Question
We had another rough night getting my daughter to bed last night. I spoke with her Occupational Therapist about ways to help calm her body at bedtime to help her fall asleep. Lately we go through our routine and then when we turn off the lights and lay down with her she starts up with "I'm not tired, I'm bored, sleeping is soooo boring" and this goes on for about an hour. We followed the OTs guidance and did a body massage and then listened to a kids meditation. At first she said she felt so calm and how much she loved it and then she peed her pants. She said she was just so calm and cozy it happened. So she changed her undies. Then it happened 10 more times. I am not exaggerating. She kept getting up and saying "why is this happening, what is wrong with me" and then sitting on the toilet and trying to get all her pee out.
10 TIMES. I just kept saying "nothing is wrong with you, we all make mistakes." After this went on for over an hour I gave her a melatonin at 9 PM and she fell fast asleep. I know that wasn't the right solution but I just didn't know what to do. Now she says she hates meditations and feeling calm b/c it makes her pee her pants. Help!
Question
This is a question for her pediatrician or a urologist. BUT if I had to have a hypothesis for this, it is more proof of how her body and nervous system are out of balance. The meditation caused an extreme relaxation to her nervous system which might have caused her bladder to let go.
A short term solution is to give her pull-ups at night. Primarily because the meditation and night time massage are important to continue to soothe that nervous system of hers. The pull-up makes it so the wetting is not that big a deal or felt.
Also, talk her through my hypothesis, tell her that the massage and meditation are helping her SOOOO much that her bladder and the muscles around her bladder are also relaxing. Which proves she needs the meditation and massage BUT the two of you have to help her brain not relax ALL of her body just the parts that need rest.
So you can put on the pull-up and before the meditation speak to her brain:
"Hi Brain. Please remember to help Bladder hold the pee inside. We do love relaxing all the muscles and the thoughts BUT relaxing the bladder is not needed. Thanks Brain...."
Then let her know that if she wets the pull-up it's okay.
But still...pediatrician and/or pediatric urologist is a good idea. IF either of them say "don't do the meditation..." I recommend a second opinion.