Overcoming bedwetting

3 Set alarm for overnight voiding. Some children can stay dry by voiding in the middle of the night. You can set an alarm to wake your child at midnight, have them use the toilet, then return to bed.

4 Use a moisture alarm. These overthe-counter gadgets, also called bedwetting alarms, use a battery-operated alarm to alert your child to a bedwetting situation. This approach takes time, motivation and patience, and can take one to three months to see results. This option is low-risk and may be a better long-term solution than medications.

5 Try prescription medications. Occasionally, a child could be prescribed desmopressin as a short-term solution for bedwetting. This medication retains water in the body so the child’s bladder does not get too full overnight. There are a few possible side e ects with medication, which should be discussed with your child’s health care team. The medication is more e ective in older children, and the overall success rate is about 30%. Usually, other strategies, including time, are tried before medications.

What Not To Do

Bedwetting can be frustrating and embarrassing for children. It can cause anxiety, especially for children planning sleepovers with friends. Children look to their parents for their response to the situation and for acceptance regardless of their struggles.

To ease the anguish of bedwetting for your child, these are things you should not do:

FNU MANJUNATHA | Mayo Clinic News Network

Parents quickly spring into action in a bedwetting situation. Changing wet sheets and comforting an upset or embarrassed child isn’t fun for anyone in the middle of the night.

Many families struggle with bedwetting. It’s a normal part of child development. It isn’t anyone’s fault, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be stressful, especially for older kids. Here’s what you need to know:

Types of bedwetting

Bedwetting, also known as nocturnal incontinence or nocturnal enuresis, is the involuntary release of urine while asleep. It happens after the age at which staying dry at night is reasonably expected.

There are two types of bedwetting:

 Primary bedwetting: Usually occurring in younger children, primary bedwetting is when a child is not able to stay dry through the night. For example, your child may go all day without an accident, but still needs to wear a potty training diaper while asleep.

 Secondary bedwetting: This is a reoccurrence of bedwetting after staying dry at night for six months or longer. For example, a child that has been dry at night since age 4 but then starts wetting the bed again at age 6 is experiencing secondary bedwetting.

Bedwetting up to age 7 is common and not a concern. Most kids outgrow bedwetting on their own by the time they are 12.

Causes of bedwetting

When a child starts to experience bedwetting, especially secondary bedwetting, doctors work with parents to figure out why it is happening.

There is a strong family connection with bedwetting; about 40% to 50% of kids with bedwetting had a parent who struggled with it as a child.

Other possible causes include diabetes, urinary tract infections, vaginitis, a deep sleep, a small bladder, bladder nerve problems or chronic constipation.

Tips For Helping Your Child Stay Dry

Treatment usually isn’t necessary for primary bedwetting or children under 7 years of age. A watch-and-see approach is usually the best option, as most children outgrow bedwetting on their own. Here are five things that parents can do to help a child with secondary bedwetting, including:

1 Restrict fluids in the evening. Depending on age, children need between 4 and 8 cups of water each day to remain hydrated. Proper hydration can also reduce thirst in the evening, but make sure to restrict drinks within two hours of bedtime. Avoid high-sugar or ca einated drinks in the evenings, too.

2 Build voiding into the bedtime routine. Start the bedtime routine by having your child try to urinate, then encourage your child to go again before falling asleep.

 Reprimand or scold your child for bedwetting. Children don’t wet the bed because of laziness or spite. Yelling or expressing your disappointment does nothing to help solve children’s bedwetting and can hurt their confidence.

 Purposely embarrass your child. Discussing children’s bedwetting with peers or family can increase anxiety and embarrassment. It doesn’t motivate and can create lasting emotional scars.

 Compare your children. All children are di erent and develop at their own rates. They can’t control how quickly the nerves in their bladders mature or their bladder sizes. Don’t compare children to siblings or peers, as this will only increase stress and lower self-esteem.

 Expect instant results. Sometimes, all a child needs is time and a supportive parent. There are no quick fixes for solving bedwetting. Be patient, kind and compassionate.

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