Bedwetting, or enuresis, will affect all children at some stage in their lives. It is estimated that fifteen to twenty percent of all five and six year olds will wet the bed at some point. Making that transition from wearing nappies to being dry is a big step after all, and it takes some children longer than others. Having a few strategically placed potties around the house can be an enormous help during the day, when your child needs to get to the toilet in a hurry. Some parents let their children wander around in just a t-shirt during the day so that they don’t have to worry about pulling pants down. However, you should expect a few puddles here and there along the way until your child learns to recognise when they need to go.
But what do you do if your child is struggling to stay dry at night?
Probably the worse thing any parent can do when bed wetting does occur is to tell the child off. This will make them feel ashamed, dirty and embarrassed and will most certainly make the problem a lot worse. Tell your child that many other children wet the bed too so they don’t feel as if they are the only child in the world who has this problem. When an accident does happen, it is far better to deal with it with the minimum of fuss. Simply change the child’s sheet and nightwear, give them a quick wash and pop them back into bed. The sheets and clothes can be dealt with in the morning. If your child has a dry night, be sure to praise them for it, as encouragement goes a long way to raising their self esteem and making them feel good about themselves.
In years gone by, parents were often advised to wake the child in the night so they could use the toilet. This method was called ‘lifting’. However, this method rarely, if ever, worked as the child was not learning to wake up naturally to go to the toilet.
Try to limit the amount of drink your child has before they go to bed. Make their last drink about two hours before bedtime and try to make it water. Drinks like lemon and orange are acidic and can irritate the bladder, thus making the problem worse. Let’s look at some of the ways your child can achieve that magical dry night.
Bedwetting Star Charts
Some parents find this method works very well. It involves making a simple chart with the child’s name and days of the week on it. Then for every night the child is dry, they are awarded a star. If, by the end of the week they have been dry every night they could be rewarded with a special treat such as a trip to the seaside. However it is still very important not to tell the child off if this method isn’t successful at first. It won’t happen overnight. You will have a mixture of dry nights and wet ones. Perseverance is the key here. It will take time and patience so don’t expect miracles right away.
Bedwetting Alarms
These have been used very successfully by many parents. They work by making a ringing or buzzing sound as soon as the first drop of urine hits the sheet. This then wakes the child up and they can go to the toilet. Some alarms have a small sensor which is placed inside the child’s underwear and is also connected to an alarm.
The alarm is often needed for up to five or six months for it to be fully effective. Again miracles won’t happen overnight so you must be patient with your child. Give them plenty of praise when they are dry and make the minimum of fuss when they have an accident.
What do you do if there is still no sign of success after a few months of using an alarm?
Bedwetting Medication
If by the time your child is about seven years old they are still not dry at night, it may be time for a trip to your GP. He will ask for a sample of your child’s urine to check for any bacterial infection such as cystitis which is easily treatable. If no infection is found then your child may be prescribed some medication to give them a helping hand. This is in the form of a diuretic tablet called Desmopressin. This works by reducing the amount of urine produced in the kidneys so that the bladder doesn’t fill up during the night. Because of the way it works it can have a positive effect from the first night which is extremely encouraging for the child. This is a short term method and usually only needs to be taken for a week to ten days. After which your child should be totally dry.
Bedwetting Outlook
Remember that ALL children wet the bed at some time in their lives. It is perfectly normal and in the vast majority of cases they will simply grow out of it as they mature and learn to wake up when they need to go to the toilet. Remember it is vitally important to encourage your child at all times and offer praise when they are dry and make the minimum of fuss when they have an accident. Perseverance and patience is the key. Your child will grow out of it eventually and will be sleeping in a nice dry bed before you know it.
This article was written by Jane Jefford. Mum of three and full time carer, Jane used to be a nurse before back problems forced her to leave. Now she devotes her time to caring for her family. Her philosophy is to always look on the bright side of life.
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By ruthy on 30 Jul 2009
I have a 14 year old that just cant wake up to go urineate. we took him to Dr he dont have a urine infection. what do I do?