A survey of 457 parents of children who wet the bed has revealed that a third believe that their child would achieve better results in school if they weren’t affected by bed wetting.
The survey was done by the Dry Nights for Smarter Days campaign, which had launched their new Bedwetting Tracker, a new app to help parent’s track bed wetting in children.
The research examined the effects of bed wetting on children between five and twelve years old.
It showed that on average these children wet the bed three times a week, and woke once per night because of wetting. 10% of parents report that their child wakes multiple times per night.
The sleep deprivation caused by this badly effects children’s ability to concentrate in school, with 43% of parents reporting tiredness during the day, and 12% reporting that their child is forgetful with a further 12% unable to concentrate in school.
Parents also reported high levels of irritability, short-temperedness and a tendancy to be over-emotional in children who bed wet, all signs of lack of sleep.
Irish Supernanny, Niamh O’Reilly agrees with the findings. “Children aged over 5 who wet the bed can often be negatively affected by the condition and this has been reflected in the research findings.
“Tiredness and irritability can have a huge effect on a child’s ability to concentrate and could significantly impact on a child’s ability to retain information – a vital component in learning.”
Dr Joanne Nelson, a Consultant Paediatrician, stresses the importance of intervention if your child wets the bed.
“If your child is aged over five and still wets the bed, it is really important that the issue is addressed so as to manage the impact that this has on your child’s life,” she explains.
The research showed that the most common interventions parents try are using pull-up nappies (43%) and lifting their child at night, neither of which Dr Joanne feels address the real issue.
“Neither of these options work to address the issue directly. I would recommend that you track your child’s levels of bed wetting using the Bedwetting Tracker before visiting your local GP to discuss treatment options.”
For more information on the new Bedwetting Tracker app, visit www.bedwetting.ie
