Four- and Five-Year-Olds

My ds (5 in mid-November) is a strange sleeper.  Squirmy, but once in deep sleep he will not wake and often has wet accidents.  He also still takes naps -up to two hours (and still goes to bed at a decent time) and will sleep so heavily that he sometimes has an accident.  We have been using the pull-ups/underpants type for him periodically, and now more often because of the apparent increase in accidents.  I just get too tired of having my sleep interrupted and having to change his bedding (I am pg with #2 and have sleep issues as it is).  I am starting to feel at my wits end a little.  He is otherwise well potty-trained and has been for several years.  Its starting to get to the point where he is bothered by his accidents but also recognizes that he just does not wake up.  We do make an effort to limit his liquid intake prior to bed time, but this does not always work - especially when he claims to be thirsty and will down a glass of water after brushing his teeth.  We do have him go to the bathroom after story time, just before prayers and actual lights out/bedtime.

Any suggestions, experiences, thoughts?? 

Nighttime wetting is different than daytime wetting. The body must first develop a hormone signaling the kidneys to slow urine production when the body is asleep. Without that hormone, the body produces too much urine to stay dry.

After the body has developed the hormone, then the body must learn to awaken to the sensations of a full bladder. It can definitely be harder to accomplish with a deep sleeper.

For the record, 5yo isn't THAT old to be a bed wetter. Certainly you COULD work with him to overcome the bed wetting (if he's developed the hormone needed to slow urine production when asleep), but it will require a lot of sleep sacrifice on your part. Since he's not that old and since you have sleep issues anyway, I personally wouldn't push it at this point. I'd just continue using the pull-ups and maybe target next summer as a good time to work on nighttime toilet training.

FYI, there's a great book you might look into called, "Waking Up Dry: A Guide to Help Children Overcome Bedwettting," by Howard J. Bennett, MD, FAAP. The book is put out by the American Academy of Pediatrics. (You can check your local library for it.)

It explains on both a kid level and an adult level various reasons why bed wetting occurs and methods for overcoming it. It gives info about how many children are still bed wetters, how to deal with sleepovers, what medications are available, etc. It's geared not only toward solving the problem, but making the child part of the solution and helping the child not feel badly about being a bed wetter. It even has jokes throughout it.

Best wishes.

Thank you so much for your response!  I think I allowed myself to fall into the comparison trap.  Going to check out the book you suggested...

:)