How to Stop Bedwetting: 8 Effective Treatment Options
Not everybody outgrows their bedwetting habits, some need intervention in the form of treatment. Discover the top bedwetting treatment options here.
Did you know that somewhere between five and seven million kids living in the United States wet their beds at least once a week? Regular bedwetters account for about ten percent of the children living in the U.S.
Involuntarily wetting the bed during the night is not an issue for most young children, it's a natural process that will usually fix itself as your child gets older. An issue arises when bedwetting happens on a regular basis.
If the problem continues to affect your child's life it might be a good idea to do some research about the best bedwetting treatment available. Keep reading to learn some of our suggestions.
- Limit Fluid Intake at Bedtime
A kid's inability to control their bladder while they sleep will lead them to wet the bed but there are pretty simple actions they can take to try and reduce bedwetting incidents. There are many bedwetting remedies to try and help your child get through this uncomfortable stage in their life.
One of the most obvious treatments is limiting your child's fluid intake before bed. You shouldn't prohibit them from drinking altogether but try reducing what they drink an hour or two before bedtime.
It's a good idea to have your kid drink lots of water early in the day but as the evening approaches let them know that they should only drink water if they're feeling thirsty, they shouldn't drink it in excess. If your child doesn't drink anything a couple of hours before bed they're less likely to get a full bladder and wet the bed during their sleep.
- Set an Alarm
Another treatment option that parents may want to try if their child struggles with constant bedwetting is setting an alarm. This specialized bedwetting alarm has helped many families resolve their child's nighttime wetting. It actually has a great success rate, it's helped around seventy-five percent of those who've tried it stop wetting the bed.
This alarm will wake a child from sleep when they're urinating in bed. This constant reminder that they need to wake up and use the bathroom will help the child stop wetting the bed while they sleep.
- No Caffeine
Nocturnal enuresis is a serious issue many kids deal with on a day to day basis. There are changes a family can make together to help a child who's struggling with wetting the bed.
A growing child shouldn't be consuming too much caffeine to begin with but a child that's struggling with bedwetting should avoid it even more.
Caffeinated drinks, like soda, have a lot of artificial flavors and sugars and aren't good for the body. They're also known to stimulate a person's bladder. So soda with dinner should be avoided completely if you want to help your kid.
- Make a Bathroom Schedule
While it might seem strange to create a schedule for something you do whenever you feel the urge, a schedule could actually help reduce the number of times your child wets the bed. A schedule will create structure and that may help train your child's mind and body to stop wetting the bed while they sleep.
Choose a number of times to have your child go to the bathroom each day, repeat this pattern to help train their bladder. A standard method is to get your child to use the bathroom every two hours. Another good routine is to have your child use the bathroom once before brushing their teeth and putting on their pajamas and then once more right before getting into bed.
- Take Your Child to the Chiropractor
There are many remedies for bedwetting but one most people wouldn't think of is chiropractic care. Taking a child to a chiropractor can help them get over their problems with wetting the bed.
Chiropractic care involves a professional healthcare worker making adjustments to the spine. The spine is connected to the nervous system which in turn helps with bladder control. Having a chiropractor adjust the connection between the spine and control of the bladder can help a child reduce their number of bedwetting accidents, don't hesitate to find out more about how this practice works.
- Try Positive Reinforcement
Children thrive when they're recognized and rewarded for their effort and hard work. You can try incorporating some type of positive reinforcement in their progress in trying to stop wetting the bed.
You and your child can keep track of how many days in a row they wake up with a dry bed. You can create a point system where if they earn a certain amount by the end of the week, they get a prize.
- Give Your Child Some Responsibilities
A child should never feel ashamed for wetting the bed. As a parent, it's important to communicate with your child and help them navigate this situation which may already be causing them some extra stress.
Assigning some responsibilities to your child for wetting the bed, in a nonjudgemental way, can help them. This can be as simple as having them remove the soiled sheets from their mattress.
- Medication as a Last Resort
Medications for bedwetting should be given as a last resort when the other treatment options haven't been helping your child. Any medication treatment should first be discussed thoroughly with your pediatrician.
Medicines like desmopressin work to slow down the production of urine while your child sleeps. Oxybutynin can help increase the capacity of your child's bladder, this helps children with small bladders keep from wetting the bed at night.
The Best Bedwetting Treatments
Some of the best bedwetting treatments to help your child through this difficult issue are listed above. Make sure to check out some of our other blogs to learn more ways to help your child with their bedwetting.
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