Bed Wetting Solutions
Bedwetting is a problem that many families with children face. Unfortunately, when it becomes a consistent problem, a child’s self-esteem, confidence and self-image are worn away. Supportive parents are part of the solution to a child’s self-esteem, but finding a bed wetting solution that works for the family and child is one of the most important steps to improve a child’s self-confidence.
Parents should remember that several bed wetting solutions are available, so any single method might not work for children. For many children, a combination of options will alleviate the problem.
Rule Out Medical Problems:
Before trying any type of solution, parents should ensure the problem is not a medical issue. Sometimes children with a medical issue, such as infections or constipation, start wetting the bed. The only solution to a medical problem is to eliminate the medical cause.
Take the child to the doctor to ensure infections or similar problems are not the cause, especially if the child did not previously wet the bed or was dry and then started wetting the bed after an extended period of time.
Reducing Fluids Before Bed:
For some children, the problem stems from drinking too much before bed. Parents should start reducing fluids around dinner time, providing less to drink at night and more in the morning or early afternoon.
To compound the reduced liquid at night, stop the child from drinking anything one to two hours before bed. Less liquid before bed means fewer accidents at night because children do not have the liquid to wet the bed.
Toilet Trips:
Among the bed wetting solutions available to parents is the addition of trips to the toilet at night. Parents should start by having children use the bathroom directly before going to bed. This will help lower the amount of liquid in the bladder.
Parents should then encourage children to get up at night to use the restroom. Parents should make the trip to the bathroom at night less intimidating by putting out night-lights along the route from a child’s room to the bathroom.
Also tell the child that it is better for them to get up to use the bathroom at night rather than trying to sleep through it and holding it in. Encouraging children to get up as often as they need will help a child feel more comfortable with those late night excursions to the restroom.
Rewards System:
Some parents like to try a rewards system for eliminating a bedwetting problem. Rewards help motivate children to work harder or take actions that might otherwise feel uncomfortable or intimidating at night.
There is a school of thought that rewards should really only be given for actions that the child can control.
Consider rewarding a child for going to the bathroom before bed, or in the middle of the night, rather than for waking up with a dry bed.
Urinary Bed Alarms:
Among the bed wetting solutions parents might consider is the use of a urinary bed alarm. An alarm uses a sensitive moisture signal to determine when to go off. If moisture is detected, the alarm goes off and wakes up the sleeping child. Children learn when to get up and go to the bathroom and how to recognize the signals with the alarm.
All of these solutions are options to eliminate bedwetting in children. Parents must remember that these solutions are not the only ones available and each child requires a different method of stopping the problem.
