Bedwetting happens at night for the most part and is also known as Nocturnal Enuresis. Normally it’s involuntary, and it happens to almost 20% of all 5 year olds worldwide so it’s really common. Bedwetting training is mainly for serious cases, where children continue to wet the bed at an age when they would have been expected to have outgrown it. Bedwetting training is also targeted at those children who seem to have grown out of bedwetting only to regress again and again. Now that you know a little more about it, let’s discover how to stop bedwetting!
Bedwetting training methods
There are quite a few methods out there that are used to treat bedwetting . From bedwetting alarms to behavioural therapies, there are different styles and theories that will help to treat bedwetting. The key is trying each method and finding one which works with your child. Don’t get despondent, bedwetting will most often fix itself over time and in the meanwhile, management is the best solution. However, if you think your child’s bedwetting is serious then bedwetting training might be worth looking into. Before you start, make it clear to your child you’re not cross, you’re just trying to help, and make sure you listen and get him/her on board with any new potential treatment options. If you are looking to accelerate the process, here are a few of the most successful bedwetting training methods:
Behavioural therapies
Bedwetting treatment in the guise of behavioural therapy teaches your child how to not to wet the bed. They are slight modifications to your child’s day-to-day life, are generally non-invasive and have a high success rate. What follows are some of the most commonly used behavioural therapies:
- Limit how much your child has to drink right before bedtime
- Ensure your child goes to the toilet right before going to sleep
- Avoid letting your child drink fizzy or caffeinated drinks right before bedtime (or completely if possible)
- Leave a low light on in the passage and the bathroom so your child can find their way to the toilet
- Visualisation can be a powerful tool to stop bedwetting. Get your child to imagine themselves waking up completely dry just before they fall asleep
- If your child has been sleeping for more than an hour, wake him or her to use the toilet again before you go to bed
Bladder training
Your child’s bladder may still be developing and because of this, may be slightly smaller than some other kids of their age. If this is the case, bladder training can help. The aim of bladder training is to slowly increase the amount of “wee” that your child’s bladder can hold. The first step in bladder training is to create a bladder diary where you note down how often your child goes to the bathroom, when they go to the bathroom and if possible, how much urine they produce during each visit. Once you have this information try to encourage your child to delay their toilet trips. For example, if your child usually goes to the bathroom at 3:30 p.m., have him wait until 3:45 p.m. Slowly make the times between toilet trips longer and longer. However, you must be patient; bladder training can take a long time but is normally pretty successful.
Bedwetting Alarms
Studies have found that bedwetting alarms are a very successful bedwetting training method. They work by sending out some kind of signal (usually an alarm) at the exact moment that moisture is detected, waking your child up. Your child should then wake up and go to the toilet. The aim of these devices is to create an association in the brain that wakes up your child when their bladder is full. It may take up to 2 weeks before you see any kind of improvement so be as patient. These alarms are available for rent or sale at many major hospitals or speciality bedwetting stores online. DryNites has a page dedicated to bedwetting alarms that you should check out if you are interested in using one.
Children don’t wet the bed to seek attention. Because your child’s bed-wetting is involuntary, it’s unreasonable to punish wet nights or reward dry nights. Try to be patient as you and your child work through the problem together, and get help by using bedwetting products to make the ordeal as painless as possible
