Health

Bedtime Routine Checklist for Kids Who Wet the Bed

While the majority of children are diaper-free by age 3, 20 percent of all children still have issues with night-time bed wetting at the age of 5. Night-time bed wetting in children over the age of 3 is usually a result of poor bladder control, a small bladder, or an internal need-to-pee signal that is too weak to wake up the child. All the above make bed wetting a common and perfectly normal issue in younger children, even though it can be frustrating for parents. Luckily, like most frustrating yet common bedtime problems, bed-wetting frequency and hassle can be reduced with a simple routine.

The following bedtime routine checklist provides an example of how to start the night to increase the chances of a dry morning:

Establish a routine. Many bedtime routines for 3- to 5-years-olds begin with calming activities, such as a bath, story, or short cartoon. It may take some experimenting to find what works best for your child. What’s important is to establish a routine and stick to it. Start bedtime things at the same time every night and follow the same steps to help your child’s internal clock learn when it’s time to pee and when it isn’t.

Try to avoid fluids later in the day. If you have a child that’s struggling with bed-wetting issues, try to make sure your bedtime routine doesn’t involve water or other fluids close to bed time. Often avoiding liquids an hour or so before bed is plenty.bed wetting bedtime routine

Prepare for the worst. While your child is brushing their teeth and preparing for bed time, it’s a good idea to prepare the bed. A simple plastic mattress cover and having an extra set of sheets and pajamas for nighttime accidents nearby can make things run far smoother. Work out an accident plan with your child so that they know what to do if they pee the bed. Older children may even be able to clean up themselves without waking you. This can reduce guilt, as they don’t have to wake everyone up and make a big deal out of their accident.

Make the toilet the last stop. The final stop in a bed-time routine for a bed wetter is the toilet. A potty break should occur immediately before climbing into bed. You might even consider ‘double voiding.’ This is a practice where you have your child go to the bathroom not once, but twice before bed. For instance, you might have them go at the start of your bed-time routine and the end.

Inform and reward. Outside of augmenting your bedtime routine, it’s also a good idea to talk with your child about bed wetting. Be sure they understand that  bed wetting is common and is not their fault. Offer rewards for dry nights and avoid punishing not-so-dry nights.

With the proper preparation and routine, bed wetting can be reduced, and when it does occur, it can be less of a hassle and less of a mess for both parent and child. If you have continued problems you might consider a potty alarm for bed time. Above all, don’t get discouraged. Remember — this too shall pass — but if it doesn’t by age 6 or 7 or your child is complaining of lower abdominal pain, there’s no harm in reaching out to your pediatrician.

Is Melatonin Safe for Kids?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all parents had a simple little pill they could just give their kids, and they’d fall sound asleep? Bring up that you’re having trouble getting your child asleep, and you may be suggested just that, a pill. Melatonin supplements are non-prescription and can be found in just about any department store in the nation for under 10 bucks. As they gain popularity among parents, you have to wonder, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is isn’t it? Is melatonin safe for kids?

What is melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone produced in the brain that regulates sleep cycles. Influenced by light levels, it helps your body know when to sleep, and when to wake up.

How are melatonin supplements made?

Melatonin supplements are often synthetic, meaning they’re made in a lab. However, natural versions are also available extracted from the pineal glands of animals (less common) or, more recently, also from plant sources.

Does melatonin work?

Studies are actually conflicting on that point, but current research shows promising support for melatonin being effective at helping kids fall asleep earlier and sleep slightly longer. It may also be helpful for jetlag, insomnia, delayed-sleep wake phase, sleep disruption disorders, and sleep disorders associated with ADHD and autism.

What are the known short term risks of melatonin use?

Even melatonin in appropriate doses for occasional use is shown to cause adverse reactions in some users including:

is melatonin safe for kids

–Daytime drowsiness or fatigue
-Headache
-Sleep walking
-Dizziness
–Irritability
-Depression or mood swings
-Abdominal pain or cramping
-Nausea or digestional upset
-Severe nightmares or vivid dreams
-Hormonal disruption

These reactions naturally occur at a higher frequency with higher doses or more regular use.

What are the known long-term risks of melatonin use?

Studies on the long-term effects of melatonin use in humans haven’t even been done. Caution is generally suggested as a result.

Does melatonin have different effects on children?

Some studies done on animals found that when given melatonin at a young age overall life span was decreased. There have been short term, small-group studies done on autistic and blind children who have irregular naturally-occurring melatonin levels that did not show adverse effects other than those outlined above. Most of these studies were done on teens. No studies have been done on children with regular melatonin levels, or toddlers and infants.

In either case, no long-term studies have been done on the effects of melatonin on children to determine if melatonin is safe for kids. Almost all pediatricians do not recommend melatonin for children under 3. Most pediatricians do not recommend melatonin for kids under 10. In all cases, despite melatonin being an over-the-counter dietary supplement a doctor should be consulted if you are considering medicating your child with melatonin.

So, is melatonin safe for kids?

That’s the big question. Personally, a glance at the possible short-term side effects of melatonin use would cause me as a parent to not use melatonin or suggest its use to other parents, no matter how tired those parents may be. The exclusion there would be in children with actual sleep disorders. Many children that don’t go to sleep when their parents want don’t have sleep disorders though, making melatonin supplementation an unnecessary medication. However, that is an opinion-based answer.

Factually, there has not been sufficient research to answer the question is melatonin safe for kids. The question for parents then is, does not knowing for sure if melatonin is unsafe for kids make melatonin safe for kids?

If you chose to use melatonin for kids, what’s the proper dosage and usage?

Melatonin dosage guidelines for children have not been determined in the US, but according to the Canadian Paediatric Society general melatonin dosage recommendations for children with sleep disorders are as follows:
-1 mg of melatonin in infants
-2.5 to 3 mg in older children
-5 mg in adolescents.
Again, any dosage and melatonin use in kids should be discussed with a licensed health professional. These guidelines are not designed for children without sleep disorders.

Melatonin should be given 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime, rather than right before bed.

What might you try instead of melatonin for kids?

Natural food sources of melatonin:

If you’re looking to supplement melatonin without using a pill, the good news is many foods contain melatonin.

Some foods high in melatonin include:
-tart cherries
-corn
-asparagus
-tomatoes
-peppers
-pomegranate
-olives
-grapes
-strawberries
-broccoli
-cucumber
-rice
-barley
-rolled oats
-walnuts
-peanuts
-sunflower seeds
-mustard seeds
-flaxseed
-mushrooms
-eggs
-fish

Choosing these foods for dinner ingredients, snacks, or desserts in the evening may help raise melatonin levels.

Altering light exposure:

Finally, you can naturally increase melatonin levels by altering your child’s exposure to light and dark. Some ways to do this include:

-Avoid screen-time within an hour of bed time.
-Turn out the lights and use blackout curtains about an hour before bed.
-Use daylight bulbs and open your curtains during the day.
-Do plenty of outdoor activities during the day.

What are your thoughts? Is melatonin safe for kids? Do you use it? Why or why not? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

You might also enjoy our pages on helping kids get to bed and making getting kids up in the morning easier.

Nightmares and Night Terrors in Children: What Can You Do?

No parent likes being woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of their child crying, especially when those tears are a result of fear. However, almost all children have nightmares occasionally, while only a rare 5 percent have night terrors. Understanding what causes nightmares and night terrors in children can help prevent or at least lessen their occurrence.

The first step is to identify which nighttime bane is to blame. This means understanding the difference between a nightmares and night terrors in children.

Nightmares in children:

night terrors in children

-Occur later in the night once dreaming has begun.
-Will be remembered the next day by your child.
-Cause fear and/or clinginess immediately afterwards.
-Makes going back to sleep difficult.

Causes of nightmares in children are external influences such as:

-Scary movies, stories, or images before bed.
-Stress.
-Separation anxiety.
-Illness.
-Other mental stressors.

Night terrors in children:

-Occur earlier in the night.
-Will not be remembered at all by your child.
-Will cause your child to scream, yell, cry, whimper, flail, and/or sit up in bed without being responsive as he/she is actually still asleep.
-May cause physical symptoms such as sweating and rapid heart beat and breathing.
-Will end abruptly with your child going back to sleep soundly as if nothing ever happened.

Causes of night terrors in children are unknown but may include:

-Sleep disturbances, such as sleep apnea.
-Erratic sleep schedules.
-Sleep deprivation.
-Illness.
-Genetic predisposition.

What you can do to help childhood nightmares:

When a nightmare occurs, go to your child and offer comfort. Physical comfort is especially helpful, stroke his/her back, run your fingers through his/her hair, etc. You can try to explain that it was only a dream, but keep in mind that younger children, such as toddlers, may not understand what this means as realty and fantasy are still a bit fuzzy at this age. It will help to talk about the dream and let your child attempt to express their fear.

You can prevent nightmares by keeping a good bed time routine, and by being careful to avoid things that may prompt nightmares, such as scary movies. If your child does experience a nightmare, don’t feel bad, it’s likely nothing you personally did wrong. These things are just a fact of childhood.

What you can do to help night terrors in children:

Unlike a nightmare, a child in the middle of a night terror should not be comforted or even touched unless he/she is about to be hurt (ex/ hitting head on headboard.). This is because your child is not actually awake. Attempts to comfort him or her may result in disorientation and an even more frantic and fearful result. While I know it may be hard to listen to your child cry out, as my own children  frequently had night terrors in their toddler years, it’s better to stand by waiting for the night terror to subside.

As to what causes night terrors in children, no one really knows for sure, and there’s not really any way to prevent them. You can ensure your child has a set bed-time schedule, and try to make sure they get ample sleep for their age. You may also speak to your pediatrician to be sure a physical condition such as sleep apnea is not causing the problem. Some children outgrow night terrors, mine did, though the condition does occur in adults.

You may also find helpful:
Helping Kids Beat a Fear of the Dark