Bedwetting child 6 years old: It's very normal and we can help you

Bedwetting is a common problem among children aged 6. Although it is often seen as a phase, it can be very distressing for both children and parents. It is important to understand that bedwetting is a normal part of the developmental process and that there are various causes and solutions.

Bedwetting is part of the developmental process

Many children become dry at night between the ages of 3 and 5, but about 15% of 6-year-olds have not yet achieved this and still wet the bed. Becoming dry at night is a normal part of a child's developmental process, just like learning to ride a bike and swim. Every child develops at their own pace, and some children simply need more time to stay dry at night. This is not a problem at all. It is more common than many people think.

Possible causes of bedwetting

Why does my child wet the bed? There are various causes of bedwetting in children. The following causes are common:

• Heredity: Bedwetting can be hereditary. If one of the parents wet the bed as a child, the chances are higher that their child will do the same. If both parents had difficulty staying dry at night, the chances are even higher (up to 77%!). Click here if you want to know more about the role of heredity.
• Small Bladder: Some children have a smaller bladder that cannot hold enough urine for the entire night. As a result, the child has to urinate, and if they do not wake up, they wet the bed.
• Deep Sleep: Or in other words, a high waking threshold. Children who have difficulty waking up often do not recognize the feeling of a full bladder in time and therefore do not wake up to go to the toilet.
• Hormonal Factors: The antidiuretic hormone (ADH) reduces urine production at night. This allows the bladder to hold the urine produced at night completely, and urination only occurs the next morning. Some children do not produce this hormone or do not produce enough of it.
• Stress and Anxiety: A change in a child's life, such as moving, a death, a divorce, the birth of a sibling, or even the arrival of Sinterklaas can cause stress and trigger or worsen bedwetting.

Possible solutions for bedwetting

If bedwetting does not have a physical/medical cause, it can fortunately be addressed effectively. Consider the following solutions:

• Patience and Understanding: Becoming dry at night is part of your child's developmental process. Every child does this at their own pace, and that is perfectly fine. Therefore, remain patient and show understanding for the situation. Your child does not wet the bed on purpose, so punishment does not help. Focus on the dry nights.
• Routine: Establish a fixed routine at bedtime. Always have your child urinate before going to bed and limit drinking from an hour before bedtime.
• Medical Help: Contact your doctor if you suspect that bedwetting has a medical cause. Various treatments are available, such as medication or bladder training.
• Bladder Training: This training involves exercises to train the bladder to increase its capacity and improve control.
• Bedwetting Alarm Training: Your child is immediately awakened when they start to urinate. This way, they eventually learn to recognize the feelings of a full bladder during sleep and wake up in time.

What is important in good bedwetting alarm training?

Good bedwetting alarm training is the proven best solution for bedwetting. But what is good bedwetting alarm training? This is bedwetting alarm training that really works, and four points are crucial for this:

• Wake up quickly from the alarm. At that moment, very little urine has been passed, and the bladder is still almost full.
• Wake up well from the alarm. If they wake up well, they will feel the almost full bladder. This feeling must be recognized during sleep.
• Prevent unnecessary urination moments (read: alarm moments) during the night. This makes the training less tiring and much easier to maintain for everyone involved.
• Ensure good coaching or guidance during bedwetting alarm training. Who can you turn to for expert advice if one of the previous three points does not work?

If your child does not wake up quickly and well from the alarm, the bedwetting alarm has little effect. If your child wakes up too slowly, too much urine has already been passed, so the feeling of a full bladder is gone. And if your child does not wake up well, they are not aware of what is happening and what to pay attention to.

As a result, the learning effect is minimal, and the broken nights take their toll. The chances are very high that the training will be stopped prematurely in this situation.

Uriflex is the only supplier of bedwetting alarms that coach you and your child during the use of the bedwetting alarm. We help your child with playful and targeted exercises to wake up quickly and well from the alarm. Progress is quickly visible, which is very motivating. With targeted advice on drinking and urinating during the day, we also ensure that the alarm does not go off unnecessarily often at night. This makes our bedwetting alarm training less tiring than when you use a random bedwetting alarm yourself.

With our approach, we offer the highest success rate that your child will be free from bedwetting within a few months. Not just for a while, but for the rest of their life.

Conclusion

Bedwetting in 6-year-olds is a normal part of the developmental process and is more common than you think. With patience, understanding, and the right approach, bedwetting can be successfully addressed. With bedwetting alarm training, you can work with your child to become dry at night. Make sure you choose good bedwetting alarm training, where you and your child can receive expert guidance if your child does not wake up quickly and well from the alarm. Otherwise, it is a waste of the investment.

Urifoon is the only supplier of bedwetting alarms that also coach you and your child throughout the entire training. Do you want to know more about our approach? Please contact us. We are happy to help!