Sleep Differences in Children who Wet the Bed
November 26, 2018
Sleep differences in children who wet the bed
Research has found children who wet the bed are more likely to have difficulties with sleep. Some of the symptoms found more often in children who wet the bed are listed below.
While falling asleep these children can
- take four times as long to fall asleep
- have anxiety when falling asleep
- have muscle twitches or repetitious movements when falling asleep
- be sweating and
- dream while falling asleep
During sleep these children sleep for less time each night compared with children who do not wet the bed.
They are also more likely to have
- breathing difficulties
- snoring
- teeth grinding
- night sweating
- sleep walking, sleep talking and nightmares
Daytime Symptoms
These children are more likely to have difficulty waking in the morning and be drowsy during the day.
Most children who wet the bed will only have a few of these symptoms and improvement may come once the bedwetting is treated.
This does not mean that children who wet the bed cannot be helped. It does mean that some children may be sleeping so deeply that they will not wake to a bedwetting alarm, at least initially. The best strategy is to start with the steps on the Bedwetting Cured DVD. This should help the child to wet the bed later in the night when they are not in such a deep sleep and more likely to wake to a bedwetting alarm. We recommend our loudest alarm, the iDry bedwetting alarm which can be used with an underpants wetness sensor or a bed mat wetness sensor. If the underpants sensor is used then pull-ups can be used over the top of the underpants which will prevent a wet bed. Alternatively use a waterproof absorbent bed pad which can save changing the sheets.
