Commonly called bedwetting, enuresis is a normal occurrence in young children as they learn to control their bladders. You don't necessarily need to treat enuresis in children younger than seven years of age, but older children may require some encouragement to cure their enuresis. Talk to your child's pediatrician about your options for curing enuresis.
Reward Systems
Using a reward system for dry nights and certain behavior modifications are typically the most common cures for enuresis in children, says the University of Michigan Health System. Limiting fluids, especially caffeinated beverages, at night and instead giving your child most of his or her drinks in the morning or early afternoon can increase the child's success in not wetting the bed. Although you shouldn't restrict fluids during the daytime, stopping all drinks two or three hours before bedtime should help, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Positive reinforcement and rewarding your child when he or she doesn't wet the bed are also very effective for treating enuresis. Give your child praise or a token reward for each dry night, but don't punish your child for bedwetting.
Bedwetting Alarms
Using bedwetting alarms that wake your child when they detect moisture in the bed or underpants can help cure enuresis, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. These moisture alarms can be highly effective at training your child to awake to go to the bathroom instead of staying asleep and wetting the bed. You can use a bedwetting alarm combined with behavior modifications, reward systems and/or medications. Keep in mind that you may need to use a moisture alarm consistently for several months for success in curing enuresis, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. You should continue to use the alarm for about two weeks after your child hasn't wet the bed for at least three weeks.
Medications
If your child has a physical problem like a bladder infection that's causing the enuresis, a pediatrician will need to prescribe an antibiotic or otherwise treat the infection, says the University of Michigan Health System. If your child doesn't have an underlying physical condition that's causing the bedwetting, certain other medications might help. For example, the prescription drug desmopressin, or DDAVP, can help to reduce urine production and treat bedwetting for long- or short-term use, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Your child's doctor might prescribe a tricyclic antidepressant like imipramine to treat enuresis, but this medication is usually a last resort due to the potentially serious side effects.
Alternative Treatments
Certain alternative treatments may help to reduce bedwetting, such as dietary restrictions, acupuncture, magnet therapy, hypnosis and some herbal remedies, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Herbs like juniper, uva ursi, marshmallow root, lobelia and Bach flower remedies could provide a natural cure for enuresis. A 1993 study found that hypnotherapy was equally effective as the prescription drug imipramine in treating bedwetting, according to the American Journal of Clinical Hypnotherapy. Another study published in Clinical Pediatrics in 1992 discovered that eliminating food allergens from a child's diet could also help in treating enuresis. Few other conclusive studies have been performed on alternative bedwetting treatments, so talk with your child's physician before attempting any of these therapies or herbal remedies.
