You ask a great question
@Peepeegirl , I remember early around age 5 thinking I still had accidents because I wore trainers & pp; of course the reason I was put back into trainers and pp was because I wet my sleeping bag at a family church camp 3 nights straight. So for nights after this I woke up wet in the middle of the night but I became grateful for my protection. Eventually I did not wake up during the night but became use to being wet 3 - 4 times per week and just accepted it each morning still being thankful for no wet sheets. By age 7 I was dry again and back into regular big boy underwear but at age 8 and my first sleepover I soaked my friend's bed and ultimately on another sleepover his mom had to put me in a full diaper and plastic underpants fitted for my bigger size. I actually / eventually was OK with this because it taught me that if my regular trainers and pp leaked, there was even better protection for me. I had another dry spell and then in college my bw issue came back and I easily put myself back into diapers and pp that kept my bed dry and the rest of the dorm hallway never -knowing (my roommate was great with me taking this protection, he had bw issues until he was 10). Sometime by my late 20's I was not wetting myself at night that much and with a brief break from protective undergarments I eventually had some small wettings, about 8 - 10 times per year, so I put myself back into adult training underwear and plastic underpants which took care of my chaotic thinking each night if I would have another accident or not. I never hid this from my partners nor my now wife and I only have small wettings about 2 - 4 times per year now after 20 years. So I actually got a bit better, not 100% (361 nights dry , 3 - 4 wet - not a bad ratio!), but I am fine with wearing my trainers and pp each night. I see it as being responsible for my situation and I am able to sleep better.
My point being, in the short term you are hopefully going to accept wearing protective undergarments at night to get a restful sleep without wet, cold sheets to wake up in. In the longer term you are going to try and do some of the items others have mentioned on this forum about trailing off liquids earlier in the evening, etc. I suggest wearing protection a majority of nights and them take a one night break, and try switching on / off for a greater time period. Don't push it, other variables in your life could be involved in this and beating yourself up on multiple fronts will be over whelming. You have immediate protection from bw so see that benefit for now and you can get a good night's sleep. Give yourself time and see if this helps. If not your doctor is your best friend to consult about why you are having issues at night and he can help you through it with you why you work on it.
Sorry so long but I have been through what your "simple" question is asking and it took me several months to work this out all by myself many years ago. My youth background though with bw and nighttime protection eventually became my explanation (likely deep anxiety that I can bury) so I accept my situation quite well as it does not affect the rest of my life nor my relationships with people.
Currently I am having a decision quandary involving some good friends that I have stayed over at their house and after having to let them know I need a plastic mattress cover on the guest bed, they are still great friends but have correlated me to their 10 year old nephew that has the same bw issue and leakage sometimes from his pullups. They know I wear plastic underpants (I think) and have offered to pick up some adult pullups for me next time I stay with them just like they do with their nephew so he does not have so much bulk in his suitcase....I am not sure which way to go on this offer or my thought to be as up front with them as possible about my occasional nighttime issue / full time wearing protection. After 40+ years of wearing nighttime protection I thought I had experienced it all - guess not....it does make life interesting.
