Type 1 Diabetes and bedwetting in children can be a common issue, see Part 1 of this article from yesterday.  There is not much to identifying that you have this going on in your house, right?  Here are some thoughts that may improve your success with toilet training at night.

• Try your best to remain calm and not punish your child- remember it is an accident, increasing their anxiety with this is never productive.
• Praise your child when they have a dry night, only wet underwear, a smaller accident on the bed, or they get up to use the toilet.
• Be sure to never shame your child for bedwetting, trust me they are not purposefully bedwetting and this can be very difficult on their self esteem.
• Check in with siblings so you are certain they aren’t teasing them.
• Let them know other children are going through this too, they are not alone.
• Praise your child for their help in the middle of the night when they remove wet linens and put clothing in the laundry basket.
• Make an appointment to talk to your Pediatrician about other health conditions that may be contributing to the problem (such as constipation or a urinary tract infection) and get a referral to a Urologist if needed.
• Try your best to maintain normal blood sugars overnight-as we know high blood sugars with Type 1 Diabetes and bedwetting in children is commonplace.  Make an appointment with your Endocrinologist and Certified Diabetes Educator for insulin adjustment suggestions if this is your situation.
• Take your child to the bathroom a few hours after they fall asleep if it is possible.
• You may want to encourage less fluid intake between dinner and bedtime if it is appropriate.  This can potentially cause resentment and anger so be certain to be gentle with this suggestion.  Remember high blood sugars cause increased thirst and this is not a time to decrease available fluids. [Read more...]