Hi Helen, while it is true that some children are able to outgrow bedwetting on their own, others do benefit from some form of treatment. When the bedwetting begins to interfere with children’s lives or impacts negatively on their self-esteem it is certainly time to start thinking about ways to help it stop. Sleepovers and camps are often the biggest concern for children who wet the bed – this has a lot to do with the fear associated with being discovered by their friends. It is important that he doesn’t let the fact that he wets the bed restrict his activities, as this will only make him feel worse in the long run. When it comes to treatment, conditioning alarms are considered the safest and most effective way of stopping bedwetting. Alarms have a sensor that when wet sets off an alarm that is designed to wake-up your son. Given your son is a particularly sound sleeper you will need to help him to wake at first. Some alarms have different settings that allow you to vary the sound; these are particularly good for very sound sleepers. Before purchasing one of these it is important to discuss your individual needs with a continence advisor or pediatrician as the more support and guidance you and your son receive the greater the likelihood of a successful outcome. Treatment can take up to 6 months, with some children experiencing one or two relapses. If this occurs simply re-introduce the alarm and continue with treatment. During these early stages it is important to supervise and facilitate his waking, and toileting, being sure to celebrate every small success and commitment to the program. Make sure he maintains normal eating and drinking patterns and does not become overtired, as this will make it more difficult for him to wake in response to the alarm.

Regards,
Dr Cathrine

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