Last poster here. Forgot to add. I wouldn't be concerned about the frequency that he's peeing in the night. Chances are, he simply has no bladder control once he's fully asleep. So once he's down for the night, he's probably leaking pee as frequently as his body needs to. If you haven't already, switch him to something more absorbent, like a nighttime diaper. Training pants and pull ups, like what you have him wearing now, are not meant to be peed in constantly. Diapers are.

Respectfully going to disagree with all those suggesting this may be some serious medical condition.

He's a little boy that pees his bed. This is so, so normal.

OP, mention it next time you take him to the Dr's. But I would not make a special trip for this alone.

I'd have him checked for any medical issues if nothing more than to put your mind at ease. I'd feel bad letting it go on for another yer or more only to find there was a problem later.

I’m sorry but he’s 5. Him “refusing” to change himself is just ridiculous. He’s more then capable of getting himself up and changing his own pull up. There is 0 need for you or your husband to have to wake up multiple times to go change him like he’s an infant. I’d stop that right away. Leave him a pile of pull ups in his room and when he wakes himself up from peeing, he can get up, change his pull up and go back to bed.

I second getting him checked for diabetes. Excessive peeing is a major indicator.

Appreciate all the suggestions everyone!

We have not had a sleep study done in the past, but that may be in our future. DS typically falls asleep VERY fast. He's always been very, very squirmy/wiggly in his sleep--but off the top of my head, he doesn't usually sleep with his mouth open. (I'll double check this).

I'm not sure what his reaction would be to us suggesting a diaper at night, but I'll certainly ask, if that's something that could help. He's never been bothered by the pull ups, for the most part. I've actually already got an order on Amazon order in for the 'boosters' that were suggested before--Thank you for that!!

I figured for the diapers (if he's alright with giving that a try) I'd simply get them at the store sometime this weekend. Does anyone have a suggestion on a good brand/type to purchase?

Thanks very much once again. Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas.

Does he sleep with his mouth open? He may have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea disrupts the production of the hormone that controls bed wetting. Is he asleep super fast when he lays down?

Get a sleep study.

How much water is he drinking throughout the day?

I'd push fluids from waking to lunch, taper til dinner, then only on request after. Bathroom 10 minutes after dinner, 30 minutes before bed, then just before getting into bed. Then, I’d suggest getting up with him (dream pee) every 2 hours, stretching gradually to 3 then 4 hours. Most kids have an accident just as they’re waking up, so I’d also suggest pinpointing when he’s coming out of sleep and fully wake him up then.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ferberize him.

Isn't that intended for infants only? OP's child is 5 years old.

It would work with any age. If theyre still crying like that

Yikes. I’m 110% on board for Ferber, but to leave a 5 year old in his room crying and wet is cruel.

Before in the thread the OP said that the child is in diapers at night. surely the whole point of him having a diaper on is so he wont feel wet? Seems like this is more an issue of him wanting constant attention thru the night

She did NOT say that he's in diapers. She said he's in pull-ups. There's a difference.

OP, I agree with previous poster. The issue is not that he's wetting at night. Being awake and feeling yucky night after night is where the problem is. Ditch the pull-ups, get him genuine overnight diapers. It sounds like the act of peeing is not waking him up, but rather the wetness. A proper overnight diaper should solve that.

I would not worry about the frequency if it is all at once. Things like constipation, diabetes, etc. would be an issue in the daytime also.

I would focus on helping him figure out what he needs to take care of it himself at night. A nightlight? Multiple layers of sheets so he can strip them away as needed? Nighttime diapers or doublers instead of pullups? A reward (not for being dry, but for not coming to wake you up) Etc. Try brainstorming with him and the internet.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ferberize him.

Isn't that intended for infants only? OP's child is 5 years old.

It would work with any age. If theyre still crying like that

Yikes. I’m 110% on board for Ferber, but to leave a 5 year old in his room crying and wet is cruel.

Before in the thread the OP said that the child is in diapers at night. surely the whole point of him having a diaper on is so he wont feel wet? Seems like this is more an issue of him wanting constant attention thru the night

Anonymous wrote:Op:
How long has this been going on?

Do you have to go to his room 2x a night to change him?

We just had a similar issue with our son. The pediatrician said there is a VERY strong brain and bladder connection. What’s going on at home?

Hi there. No major changes in our lives lately. The only significant change I can think of around his nighttime routine is that we got a new bed for DS--but truthfully this issue has been going on since well before that.

He's always been a heavy wetter at night, regardless of how we try and limit drinks in the evening--but as far as the waking up in the middle of the night because he wants to be changed, that's been ongoing for about 6 months now.

They have a bed wetting alarm. Also, rubber sheets and an absorbent pad and ditch the pullups.

Op:
How long has this been going on?

Do you have to go to his room 2x a night to change him?

We just had a similar issue with our son. The pediatrician said there is a VERY strong brain and bladder connection. What’s going on at home?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ferberize him.

Isn't that intended for infants only? OP's child is 5 years old.

It would work with any age. If theyre still crying like that

Yikes. I’m 110% on board for Ferber, but to leave a 5 year old in his room crying and wet is cruel.