How to Deal With a Bedwetting Problem
Regulate sleep schedule., Regulate fluid intake., Take bathroom breaks., Buy products to help with prevention and cleanup., Reward children for their efforts.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Regulate sleep schedule.
Get your child on a regular sleep schedule with a consistent bedtime, preferably before your own.
It will be easier for them to control their bedwetting if they have a consistent sleep routine.
Make sure they go to the bathroom right before bedtime. -
Step 2: Regulate fluid intake.
Try reducing fluid intake later in the day, particularly right before bedtime.
Reducing fluid intake after dinner will help ensure the bladder isn’t full upon falling asleep.
Eliminate caffeine from your child’s diet.
Caffeine tends to increase urination and may affect your child’s sleep, which could make bedwetting worse.If you or another adult in your life is struggling with bedwetting, reduce alcohol and caffeine intake.
These are irritants to the bladder and increase urine production.
Adults should also reduce sweetener substitutes, citrus juices, highly spicy foods, carbonated beverages, sugar, honey, milk, and milk products.
However, you should still stay hydrated with at least 1,500 milliliters (50.7 fl oz) of water every day. , To prevent bedwetting from occurring during the night for you or your child, regulate bathroom breaks throughout the day and night.
Typically, children should be urinating four to seven times per day.Adults typically urinate six to eight times per day.To help make bathroom breaks at night easier:
Wake your child up before you go to bed, if they’ve gone to bed before you, for another bathroom break.
Your child will eventually adapt to this and start getting up to go to the bathroom on their own.Using bedwetting alarms is probably the most effective therapy to treat bedwetting in children older than
7.
These alarms use a moisture-activated sensor, which attaches to the child's underwear.
A small pin-on battery-powered alarm awakens the child.
On average, this treatment will work in 60 days; relapses can occur, but treating again with this treatment is usually successful.
The devices that are commonly used, which are usually about $50-$60, are WetStop, Dry Night Training System, and Nytone Enuretic Alarm.
Regular alarms can be used as well.
Set alarms for random times to wake you up at night, otherwise your body might get too used to using the bathroom at a set time.Keep in mind that this may be inconvenient if you live with or share a bed with someone else.
Leave a nightlight on in the bathroom for easier bathroom breaks for children.
Ensure the bedroom has easy access to a bathroom.
Keep a fresh pair of pajamas and a fresh set of sheets near the bed for easy cleanup. , There are many products that can help adults and children both prevent bedwetting and deal with the effects of bedwetting.
These products will help make cleanup much easier for you or your child, will reduce the damage done to the bed and linens, and will help reduce the shame of bedwetting.Waterproof mattress pads and covers are ideal because they're machine washable, protect the mattress and sheets from accidents, and are easy to remove in the event of an accident.Pull-up diapers for children, disposable adult diapers, and protective underwear for adults are great options because they're cheap, easily disposable, and absorb large amounts of urine while keeping other clothing dry.
Enuresis alarms are useful because they go off as soon as any urination hits the bed.
This will wake you or your child up and stop the bedwetting from continuing.
This may be inappropriate if the alarm frightens your child too much or if he shares a room with a sibling.Bedside commodes and toilet base risers make it easier for elderly individuals with limited mobility to go to the bathroom., Creating a reward system will help to reinforce non-bedwetting behavior.
Reward your child with praise and privileges when they make efforts to prevent bedwetting, such as going to the bathroom before bed or getting up in the night for a bathroom break.
Reward your child for accident-free nights or for nights when they help to clean up if they do have an accident.Keep it simple and highlight one behavior you want to reward at a time.
Choose a limited amount of rewards for your child to pick from.
Ensure rewards are meaningful for your child and realistic for you to give.
Use a sticker chart to stay on track.
Give your child a sticker immediately to reinforce the good behavior.
Keep track of your child's progress by placing the stickers on a chart or calendar.
Once your child has earned an agreed upon number of stickers, he can trade them for rewards.
Avoid punishment or negative reinforcement of your child, such as yelling at him or taking away his toys after bedwetting.While you should reward children for their efforts in staying dry, remember that bedwetting is an involuntary process and child has no control of it.
Therefore, child should not be reprimanded or made to feel guilty about bedwetting. -
Step 3: Take bathroom breaks.
-
Step 4: Buy products to help with prevention and cleanup.
-
Step 5: Reward children for their efforts.
Detailed Guide
Get your child on a regular sleep schedule with a consistent bedtime, preferably before your own.
It will be easier for them to control their bedwetting if they have a consistent sleep routine.
Make sure they go to the bathroom right before bedtime.
Try reducing fluid intake later in the day, particularly right before bedtime.
Reducing fluid intake after dinner will help ensure the bladder isn’t full upon falling asleep.
Eliminate caffeine from your child’s diet.
Caffeine tends to increase urination and may affect your child’s sleep, which could make bedwetting worse.If you or another adult in your life is struggling with bedwetting, reduce alcohol and caffeine intake.
These are irritants to the bladder and increase urine production.
Adults should also reduce sweetener substitutes, citrus juices, highly spicy foods, carbonated beverages, sugar, honey, milk, and milk products.
However, you should still stay hydrated with at least 1,500 milliliters (50.7 fl oz) of water every day. , To prevent bedwetting from occurring during the night for you or your child, regulate bathroom breaks throughout the day and night.
Typically, children should be urinating four to seven times per day.Adults typically urinate six to eight times per day.To help make bathroom breaks at night easier:
Wake your child up before you go to bed, if they’ve gone to bed before you, for another bathroom break.
Your child will eventually adapt to this and start getting up to go to the bathroom on their own.Using bedwetting alarms is probably the most effective therapy to treat bedwetting in children older than
7.
These alarms use a moisture-activated sensor, which attaches to the child's underwear.
A small pin-on battery-powered alarm awakens the child.
On average, this treatment will work in 60 days; relapses can occur, but treating again with this treatment is usually successful.
The devices that are commonly used, which are usually about $50-$60, are WetStop, Dry Night Training System, and Nytone Enuretic Alarm.
Regular alarms can be used as well.
Set alarms for random times to wake you up at night, otherwise your body might get too used to using the bathroom at a set time.Keep in mind that this may be inconvenient if you live with or share a bed with someone else.
Leave a nightlight on in the bathroom for easier bathroom breaks for children.
Ensure the bedroom has easy access to a bathroom.
Keep a fresh pair of pajamas and a fresh set of sheets near the bed for easy cleanup. , There are many products that can help adults and children both prevent bedwetting and deal with the effects of bedwetting.
These products will help make cleanup much easier for you or your child, will reduce the damage done to the bed and linens, and will help reduce the shame of bedwetting.Waterproof mattress pads and covers are ideal because they're machine washable, protect the mattress and sheets from accidents, and are easy to remove in the event of an accident.Pull-up diapers for children, disposable adult diapers, and protective underwear for adults are great options because they're cheap, easily disposable, and absorb large amounts of urine while keeping other clothing dry.
Enuresis alarms are useful because they go off as soon as any urination hits the bed.
This will wake you or your child up and stop the bedwetting from continuing.
This may be inappropriate if the alarm frightens your child too much or if he shares a room with a sibling.Bedside commodes and toilet base risers make it easier for elderly individuals with limited mobility to go to the bathroom., Creating a reward system will help to reinforce non-bedwetting behavior.
Reward your child with praise and privileges when they make efforts to prevent bedwetting, such as going to the bathroom before bed or getting up in the night for a bathroom break.
Reward your child for accident-free nights or for nights when they help to clean up if they do have an accident.Keep it simple and highlight one behavior you want to reward at a time.
Choose a limited amount of rewards for your child to pick from.
Ensure rewards are meaningful for your child and realistic for you to give.
Use a sticker chart to stay on track.
Give your child a sticker immediately to reinforce the good behavior.
Keep track of your child's progress by placing the stickers on a chart or calendar.
Once your child has earned an agreed upon number of stickers, he can trade them for rewards.
Avoid punishment or negative reinforcement of your child, such as yelling at him or taking away his toys after bedwetting.While you should reward children for their efforts in staying dry, remember that bedwetting is an involuntary process and child has no control of it.
Therefore, child should not be reprimanded or made to feel guilty about bedwetting.
About the Author
Kathryn Gordon
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow home improvement tutorials.
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