1. Watch What Your Child Eats and Drinks
Enuresis, or bedwetting, is fairly common among children and adolescents. In many cases, it is something that your child will just grow out of on his own. In order to speed the process along, however, you can help to limit nocturnal urination by simply cutting out fluids 1 hour or so before his bedtime and having him go to the bathroom right before getting into bed. He should also avoid consuming potential bladder irritants in the evening, such as chocolate, coffee, tea and carbonated beverages.
2. Try Positive Imaging
A technique called positive imaging, during which your child will spend time imagining herself waking up dry, has been known to help in many cases. Another technique for controlling the body via the mind involves using guided hypnosis to treat enuresis. Motivational programs may also prove helpful, with you rewarding your child for dry nights. Negative consequences are to be avoided, because trying to cure your child's enuresis through shame and punishment is not effective and may result in far more serious problems.
3. Use an Alarm
Bedwetting alarms sound a bell or a buzzer when moisture is detected, so as soon as your child wets the bed, she will know to wake up and make a quick trip to the bathroom to finish urinating. The National Kidney Foundation reports that from 50 to 70 percent of cases of enuresis respond to treatment with this type of moisture alarm, although it may take weeks or even months before the body can train itself to wake before the alarm sounds or to hold the urine until morning.
4. Visit Your Family Doctor
Although medication is usually not the first method used for treating enuresis, your pediatrician may determine that there is some medical reason behind this behavior that needs to be addressed. A medication called DDAVP (desmopressin acetate) has been approved by the FDA for use with enuresis, and it acts by helping to decrease nighttime urine production. The tricyclic antidepressant imipramine (Tofranil) is also used for bedwetting, as it seems to be able to relax the bladder and increase its capacity if taken before bedtime.
