re worried about your child, don’t be afraid to seek advice from medical professionals.
The majority of the time there will be nothing seriously wrong with your 7-year-old. Bed wetting is a very natural occurrence and affects a lot of children. Be comforted by the fact that most children grow out of it naturally.
Don’t Assign Blame
It’s important to keep a level head during this time. Just remember that these issues will not last forever, and your child isn’t doing it on purpose to spite you.
It’s hard to stay calm and positive when you’re changing bed sheets at 3 in the morning, but it may help your child to feel encouraged. It can be
Anger or blame may make matters worse and will put a dark cloud over this problem. It’s important for them to know that it’s not a good thing, but you should also give them the encouragement they need.
Stress added to your child by anger can sometimes escalate the problem. Remember that this isn’t going to last forever. There are also precautions and steps you can take to make the process less extreme and demanding on you.
Bed-Wetting Moisture Alarms
Bed-wetting alarms have become increasingly more popular. Their job is to sense any moisture from your child and set off an audible alarm or one that vibrates your child awake.
The purpose of this device is to sense the wetness right when it starts, wake them up, and have them finish their business on the toilet. Reviews have shown success with these alarms because it helps your child’s body get used to the sensation of having to pee in the middle of the night and waking up right when it starts.
Success stories have been shared online and in reviews which claimed that their child was dry on their own within a month of using this device.
It’s important when using these devices to teach your child how to do it themselves. They will be able to feel in control of their situation. It may scare or disorient them at the beginning because they are being woken up suddenly and won’t know what to do.
You’ll have to get up with them the first few nights to show them the drill. The alarm goes off, you turn it off, then finish on the toilet. A lot of these sensors have an alarm that attaches to a cord that hooks to your child’s underwear or pull-up.
Some parents were nervous about this setup and took extra precautions securing the cord so that it wouldn’t harm their child that flips and turns in their sleep. Safety always needs to be the number one priority, but it’s easy to secure something on
Here is a bed wetting alarm from Amazon.com that has great reviews and success stories! This is just one of the many bed wetting alarms that you can employ for your family. Make sure to do your research and find the fit that’s best for you and your child!
Bed Pads
A way to keep your head of your shoulders (instead of exploding every time you have to change your child’s sheets in the middle of the night) is to invest in a waterproof bed pad. What a beautiful invention!
This is just a pad that you put on top of your child’s sheets when they sleep and helps to contain accidents while sleeping. When your child wakes up because they have wet the bed, you can easily pull off the pad and toss it in the wash, replacing it with another.
These are great because of their reusable quality. It gets really expensive to have to buy disposable pads, and washable ones help keep costs and waste low.
Having more than one will also allow you to throw one in the wash in the middle of the night and slip a clean one under your child just in case there is another accident.
You will, of course, still have to change your child’s clothes, but it can minimize nighttime stress when you don’t have to remake a bed. The Linenspa Waterproof Sheet Protector is a great example of one of these pads!
There are also ones that sit on top of the sheets without having to fit over the top of the bed fully like an extra sheet
Depending on your preferences, both options are helpful! These pads can also be combined with the bed wetting moisture alarms to catch any leaks or mistakes! The pad is mostly for you, parents, because it makes cleanup less of a hassle.
It is also something that your child can put in the laundry or washing machine on their own without having to get you to help them remake their bed. Giving them that little responsibility can help them be in charge of their own situation.
Pull-Ups
The slogan for pull-ups is “I’m a big kid now”, but that’s definitely not what it feels like for a parent. Pull-ups are the self-sufficient form of a diaper. Your kid can easily slip it on themselves, and it’s great for the night time.
Pull-ups are great because they can take place of a pad on a bed. The problem with pull-ups is that they’re disposable and can become very expensive when buying them for a long time.
Pull-ups are also helpful when having a moisture alarm because the leakage is contained while they try to readjust their bodies to wak up when the bladder is full.
Another issue with pull-ups is that they may give your child the sense of wearing a diaper, and they may feel okay urinating in them. This is something that will go away quickly if they’re actively working towards dry nights but can be an issue if the transition from diapers to pull-ups was immediate.
Use your own personal judgment for whether or not pull-ups are a good fit for your situation. Pull-ups are fantastic when traveling or having sleepovers because they completely absorb accidents.
It’s hard for a child that wets the bed consistently to travel even if it’s just to Grandma’s house. Pull-ups may be the solution for these minor roadblocks in life.
Sudden Bed-Wetting
If your child stopped wetting the bed a while ago but has suddenly started having consistent problems again, you may want to consult with your Pediatrician. It’s rarely a good sign that your child’s behavior suddenly changes.
Perhaps try changing their routines with limiting their fluid intake before bedtime and see if anything changes. If you’re still concerned, consult your child’s doctor.
Bed wetting can be linked to many different things. A common one that I’ve seen has been connected to high amounts of stress. In most households, this level of stress is not present.
I do want to point out that there is not one singular answer to everyone’s problems. Every child is different, but it may just be that your child is suffering from a very common thing that just needs time to sort itself out.
Your 7-year-old’s bed-wetting habit does not have to be an all-consuming problem. It’s definitely a stressful one that needs a lot of attention, but with all the precautions and tips offered above, this problem can be bearable. Be patient and remember that it won’t be forever!
Related Questions
What age does bed wetting stop? There is no absolute age in which bed wetting suddenly stops being a problem. On average, around the ages of 6 or 7 is typically when bed wetting stops. It is not uncommon to have older children wetting the bed but make sure to pay attention if you become concerned about your child.
What is bed-wetting a sign of? Bed wetting isn’t always a sign of a serious medical problem. For children, their brains and bodies are still developing so they can have trouble going through a night completely dry.
If there is a medical problem it can be caused by sleep apnea, constipation, urinary tract infections, or other medical issues. Consult a doctor if you are having any problems you are worried about.
