What to do if your child wets the bed

A child waking their parents up in the middle of the night telling them they have wet sheets should not be cause for alarm, especially in early childhood. Many parents do feel irritation with this though, even though according to Nationwide Children’s, approximately 15% of children still wet the bed at age 5. Be assured that this will taper off, and by age 10, over 95% of kids are dry the whole night. Here’s the course of action we recommend parents and guardians take in the event that your child wets the bed.

Do Not Scold or Punish Your Child

Even if it interrupts a parent’s precious sleep, a child’s bladder emergency should be greeted with kindness and understanding. Wetting the bed is already humiliating, waking up your only source of protection and comfort only to be scolded is even more so. An empathetic hug, kind words, and a calm change of pajamas and sheets will do more to ease the stress around future bedwetting than any lecture ever could.

Use an Incontinence Mattress Cover

Bedwetting is not a child’s fault. It is the parent’s responsibility, however, to protect their child’s mattress from urine and other products of child incontinence. Breathable and waterproof sheets and covers can help, especially ones that can be made indistinguishable from their normal counterparts.

Make Sure Your Child Uses the Toilet Before Bed

Once you’ve incorporated a waterproof incontinence mattress cover into your child’s bedding, peace of mind will be provided in that regard. Another important part of this multi-layered strategy is ensuring that the child uses the toilet before bed every night. A child’s pre-bed ritual should always include a trip to the bathroom right before bedding down.

Comfort Your Child

Stress is one of the things that makes children’s incontinence worse and the fastest way to pile on stress is to punish a child for something they can’t help. Parents or guardians should make sure that their attitude toward children’s incontinence is forgiving and kind, which can help alleviate the embarrassment or worry that a child’s incontinence brings.

Parents that greet bedwetting with kindness and take proactive steps to limit its impacts, like using an incontinence mattress cover, can help their child feel more secure and less ashamed. In need of waterproof mattress protectors, covers, and sheets? BSensible has what you need! We’re committed to helping families sleep healthily, happily, and sustainably.