Wetting the bed can become a problem for kids when they reach the age where they want to spend the night at a friend's. The possibility of wetting the bed is often enough to keep the child away. Your child isn't alone though. More than 5 million kids in the United States wet the bed, according to the National Institutes of Health. As a parent there are steps you can take to try and work past the bed wetting.
Praise and Encouragement
Your child may be embarrassed and ashamed that he wet the bed, so it's important for you to provide reassurance. It may seem like ignoring the problem will help but that can make things worse. Punishment is also not an appropriate response. Instead explain that it's common and that it's no big deal. Consider a reward chart to offer praise for dry nights. In the morning when he wakes up wet, let him help change the sheets to show that it is nothing to be ashamed of, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. If your child views this as punishment though, skip it because that may make bed wetting worse. It's also important that everyone in the house know that no teasing is allowed when it comes to bed wetting. If you child is teased it can make the problem worse.
Bedtime Routine
A few easy-to-implement changes to the bedtime routine may also help prevent bed wetting in children. Start by limiting how much you child drinks in the hours before bedtime. Small amounts of fluids are fine but avoid large glasses of water, juice or milk as these may put too much pressure on the bladder at night. Also make sure to have her use the bathroom right before she goes to bed. If she wets the bed almost every night consider waking her in the middle of the night or right before you go to sleep to have her use the bathroom, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. This can lead to more dry mornings and may be the positive encouragement she needs.
Alarms
Alarms that sense moisture can be attached to your child's bed to alert him that he is wetting the bed. The alarms are designed to recognize that your child is urinating and then wake him so he can go to the bathroom. Bed-wetting alarms can be purchased online without a prescription. Although many children successfully stop wetting the bed using an alarm the process can take several months, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Prescription Drugs
Prescription medications can be used as a last resort for children who continue to have trouble with bed wetting. One particular medicine, desmopressin, can also be useful when your child wants to spend the night at a friend's house. Desmopressin works quickly to reduce the amount of urine produced at night. It can be used as a short-term, one-time intervention, but it can also be prescribed long term, according to the National Institutes of Health. Tricyclic antidepressant drugs are also sometimes used to treat bed wetting but this is generally considered a last resort because the potential side effects can be severe.
Parents should remember that these medications will not cure the bed wetting, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Because of the risk of side effects, medicines should only be used in kids 5 and older. Some studies have shown that the most effective means in stopping bed wetting is alarms and medications combined, according to the National Institutes of Health.
