More than 5 million children over the age of 5 have problems with wetting the bed, according to the Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia, and it can be a source of shame and embarrassment. As a parent, it is easy to feel helpless in this department, but there are things you can do to fix the situation. Your child may respond better to some tactics than others; the trick is finding the right remedy for your child's bed-wetting problem, so he can be on his way to dry nights in no time.
Rule Out a Medical Problem
Although taking your child to a doctor may not qualify as a remedy in itself, it can certainly lead to one. For some children, wetting the bed is more than a training issue---it's a medical issue, according to the editors of Prevention magazine in the book "Symptoms: Their Causes and Cures." Although the connection is unclear, many children who have problems with wetting the bed suffer from sleep apnea or snoring. Other children may be suffering from urinary tract infections that can prevent them from having full control over their bladders. If a doctor finds an infection, treating it may cure the bed-wetting problem.
Bed-wetting Home Remedies
Dr. Bryan Shumaker of the Michigan Institute of Urology recommends bed-wetting alarms as a remedy for wetting the bed. Although he does say that the entire household needs to be prepared to deal with the noise for a few days or weeks, the alarms do work. They sound when they detect wetness on the bed. The idea behind these alarms is that your child will subconsciously hold the urge to urinate until she awakens, or else she wakes up to go. Typically, children respond to this type of training within a month or two.
Many home remedies are much more common sense. Don't give your child anything to drink for at least two to three hours before his bedtime. Holding him responsible for his own cleanup may help. Set out a spare set of pajamas so your child can change himself, and supply a few blankets or towels to put over the wet spot until sheets can be washed in the morning.
Prescription Medications
Prescription medications are used as a last resort for children who have problems with wetting the bed. Desmopressin, or DDAVP, is most commonly used to treat bed-wetting. It works by decreasing the amount of urine produced overnight. Although the drug has shown promising results, the bed-wetting often returns once treatment ceases.
