Age 3
Bedwetting (3 years)
Even if your child doesn’t wear diapers during the day anymore, she may still need them at night. Why? Children have a small bladder capacity until four or five years, and don’t start producing less urine at night until six or seven years.
As your child gets older, she will gradually stop wetting the bed. Bed-wetting is very common in early childhood and is nothing to be worried about.
The important thing is not to make too big of a deal out of it! Don’t get impatient or angry, but stay calm with your child.
- Q：
- Should I wake my child during the night to take her to the bathroom?
- A
- If you wake your child during the night, the release of anti-diuretic hormone (a hormone that tells the kidneys to make less urine) will be inhibited and the period of bed-wetting may actually be prolonged. Let your child sleep.
- Q：
- What if she wets the bed again?!
- A
- Don’t make your child so nervous that she loses sleep. Let her sleep calmly and wait for her body to grow. You can also use an onesho matto (mattress pad) or, if necessary, an adult onesho matto.
- Don’t let your child drink too much at night.
- Establish regular daily routines.
Going to bed early and waking up early activates autonomic nerves, improving bladder control. - Even if your child wets the bed every night . . .
… the smallest event might trigger an improvement. For example, gaining confidence after learning to jump rope or read, or getting bed sheets with her favorite pattern on them. - Bedwetting is different than diapers during the day!
The secretion of hormones does not occur in an identical way in all people, so even if your child doesn’t wear diapers during the day anymore, it doesn’t necessarily mean she will no longer need them at night. Don’t scold your child if she wets the bed!