(2-3 minute read)
It's easy to think bedwetting is more common than it is, especially if it runs in your family. In fact, at age 5, only 1 in 5 children still wet the bed. By age 8, it's just 1 in 20.
As they start school and make new friends, confidence does wonders. Learning not to wet the bed means a big boost to self-esteem. From age 5, they're ready to start learning this new skill.
They may be unusual for their age, but there's no need to panic. Almost all children wet the bed because their brain hasn't yet learned the feeling of needing to pee means wake up. Find out more about what causes bedwetting.
Children become less likely to stop bedwetting without help as they get older. Age 5 to 8 is perfect to start helping with night toilet training and a bedwetting alarm.
At this age children have usually mastered controlling their bladder during the day. They're taking themselves to the bathroom without you having to watch for squirming.
Although your child is likely using the loo without help, it's important to keep being frank and open about toilet matters.
Tip: Make sure your son or daughter knows the words for bodily functions and their private parts, so they can more tell you about any problems that make bedwetting worse, like a bladder infection or constipation.
At 5, 6, 7 and 8 children have a growing sense of self. The world outside their family begins to matter more. They want to fit in and feel included by other children.
They may notice they're different from other children if they're still in diapers (nappies) at night. They're eager to keep up with other kids.
Learning usually includes a lot of creativity and movement for children of this age, alongside reading, writing and numbers. With the right help from adults, they learn quickly.
If they're still wetting the bed at night, now is the best time to begin night toilet training and using a bedwetting alarm because they:
Children at ages 5 to 8 are often drawn to fantasy characters and stories, from fairies to superheroes.
Their vivid imagination can help them stop bedwetting. Here are some ideas:
Parents are usually still in control of bedtime routines with children ages 5 to 8. This means there's a lot you can do to make it calm and predictable.
Our recipe for bedtime with the best chance of beating bedwetting:
If you already have a DRI Sleeper bedwetting alarm:
It's the perfect time to start phasing out night diapers (nappies) too. If they use night diapers much longer, they may become 'diaper dependent', which is difficult to treat. Saying goodbye to night nappies, and hello to a Brolly Sheet in their favourite colour, is another step that builds confidence.
At this age children are eating outside the home more. It's important you know what they're eating and drinking. Sugar, artificial sweeteners and caffeine worsen bedwetting because they dry the body and interfere with sleep.
Use their new daily routines to help make sure they're drinking enough water to make their bladder stronger. Aim for 6 glasses of 8 fluid ounces (250 mL) a day, using waking up, coming home from school, meals and snacks as reasons for a glass of water.
Children at age 5 to 8 don't usually thrash around much in their sleep. However, If your child is very hard to wake, try our advice for using a bedwetting alarm with a deep sleeper.
The DRI Sleeper excel bedwetting alarm is great for this age group. It clips to their pyjamas and connects by cord to the moisture sensor. It's also our least expensive bedwetting alarm, so you're not just saving money on diapers by starting right away!
It's the ideal time to help your child stop wetting the bed with night toilet training and a bedwetting alarm.
If used as directed, a bedwetting alarm helps up to 9 in 10 children stop wetting the bed. It's the fastest and most effective solution.
Parents breathe a sigh of relief at knowing they can stop buying expensive night diapers. There's even better news for your child. When they stop bedwetting, the way their confidence grows is worth its weight in gold.
Read Next: How to stop bedwetting using an alarm
Not ready for an alarm? Download our free Night Toilet Training Guide
Have you tried our new Bedwetting Questionnaire?
Get bedwetting sorted quickly with our flagship wireless bedwetting alarm. The Eclipse is proven to work and easy to use. Preferred by older children as the sensor is small, comfortable and discreet.
The Excel is the original DRI Sleeper alarm and has been used successfully for decades by hundreds of thousands of children worldwide to solve bedwetting. This is a clip on alarm with a plug-in sensor. Ideal for younger children.