Emotions & Feelings

How do I address bed-wetting in my seven-year-old son?

Jeel al-Khilafah
Emotions & Feelings

The question

My son will turn seven this coming March, in shaa Allah. Unfortunately he doesn't control his urine while sleeping, and I don't know what to do. Alhamdulillah his personality is strong and he has no psychological problems except that he is more fearful than usual. His father and I have tried to encourage him

but he can't (he's afraid to go alone while everyone is asleep, then wakes up after the incident sad).

Is this a health problem? Please guide me, may Allah bless you.

Our answer

May Allah preserve you. Don't worry — this happens often. There is a percentage of children who are late in stopping bed-wetting at night, including those who reach age fourteen but then regularize after that. The cause is usually psychological or due to the circumstances they're going through. I advise you first to stop him from drinking fluids from Maghrib onward, to make sure he relieves himself just before sleep, or to wake him at night yourself, or help him by setting an alarm that wakes him so he learns self-reliance. Continue this. If it doesn't improve, use Desmopressin medication with him — it is a safe medication, by Allah's leave. The pharmacy can explain to you how to use it.

May Allah delight your eyes with him.

Have a parenting question of your own? Contact us, or follow our Telegram channel: @estesharatjeel

New tarbiyah resources, sent to your inbox the moment they're ready.