You ever get that feeling when you hear your child calling “Momm-eeeeeee” that you just want to pull the covers up over your head? 

Maybe they want a glass of water.  Or a snack.  Or worse – he’s wet the bed and needs you to change the sheets – again.

Between five and seven million kids in the United States wet the bed, according to Dr. Jennifer Trachtenberg, a pediatrician and the author of Good Kids, Bad Habits: The Real Age Guide to Raising Healthy Children. About two-thirds of bedwetters are boys.  While 72% of children will outgrow bedwetting by the time they’re 11, it still adds up to a lot of lost sleep for both the kids and for parents like you.

“It is a common problem, more common than most people know because people don’t like to talk about it.,” Trachtenberg said.

An immature bladder, hormones, deep sleep, even heredity can all cause bedwetting.  While it may not be intentional, it may still drive you crazy while you’re dealing with it for weeks, months, even years. 

GoodNites created a panel of experts to give parents some tips on how to get through what can be a very trying time for the whole family.

Some you may not have heard of before: give your child more whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables; give ice chips instead of a glass of water starting an hour before bedtime; make sure he or she uses the bathroom before bed; and make sure you create a relaxing bedtime ritual that stays consistent.

”Turn off all the TVs in the house, turn down the lights, which also gives you energy savings, close the shades, and use a fan because the light noise blocks out other sound,” Trachtenberg recommends.

“It takes at least 30 days to establish a routine for it to become automatic,” Trachtenberg said.  “It’s not like SuperNanny.  It really takes a long time.  But if your child knows this is what you do, (he) will stick with it more.”

Some parents desperate to avoid nighttime accidents might think about setting an alarm clock to wake up themselves and their heavy sleepers so they can go to the bathroom.  Don’t bother, Trachtenberg said.

“I think it’s useless,” Trachtenberg said. “You’re ruining your own sleep, you’re not getting the sleep you need, you’re more tired, you’re more cranky.  It doesn’t really do anything.”

Instead, she says, try training pants like ones offered by GoodNites. Pampers, Huggies, Depends and other brands also make products for older children.

“GoodNites sleep pants mean you don’t have to be changing the sheets all the time, there’s no odor and it helps with (the kids’) self-esteem.”

Discussion boards show just how common bedwetting is.  Parents of teenagers, and teenagers themselves, talk about how to handle sleepovers and other tricky situations for bedwetters.  You can go to GoodNites.com to join discussions, ask questions of the panelists, and to share your bedtime routine stories in a contest the company is running now.  The winner gets a free child’s bedroom makeover. Another good site for sharing experiences is TwitterMoms.  Check out their discussion group here.