Approximately 6 percent of 9-year-old children experience bed-wetting, reports the National Association for Continence. For such tweens, it's not just a nuisance; it can pose a significant social issue, especially if the child enjoys sleepovers, camps and similar events. If your child wets his bed, you can help him overcome the problem through lifestyle changes, medications and other living strategies.
Alarms
Dr. Shari Nethersole, a pediatric instructor at the Harvard Medical School, recommends bed-wetting alarms for 9-year-old kids. The alarms "tend to work well for children this age," she says. The devices rely on sensors in the bed and sound an alarm as soon as they sense moisture. The regular association between the act of bed-wetting and the sleep-disturbing alarm helps train the child's brain.
Medication
For some children, the pediatrician may prescribe a medical treatment to help them overcome the practice of bed-wetting. This solution typically isn't successfully used in children under the age of 7, but a 9-year-old child is old enough to become a candidate. Options include antidiuretics, which concentrate the child's urine, and certain antidepressants, which prevent the bladder from emptying.
Motivation
Motivation plays a big role in how quickly a child outgrows bedwetting. To encourage and improve motivation, the Nemours Health System suggests setting up a sticker-based motivational chart. For every night that your child stays dry, she earns a sticker. After earning a certain quantity of stickers, she wins a reward, such as a new toy.
Fluid Practices
Many parents find an easy solution to bed-wetting in children of all ages is encouraging lots of fluid intake during the morning and afternoon but placing restrictions on drinking in the evening. This helps prevent your child from going to bed with a full bladder, which raises the risk of bed-wetting. Similarly, "Parenting" magazine recommends having your child use the restroom right before bedtime.
References
- National Association for Continence; Pediatric Nocturnal Enuresis (Bedwetting); May 2011
- "Today's Parent"; Bedwetting; Diane Sacks; July 2011
- FamilyEducation.com; Nine-year-old Bed Wetter; Shari Nethersole
- BBC Health; Bed-wetting; Trisha Macnair; September 2008
- KidsHealth: Bedwetting
- "Parenting"; Bed-wetting; 2010
