Bedwetting Pants to the Rescue

Does your child shy away from sleepovers because of the fear of waking up wet? Are you and your child frustrated in looking for reasons and cures for this dilemma, but ending up with nothing? What if someone had told you about trying out bedwetting pants? Would you allow your child to use this and see if it can be a good option to take in lessening the anxiety that your kid is feeling?

If your child is suffering from nocturnal enuresis or bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis) problems, as most children do at an early age, it is possible that sleepovers would be out of the question for the moment.

Although most of these cases are usually outgrown by children after a few years or so, dealing with it during the moment of the problem can be frustrating.

At this point, we know that a lot of parents like you had opted for different types of procedures. Still, the question on whether or not these things would work well with your child’s predicament – albeit temporarily – is something that’s left to be seen.

So, what’s with wearing bedwetting pants to make night time completely devoid of wet sheets to deal with in the morning?

Allow us to show you why this option would help.

* Bedwetting pants are known to serve as a buffer against wetness.

For one, most of the bedwetting pants act as a sponge, and keep wetness away during those times your child needs to stay dry. There are no more worries in having to wake up completely drenched in wet sheets and clothes.

* It helps children cope easily with their problem.

Since the idea of bringing bedwetting pants into the market is to help parents and their children, the embarrassment of wetting the bed will no longer bring you or your child’s feelings down. Instead, when your child sees that it works, self-confidence and a good approach in looking at the problem in the eye would definitely allow your child to understand that this is all just a stage that one has to go through.

* It provides proper conditioning – mentally and psychologically.

With these pants on, accidental bladder spurts during sleep would cease to be a nightmare. And with each successful dry night, the confidence of your child grows more positive every time the sun peeks in to bask the room in glorious splendor.

* Some products have a wetness alarm to prompt the child to go to the bathroom.

If you would do some searching, you would see that some products have a special feature – a wetness alarm – that is imbedded in the bedwetting pants. This informs the child that a trip to the bathroom will be necessary.

* It gives the child freedom to spend the night in other homes.

Sleepovers are now in the name of the game again when your child has been introduced to the luxury of having bedwetting pants to wear underneath the usual sleeping clothes. Good self-image is gained; and the knowledge that there is indeed hope in dealing with the predicament is learned.

Although bedwetting pants aren’t meant to stop the dilemma, it gives the child a worry-free night to be proud of. And this positive gain, along with the others that were mentioned above, are indeed good things to allow your child to experience.

For more information on bedwetting diapers and nocturnal enuresis, visit http://www.bed-wetting.info

Bed Wetting Concerns

Bed wetting is simply wetting the bed while you are asleep in your bed. The scientific name for bed wetting is nocturnal enuresis or sometimes it is simply called enuresis. Some people also refer to it as sleep wetting. Bed wetting is very common among children, boys more so than girls. It is believed that approximately five to seven million children experience this problem. Doctors classify bed wetters as girls who are older than four years and boys who are over five years who chronically wet their beds during sleep. The tendency to wet the bed however does decrease as a child gets older.

Studies have shown that approximately ten percent of six-year-old youngsters wet their beds routinely while this number decreases to three percent for fourteen year olds. It is rare but it does happen that bed wetting contuse to plague both older teenagers and even adults. This problem can be very minor to serious and cause a great deal of distress and embarrassment for the person involved.

There are believed to be a number of causes for primary nocturnal enuresis. There appears to be a genetic link when it comes to bed wetting. If a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle had the same problem as a child then you are more likely to develop the problem. Many children have very deep sleeping patterns and don’t awaken when their bladder relays the message to the brain that it needs to be emptied. Some children have a central nervous system that develops slower than normal and therefore interferes with bladder functions. Some children simply have a smaller than average bladder that requires that it be emptied more often than most people’s. A bladder infection that has gone undiagnosed and untreated can also be the cause of primary nocturnal bed wetting, as can abnormalities that exist in the urethra in males and females and for boys it can sometimes be problems with their urethral valves. Children who suffer from chronic allergies, attention deficit disorder (ADD) or a variety of learning disabilities appear to have a higher incidence of bed wetting problems than do other children.

Secondary nocturnal enuresis is most often related to a build up of stress that is occurring in a child’s life at any given time. Most often once the source of stress has passed in the child’s life, the bed-wetting then becomes a thing of the past. The three most common stress triggers for secondary bed wetting in children include starting school for the first time, being hospitalized or seeing a parent who must stay in the hospital for a few days and the birth of a new brother or sister. Although these events can be exciting many children are also frightened and therefore develop secondary problems as a result, thus the name, secondary nocturnal bed wetting. Problems that exist in a family can also trigger bed wetting. These problems might include abuse, neglect, and constant fighting between parents, divorce, alcoholism and financial worries.

Is There a Connection Between Snoring and Bed Wetting?

It was once believed that bed wetting was due to a sleeping disorder. This is because in some children snoring appears to accompany bed wetting. Snoring in children can sometimes be a result of what is known as obstructive sleep apnea (abbreviated to OSA). This breathing problem is much more common in adults, especially middle aged men, than it is in children but children can still develop it. Obstructive sleep apnea means, “there is a partial blockade to or intermittent interruption of the flow of air to the lungs, enough to seriously interfere with breathing.” The most common reason for OSA to develop is children are due to large adenoids. The adenoids are to be found situated behind the nasal passages and are similar in their function to tonsils as they are “collections of lymph glands” that serve to fight infection.

Plenty of children who have large adenoids do snore but don’t necessarily suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. Nor are they any more likely to wet their beds on a consistent basis. Those children who do develop obstructive sleep apnea suffer short periods of time throughout the night when they actually stop breathing all together. This can be a dangerous condition that can affect many areas of a person’s life including endangering their physical health, causing problems with school and friends and problems in the family. Obstructive sleep apnea in children can result in restless sleep at night, which can lead to excessive daytime tiredness. It can also lead to waking up feeling unrefreshed in the morning and morning headaches. Children who suffer from OSA have more trouble concentrating in school than do other children and they often suffer from memory loss and can be inattentive and grouchy towards others.

In those proponents who see a connection between OSA and bed wetting, they believe that it is the chemical imbalance that takes place in the brain due to obstructive sleep apnea that increases the potential for bed wetting. It is important to keep in mind that it is in only a small amount of children that snoring and/or OSA happens along with bed wetting. In the case of OSA for children, the adenoids and tonsils are often standard medical procedure and this seems to have a positive effect on the incidence of bed wetting as well. However this does not automatically mean that in children who both wet their beds on a regular basis and snore that they should have their tonsils and adenoids taken out. It is best to consider other options before going straight to surgery.

In instances where snoring and bed wetting began around the same approximate time it might be a good idea to discuss with the doctor if the tonsils and adenoids might be to blame. While snoring and obstructive sleep apnea is both considered “uncommon causes of bed wetting” the fact that they started occurring close together might be an indicator of where the problem lies. It is important to schedule an appointment with your child’s doctor to discuss all the health possibilities and implications of both snoring and bed wetting.

When it is Time to Speak with Your Child’s Doctor about Bed Wetting

Bed wetting episodes before a child turns six years of age are not usually a cause for alarm. In fact bed wetting is very common among children who are two to three years of age and just beginning toilet training all the way up to children who are entering elementary school at age five or six. However if your child still wets his or her bed on a regular basis past the age of six it might be a good idea to schedule a visit to the doctor’s office. There are cases as well where a child begins wetting their bed out of the blue and it is accompanied by other physical or psychological symptoms. This could mean that there is a medical problem behind the episodes and therefore his or her family doctor or pediatrician should examine the child.

Before being able to make a proper diagnosis a doctor will go through a child’s complete medical history with the parents and then will do a thorough physical exam. If the doctor deems it necessary, he or she will send the child for laboratory tests such as blood tests and/or a urine test (also known as a urinalysis). In some cases x-rays will also be done. The main health problems doctors want to rule out by doing tests are the risk of a bladder infection, a kidney infection, other types of bladder problems, constipation and diabetes. Severe stress can also bring on a case of secondary enuresis so if all medical tests show that the child is healthy, the doctor may sit down and talk at length with the and/or the child and his parents to see if there might be a psychological link for the bed wetting in terms of new stress on the home front or to do with school.

Ninety percent of the time, bed wetting is not related to a physical problem. If that is the case then a doctor may suggest a variety of therapies that can be undertaken to help rid the child of the problem. Sometimes however both the bed wetting child as well as his parents simply require information, advice and a great deal of reassurance from the doctor.

If the doctor believes that the bed wetting is serious enough to warrant treatment there are a number of different ones that can be tried. Behavior modification and the use of moisture alarms are two of the most commonly used therapies. They both are deemed safe and have high success rates with low percentages for relapses. There is also motivational therapy and bladder training exercises as well as a variety of medications that can be used. Two of the most commonly used drugs for bed wetting are desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) and imipramine. Psychotherapy is another treatment option and in rare cases, allergies can bring about bed wetting and therefore call for a change in diet.

Get in touch with your doctor if your child suddenly begins wetting the bed for reasons unbeknownst to you and also if your child starts wetting their pants throughout the daytime, complains of abdominal pain and/or experiences a feeling of burning when he or she goes to the toilet.

What are Anticholinergics?

Anticholinergic drugs “slow the activity of the stomach and intestinal tract, thus reducing the likelihood of cramping and also reducing acid secretion.” This drug also decreases or completely stops contractions occurring in the bladder and the ability of the bladder to work to its optimum best is increased. Anticholinergics often are sold under the names oxybutynin (Ditropan) and hyosyamine (Levsinex). Anticholinergics are best prescribed for youngsters who either the doctor has deemed as having a small capacity for the bladder to work or else children who due to bladder contractions throughout the daytime hours, suffer from incontinence. There is a beneficial formula that can be used to estimate what a normal or average volume in regards to the bladder is in kids. This formula is simply the child’s age plus two and this will equal the ounces in urine.

Anticholinergics are not the best choice for children who wet their bed at night on an occasional basis but instead for those who wet the bed at night and those who have problems with wetting in the daytime (otherwise known as incontinence). In some cases there are children who fail to gain results from taking desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) in regards to bed wetting therefore their doctors decide to try them on a trial basis on both DDAVP and an anticholinergic. The most common scenario for this is a child who has bladder capacity that is limited in regards to other children. The combination of these two drugs works for some kids and not others. The way the two drugs work in concert is that the DDAVP decreases the amount of urine that the child voids in the night while the anticholinergic increases the amount of urine that the bladder is able to hold. By working together, the two drugs help prevent nocturnal enuresis by disallowing the bladder to become too full throughout a child’s sleeping hours.

For children who have daytime voiding problems and who are six years or older, the anticholinergic prescribed is usually oxybutynin (Ditropan XL) and it is to be taken once a day only. Another kind of anticholinergic known as hyoscamine is available as a capsule and it has a long acting capacity. Hyosyamine needs to be administered twice a day except for children who just have problems with isolated bed wetting and in that case it is taken only once a day, before bedtime.

Anticholinergics do have a few side effects that parents and their children must be aware of. Flushing of the face and dry mouth are the two most common symptoms. It is best to not spend too much time in the direct sunlight while taking this drug as it can cause facial flushing to be worse. In the unfortunate case of an overdose of an anticholinergic, hallucinations and blurred vision can result.

The most recent anticholinergic to appear on the market is called tolterodine (Detrol) and this one is believed to be the safest of them all as well as to exhibit the least possibility of side effects. Detrol is more particular when it comes to how it goes to work on the functioning of the bladder. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to give its seal of approval for this medication to be used in children under the age of twelve years.

What Parents Should Know About Bed Wetting

It is important for parents to be aware that children who wet their bed do not do it on purpose. They are not bad kids, dirty kids or lazy kids. The majority of children begin to develop nighttime bladder control around the age of three but for some children it takes longer. It is important to be aware that from a medical point of view, bed wetting is a symptom of something else and not a disease in and of itself. As well bed wetting is a common problem among children. It is estimated that 5 to 7,ooo, ooo children wet their beds on a regular basis.

There are some basic facts about bed wetting that parents should be aware of. First of all approximately fifteen to thirty percent of children wet their beds at night past the age of three and four. Bed wetting is a great deal more common in boys than it is in girls. Bed wetting has been found to run in families, so if you did it when you were young or one of your parents did, then there is a very likely probability that so will your child. Bed wetting usually has ended by the time a child enters puberty however three percent of children still wet their beds at age twelve and approximately one percent due at age eighteen. Bed wetting is rarely a sign of deep emotional or psychological problems.

In most cases bed wetting is simply caused by a child’s “bladder control being slower than normal.” It also may be linked to the central nervous system and a “slow maturation” of the nerves and muscles that send the message to the brain that the bladder is full and the child needs to be awakened to empty it. In some cases bed wetting occurs alongside sleep disorders such as nigh terrors and sleepwalking. In some cases it also accompanies snoring and sleep apnea. Occasionally but not often is the problem a physical one. In general only one to two percent of children who wet their beds are suffering from a bladder infection. However if this is the case it is important to take them to the doctor so antibiotics can be prescribed to get rid of the infection.

Bed wetting is broken down into primary enuresis and secondary enuresis. What has been described so far would be primary enuresis. Secondary enuresis is when bed wetting has ended but then starts up again in relation to stress that has materialized in a child’s life.

As a parent it is important to be supportive and to reassure your children that he or she is perfectly normal and that the bed wetting problem will pass. Always be patient with your child and never get angry and/or punish him or her for behavior the child cannot control. Parents can help their child by making sure their child does not consume too many liquids before bedtime. As well liquids with caffeine in them should be avoided as much as possible. Encourage your child to use the bathroom before they go to bed at night and then if need be, wake them in the night to inquire if they need to go again. It is also important to praise your child on the mornings they awaken and have not wet their bed at all.

What Causes Bed Wetting?

Medical professionals have not been able to isolate any one specific reason for bed wetting and instead attribute it to more than one factor. It is considered widespread among children who are six years of age and younger. It is estimated that on average fifteen percent of six year olds wet their bed on a regular basis while approximately five percent of ten year olds do. The ability to control one’s bladder during the daytime usually develops first and the ability to do so during the night comes later. Most doctors do not believe that children who suffer from this problem have any serious medical and/or deep-seated psychological problems in relation to children who are not bed wetters.

Bed wetting can be broken down into two categories- primary nocturnal enuresis and secondary nocturnal enuresis. Primary nocturnal enuresis (which is often abbreviated to PNE) means that a child has mastered bladder control during their waking hours but for a period of at least six months has experienced consistent episodes of bed wetting and it has developed into a chronic problem. On the other hand, secondary nocturnal enuresis (SNE) means that the person has developed control over their bladder functions during their nighttime sleeping hours for a period of at least six months but then starts experiencing problems with bed wetting again.

There are believed to be a number of causes for primary nocturnal enuresis. There appears to be a genetic link when it comes to bed wetting. If a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle had the same problem as a child then you are more likely to develop the problem. Many children have very deep sleeping patterns and don’t awaken when their bladder relays the message to the brain that it needs to be emptied. Some children have a central nervous system that develops slower than normal and therefore interferes with bladder functions. Some children simply have a smaller than average bladder that requires that it be emptied more often than most people’s. A bladder infection that has gone undiagnosed and untreated can also be the cause of primary nocturnal bed wetting, as can abnormalities that exist in the ureter in males and females and for boys it can sometimes be problems with their urethral valves. Children who suffer from chronic allergies, attention deficit disorder (ADD) or a variety of learning disabilities appear to have a higher incidence of bed wetting problems than do other children.
Secondary nocturnal enuresis is most often related to a build up of stress that is occurring in a child’s life at any given time. Most often once the source of stress has passed in the child’s life, the bed wetting then becomes a thing of the past. The three most common stress triggers for secondary bed wetting in children include starting school for the first time, being hospitalized or seeing a parent who must stay in the hospital for a few days and the birth of a new brother or sister. Although these events can be exciting many children are also frightened and therefore develop secondary problems as a result, thus the name, secondary nocturnal bed wetting. Problems that exist in a family can also trigger bed wetting. These problems might include abuse, neglect, and constant fighting between parents, divorce, alcoholism and financial worries.

Bed Wetting – Summer Camp worries

Should a child who wets their bed on a regular basis not be allowed to attend summer camp? Absolutely not. According to the National Kidney Foundation, approximately five to seven million children who reside in the United States are bed wetters yet still manage to enjoy the regular activities that other children engage in such as summer camp. More and more summer camps are becoming aware of how widespread this problem is and they are preparing ahead of time for it and using the utmost discretion to do so. According to one program director at a summer camp in Indiana, bed wetting is all in a day’s work and just something that the summer camp employees are taught to cope with in as sensitive a manner as possible. Besides bed wetting the other most common problem that camp counselors deal with feelings of homesickness.

Whether your child wants to attend a camp for the entire or just an overnight camp it is important for parents to try to deal with it beforehand. It is wise to first begin limiting how much fluid your child consumes before bedtime and in particular to decrease drinks that are filled with sugar and caffeine. Also encourage your child to always use the toilet before he goes to bed at night and try to make bedtime as calm and relaxing a time as possible. If your child is a deep sleeper perhaps you might want to wake him up at some point of time during the night to see if he needs to use the bathroom.

If none of these methods help a visit to the doctor should take place. A doctor will run tests to determine if your child is suffering from a physical problem such as constipation, kidney disease, a bladder infection or diabetes. If all of these problems are ruled out then one of the best treatment options to try is a bed wetting alarm (also called a moisture alarm). This special alarm is affixed to your child’s bedclothes or bed sheets and at the first drop of spilled alarm it sets off an alarm to let your child know that he must get up and go to the washroom. Moisture alarms are believed to have the highest success rates of all treatment methods.
Talking about what your child can and can’t expect to happen at camp is a good idea before he leaves for camp. Answer all of his questions as honestly and as completely as possible. Always make the staff at the camp aware of your child’s bed wetting problem before he goes. The more informed the counselors are, the better able they are to help your child. Include it on the information you fill out about your child for admission to the camp and discreetly remind a staff member when you drop your child off. It’s also a good idea to be as specific as possible in regard to instructions as limiting the child’s intake of fluid two to three hours before bedtime and so on. While it is not a requirement at all summer camps, some ask that parents send their bed wetting children with an ample supply of disposable absorbent underwear.

The Social Consequences of Bed Wetting for a Child

Bed wetting does not only affect a child physically but psychologically as well. It often puts social limitations on a child’s behavior, affects a child’s self-esteem that is in its developmental stages and can cause teasing and ridicule, both from other children as well as adults. Bed wetting often carries with it a social stigma that can hurt a child greatly.

Children who wet their beds often feel helpless and sometimes their parents struggle with this problem as well in relation to their child. Parents often feel helpless to completely keep their children at ease about bed wetting. Many children live in fear that their friends and peers will discover their bed wetting and will then tease and ostracize them from the group. They fear having no friends and always being left out. No one wants to be the only child standing alone on the playground and no one wants to be called names or laughed at.

A child’s sense of self is shaky at best when they are developing and enuresis can complicate the matter tremendously. All children want to be accepted by their peers and to have lots of friends to play with and have fun with. Being a part of the larger whole helps children grow in a happy and healthy way. All parents want this for their children, whether they wet the bed at night or not. Studies have shown that great deals of child who fall victim to bullying are children who suffer from enuresis.

Parents in turn often avoid the situation dismissing it as uncomfortable and embarrassing while they hope it will go away on its own while other times they berate and punish their child for behavior that the child cannot control. Neither response is a good one. As well parents often give into frustration over constantly having to change a child’s wet bedding and pajamas and may not want to do laundry as often as they need to in order to keep up with the problem. Many parents feel as though the bed wetting is a consequence of their poor parenting skills and they believe they are a failure because the child won’t stop wetting his or her bed. The child often feels this feeling of failure as well who then feels it even more strongly when it is magnified through a parent. Coupled with feelings of shame, confusion and anxiety the situation often gets worse instead of better until treatment is undertaken. Unfortunately in the general population there is a lot of misinformation and downright ignorance regarding bed wetting and this can cause even more stress and anxiety on both the parent and the child.

Parents should be assured that bed wetting is extremely common in children and they should schedule a visit for their child to see a doctor in order to discuss treatment options. If a child is particularly concerned with the negative social aspects of bed wetting the doctor can make suggestions in that area as well. The most successive bed wetting treatments are aimed at not just fixing the physical problem but repairing the social side of things as well.

Signs and Symptoms of Bed Wetting

There is one main symptom that lets you know that bed wetting has become a problem. It is when “involuntary urination” during a child’s sleeping hours takes place at least twice in the run of a month and sometimes more. Bed wetting is not named as such until a child is five or six years old. Those younger are not considered to be bed wetters as bed wetting is very common among those who are two, three and four years of age.

When it comes to signs and tests, a doctor will perform a thorough physical exam on a bed wetting child to determine if the problem has a physical connection. Often a urine test (or urinalysis) will be done to determine if the bed wetting is a result of the onset of diabetes, constipation, a urinary tract infection or other related bladder problems. Often bladder problems including infections are accompanies by other symptoms such as a burning sensation upon voiding, pain in the abdominal area, headaches and sometimes pain in the lower back. In some cases a doctor may recommend x-rays be done of the bladder and kidneys to see if there might be an obstruction that is causing problems. Sometimes these medical problems are accompanied by pain and sometimes they are not.

Bed wetting is defined as “recurrent, uncontrolled urination that occurs during sleep.” While both males and females can experience it, this problem is more likely to affect boys. Recent studies have shown that on average five to seven million children who are six years and older wet their beds at night but in fifteen percent of cases on an annual basis, it goes away without any type of treatment. It is estimated that twenty-six percent of four year olds wet their beds on a regular basis while that number drops to seven percent for five year olds. An estimated three percent of ten year olds wet their beds while among teenagers it is one point five percent at age fourteen and one percent at the age of eighteen. The risk of suffering from bed wetting increases for those who had a family member who also wet their bed (such as a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle) as well as those who suffer from juvenile diabetes or who have hade a succession or bladder infections in the past.
For parents the most widespread response to a bed wetting child is to punish him or her or to ignore the problem and hop it goes away. Neither one of these approaches is helpful or healthy for the parent or the bed wetting child. Studies have shown that taking the initiative and attempting to solve the problem will make it possible for the majority of children to kick the problem in eight to twelve weeks. By doing nothing, eighty-five percent of children who wet the bed in any given year will still be doing it the following year until help is sought. It is important to first determine whether your child is suffering from primary or secondary enuresis and then work from there. Your pediatrician should have plenty of information and advice to provide to you regarding help for your child.

Secondary Enuresis and the Arrival of a New Baby

When a new baby comes home it is a blessed occasion but for another child in the household it can bring on a bout of stress and anxiety that can result in a case of secondary enuresis. Older children fear that their parents will love them less or have less time for them because of the new baby. They also fear that the status quo will change in their family. Change is often a scary prospect, as they cannot see the bigger picture so they fear the worst. However many children also are very happy that they have acquired a new brother or sister but this still brings with it a measure of stress. The arrival of a new baby can cause an older child to begin wetting the bed after having been dry for a period of six months or longer or it can cause bed wetting to start all of the sudden. When bed wetting is the result of a stressful situation it is referred to as secondary enuresis.

Older children may very well love their new baby brother or sister but they still may have reservations about sharing their parents with another human being. This is especially the case for children who have been “the one and only child” for a long period of time. Not all children react the same to the arrival of a new sibling. Some are anxious and frustrated at the turn of events that they begin withdrawing or becoming passive-aggressive in their behavior and begin “acting out” in inappropriate ways. These children may become less reliable, more likely to forget things and also lazy and sloppy in their habits, thereby making it imperative for their parents to pay more attention to them and their newly acquired problems. Secondary nocturnal enuresis is a very common outlet for this stress and frustration.

According to experts, this is a stressful time for both parents of a newborn baby as well as the older sibling who fears he will lose a portion of his parents’ love and time to the new addition to the family. It is important to not scold or get angry with your child for wetting the bed at night. Pay close attention to the tone you use when addressing your child. Refrain from accusing or blaming your child and realize that he feels embarrassed and upset enough about the situation. Don’t compound the problem by making him feel ten times worse. Instead try to come up with suitable ways to rectify the problem.

Take the time to talk with your older sibling to get to the root of the problem. Explain to your child that he or she is loved no less just because a new person has entered the family. Make sure you reassure your child as many times as you need to until he or she begins to feel secure again. Tell him that he is the big brother and that he should be proud of that. Allow him to help you out with the care of the newborn as often as possible. Make him feel a part of the larger whole of the family and spend as much time with him as you possibly can.

Reacting Positively to Bed Wetting Episodes

Bed wetting is very common in children and is often a condition that children do eventually grow out of without the need for treatment. According to research done on the subject, how a parent reacts to the bed episodes can often help diffuse the situation on the positive side, or on the negative side, can make it much worse. It is important to realize that a child who experiences bed wetting on a regular basis already feels plenty of stress and anxiety about the whole situation. The worst thing a parent or caregiver can do is blame a child for bed wetting or call the child a “bad child” because of it. Parents must educate themselves first before laying blame on an innocent party.

Bed wetting is not within a child’s realm of control and since it is not an enviable state, it is not something that a child deliberately does to upset his parents or make more work for them in regard to laundry. A child does not enjoy waking up wet and cold with the smell of urine permeating their bedroom. A child does not look forward to the stern look of disapproval that will cross their parent’s face when they find out that it has been another wet night for the child.

A child’s self-esteem is in its beginning stages in childhood and it can be damaged very easily by harsh words, criticism and looks of displeasure. Remember that a parent plays an extremely significant role in a child’s early development and all children want to make their parents happy as opposed to unhappy. Every child craves approval and acceptance and not scorn and rejection. By heaping more stress on an already stressful situation, a child is likely to get into a vicious cycle that keeps going round and round and appears to have no end.

So then what is the best way to react to a bed wetting episode? Doctors agree that being empathetic, supportive and understanding is key. Tell your child that you understand that he or she is upset, embarrassed and uncomfortable about the bed wetting. Assure your child that you love him no matter what and that together you will work through the problem. Tell him that plenty of children all over the world wet their beds and that they feel exactly the same as your son does. Children feel less alone when they know that others can relate to their discomfort.

Reassure your child every time he wets his bed that he is perfectly normal and that with time the bed wetting will come to an end. Tell him that if he doesn’t naturally outgrow it that he might need to visit the doctor for some suggestions about treatment but in the end everything will turn out okay and he should not worry himself too much.

If your child wants to help you change the wet bed sheets let him do so but don’t make a huge deal about it. If he doesn’t want to then don’t make him as changing sheets should never be viewed as a form of punishment. This would only be detrimental to his development.

Say No to Punishment When it Comes to Bed Wetting

A bed wetting child does not deserve to be punished because he or she has not done anything to warrant it. When a child does something that is wrong such as hitting his or her sibling or hurting an animal or speaking inappropriately to a parent then the parent feels the need to teach the child a valuable lesson and send the message that what you did is wrong and this behavior will not be tolerated. The goal of punishment is to make sure the child never does the behavior again. Sometimes this works, other times it doesn’t.

By punishing a child for bed wetting you send the wrong message. As well he associates a problem he is having with a misdeed. He then tries to control the behavior and prevent it from happening but since bed wetting is out of a child’s control, he becomes more and more agitated and anxious about the situation. He also becomes confused as to why you keep punishing him every time he wakes in the morning to a wet bed when he knows he is doing everything to stop the behavior. Bed wetting followed by punishment often becomes a vicious cycle that just keeps on going round and round in an exhausting repetitive manner and has no end in sight.

As a parent it is important to realize that punishment will not work if it is handed out on a regular basis nor will it work if the child has done nothing wrong. What often happens in this case is that a child will come to the conclusion that you will get angry with him no matter what he does so he begins acting out in other areas such as throwing temper tantrums, screaming right back at you and being mean to others.

Questions a Pediatrician Will Ask Parent of a bed wetter

If as a parent you can answer yes to more than one of the following questions then it might be time to schedule an appointment with your child’s pediatrician to discuss options in regards to treatment for bed wetting. The questions in no specific order are:

-Is your child past the age of five or six and frequently wets the bed at night?

-Did you toilet train your child at a younger age than most? (Most doctors recommend that a parent begin potty training a child somewhere between the ages of two to three years.)

-As a child did you ever have a problem with bed wetting? Did the child’s other parent or any other family member’s that you are aware of?

-Is your child going through a particularly stressful time in his or her life right now? (such as for example the recent death of a loved one, a family crisis, problems with school or friends or the birth of a sibling)?

Upon taking your child to the doctor he will need to answer a variety of questions of the parent to arrive at what could be the source of the recurring bed wetting problem. Your doctor should discuss with you the difference between primary nocturnal enuresis and secondary nocturnal enuresis and feel free to ask about anything you do not fully comprehend.

Your doctor will explain to you that there is often a genetic link when it comes to bed wetting and he will therefore he you if there is any history of bed wetting in your family that you are aware of. This goes for both the mother and father’s side as well. If both parents were bed wetters when they were young, a child has a seven in ten chance of being one as well. If only one parent was then a child has a four in ten chance of becoming a bed wetter.

The doctor will ask about your child’s toileting habits throughout the day. How often does your child use the toilet and approximately what times of the day does he do so? The doctor may also ask about the child’s bowel movements, as constipation is sometimes a cause of bladder control problems at night.

The doctor will want to know as much as he can about the circumstances under which your child wets his bed. Is it on weekends, weekdays? Is it on certain nights or does it happen haphazardly? Does it happen on a night in which the child was very active the day before? Is the child anxious, upset or bothered by a problem when the bed wetting episodes take place?

What are your child’s habits regarding the liquids he consumes? Does the bed wetting take place on nights when he drinks a lot of water before bed? What about nights when he fills up on carbonated beverages such as soda pop, chocolate milk or citrus (such as apple or orange) juices?

Does your child suffer any discomfort or pain when he urinates? Does the urine have an unusual color (for example is it extremely dark and concentrated) or does it smell particularly bad? If yes then the doctor will probably send your child for a urine test and/or x-rays because the cause of the bed wetting could be medical.

Questions Children Need Answered About Bed Wetting

Children who suffer from bed wetting on a regular basis are admittedly bothered by the physical problem. Just as children are filled with questions about just about everything that also includes their concern over bed wetting. Let’s take a closer look at some common questions children have concerning bed wetting.

What is bed wetting?

This is one of the first questions that children need answered. The scientific or medical word for bed wetting is enuresis and it means that you pee or wet at night while you are sleeping.

When do most children stop wetting their bed at night?

Bed wetting is very common among toddlers and approximately five million youngsters in the United States continue to wet their bed at night after they have passed the age of six years. Rest assured that if you wet your bed, you are not alone in this.

Why do I wet my bed?

Be aware that you are not to blame for wetting your bed. You wet your bed at night because your brain doesn’t awaken you in time to go to the bathroom to empty your bladder. Other reasons it might occur is because your kidneys are manufacturing more urine than they do for other children and/or you might have a very small bladder that will only hold a small quantity of urine. Also bed wetting is sometimes genetically linked. In other words someone in your family might have also had the problem. Wetting the bed can also be caused by a bladder infection so your parents might want to take you to your doctor to get checked out.

Is there any help for my bed wetting?

Absolutely there is. These are not guaranteed methods to stop the habit but they can help you. First of all limit your consumption of fluids before bedtime. Drink more in the morning and afternoon than the evening. Don’t drink beverages that contain caffeine such as chocolate drinks or soda pop. Have your mom or dad wake you during the night to see if your bladder is full and if you need to use the washroom. Trying using a special bed wetting or moisture alarm. This is an alarm that fits comfortably inside your underwear and if you start to pee in the night it goes off by either vibrating or ringing, thereby alerting you to the problem. Wear disposable underwear at night to prevent too many pairs of soiled underpants and also soiled sheets.

Why should I talk to my mom and dad about my bed wetting?

Your mom and dad love you and you can trust them with your concerns. If you feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about this situation they will help reassure you and put your mind at ease.

Is there any chance that my bed wetting will not end?

It takes longer for bed wetting to end in some children then in others. However the majority of kids do outgrow it as the muscles of their bladder grow and get stronger. To use an example, there are only one or two kids out of approximately every one hundred who continue wetting their bed at night when they turn fourteen or fifteen years old.

Products to Buy for Children who suffer from Bed Wetting

If your child has problems with bed wetting there are products you can buy to make him or her feel drier and more comfortable.

For example a special bed wetting alarm is a way to help your child overcome the nightly problem whereas other products such as disposable underwear are able to absorb the urine so it does not wet or stain clothing or bed sheets and it also contains the urine odor so a child can still do all his or her normal daily social activities such as playing sports, going on field trips with his or her class and attending pajama parties or staying overnight at a friend’s house. Children who have a bed wetting problem want to be able to have a normal life like other children their age and don’t want to have to worry about the odor of urine or its leaking out on clothing, a sleeping bag or the floor. Be aware however that these problems are a stopgap measure and will not get rid of the bed wetting problem. It might be wise before you do anything else to take your child to the doctor in order to rule out physical problems as the cause of the bed wetting behavior.

There are a variety of absorbent disposable as well as reusable products that you can purchase for your child to help ensure his comfort. Diapers that absorb urine readily are available for both babies and toddlers and there are assortments of absorbent underpants that can be purchased for those in the age range of three to five years. If your child is of school age and has problems with enuresis or incontinence (which is bladder control issues during the daytime) there are absorbent disposable pants that are designed to fit his or her growing body. Many of these products can be purchased from your local pharmacy or grocery store. If you are unable to find them there then check into a local or regional medical supply company. It is quite possible that you may be able to purchase the products you need online.

Disposable products such as disposable underwear are those that are able to absorb a large quantity of urine all at once and then can be sufficiently gotten rid of in the garbage. Disposable products come in handy when you are traveling or when your child wants to spend the night with a friend. Disposable products are very convenient as they can just be removed and thrown away once they become wet, unlike regular underwear that must be washed. This cuts down on the amount of laundry that needs to be done to keep up with a child’s bed wetting habits. However it can also become expensive if you need to buy disposable products on a regular basis. It is important to bear in mind that just like sanitary pads, disposable underwear cannot be flushed down the toilet but instead must be “disposed” of in a proper garbage receptacle.

Reusable products are just that, underpants that can be used a number of times and like regular underwear, can be washed and then worn again. You can buy your child either one-piece briefs or two piece briefs. The former is geared for “low volume bed wetting” while the latter is best for “high volume nighttime wetting” as it comes complete with a waterproof and absorbent cotton liner built into the underwear.

Pre-teens, Teenagers, and Bedwetting

A small number of pre-teens and teens still wet the bed, and for these children, the problem can be quite upsetting. Since far few children in this age group wet the bed, Enuresis can be especially isolating for this age group.

Also, children at this age worry especially often about image and external appearance – what others think of them matters more, which can make a problem like bedwetting seem like a much greater concern. Pre-teens and teenagers are also more likely to be taking part in activities – such as dating and overnight trips – which are more affected by Enuresis. There are a few tips that apply specifically to pre-teens and teens who wet the bed:

Seek medical help aggressively.

By this stage, you should look for medical treatment aggressively, as it is clear that the old adage of “wait until he or she grows out of it” may not work in this case. Have a doctor do a full physical, and seek help from an urologist to find any medical conditions. If all seems well, then ask for tests to be run for rarer diseases. Then, seek a second opinion.

Keep an eye out for symptoms of trouble.

Teenagers and pre-teens may simply have a harder time dealing with bedwetting. The body or self image of children in this age group is still developing, and something like bedwetting can affect self-esteem and self-image considerably.

At the same time, children in this age group tend to have more mobility and tend to be away from parental controls. Parents may not notice signs of problems until too late.

Parents will want to keep an eye out for:

•Signs of “acting out” – Older children may have access to drugs, alcohol, and other self-destructive habits (sex, stealing, cheating) that can become dangerous very quickly. Don’t let a small problem become a big one.

•Signs of a poor body image – Older children who feel as though their bodies are acting against them may feel uncomfortable in their bodies. This can lead to serious conditions such as anorexia and bulimia. Do not let your older child’s bedwetting become a serious body problem

•Signs of depression or emotional upset – Signs such as loss of appetite, loss of interest in regular activities, and severe problems with sleep, school, and peers often indicates an emotional upset that needs to be handled.

•Drops in school marks – At the teen and pre-teen levels, school is very important as grades begin to count towards university acceptance and other life-altering events such as that. Any drops in grades could affect your child’s future.

Physiology of Bed Wetting

The way in which a child’s bladder develops and matures is dependent on three specific things and each of these must take place at the same time. The three things include the development of what is considered to be “normal bladder capacity”, the development and proper maturation of the urethra and sphincter muscle and the development of both the brain and the neural pathways that connect it in regards to the control of voluntary urination.

It is important to remember that everyone upon being born is incontinent. In other words the bladder of a baby empties on an involuntary basis according to the quantity of urine in the bladder at any given time and other stimuli. As a baby grows into an infant the “bladder control center” that is to be found in the brain begins to develop as does the muscles in his bladder and his pelvic nerves. It is a gradual process that takes longer for some children to master than others and also goes along more smoothly for some than others but eventually bladder control becomes a voluntary instead of an involuntary function. The bladder capacity of an individual “increases one ounce (30 ml) each year during the first eight years of life.” Females tend to have a bigger capacity for urine volume than do males.

Bladder control during the daytime comes first and then comes nighttime control. Daytime bladder control is easier to achieve because the person is awake and alert and is able to answer the call of their bladder. On average a child is able to gain control of his or her bladder control in the daytime by the time he is two or three years old. Bladder control at night happens closer to the age of four, and sometimes five in some children. Girls have a tendency to become successfully trained in using the toilet earlier than boys do. Boys also tend to experience bed wetting at night more than girls do.

Bed wetting before the age of five or six is generally not considered a problem as it is very common and not all children are able to achieve bladder control at night at the same period of time. As previously mentioned daytime control usually comes first and sometimes nighttime control takes a while to become successful. After the age of six is bed wetting is present most of the time it is due to a bladder that has not fully matured. In this case time and patience are the best antidotes. The pathways of nerves that link the bladder and the brain need to develop and the fact is that some children simply have smaller bladders that can accommodate less urine then other children. Sometimes bed wetting is the result of a child who sleeps so soundly that they aren’t able to tune into the message that the brain is sending for them to wake up and empty their bladder. Bed wetting can be, but is not often, related to a physical problem such as a bladder infection or diabetes. If bed wetting continues or occurs with increasing frequency past the age of six it is wise to take your child to the doctor for an examination.

Myths and Facts about Bed Wetting

There are many myths surrounding bed wetting. Let’s take a look at them and then dispel the fallacies with the truth.

Myth- Children who wet the bed are lazy.

Fact- Laziness has nothing whatsoever to do with bed wetting. Bed wetting is an involuntary problem. Many bed wetters are very deep sleepers who do not awaken when their brain receives the message that their bladder needs to be emptied. It can greatly affects a child’s self esteem to be called lazy because of bed wetting.

Myth- Consuming too many liquids before bedtime can cause bedwetting.

Fact- It is a good idea to limit the amount of liquids a child consumes before bedtime, in particular those full of caffeine. However this alone is not alone as consuming too many fluids is not the cause of bed wetting.

Myth- Bedwetters are children with deep-seated emotional or psychological problems.

Fact- This is very rarely the case. Bedwetters are normal, healthy children who have not yet developed nighttime bladder control. However psychological problems can result due to the bed wetting. This behavior can cause a child humiliation and can wreck havoc on one’s level of self-esteem. There is a form of bed wetting known as secondary enuresis whereby a child who is having emotional issues such as problems at school; the death of a family member, etc. may begin wetting their bed due to the stressful situation.

Myth- Putting diapers or disposable underpants on a bedwetting child will only prolong the bedwetting habit.

Fact- Diapers or disposable underwear will not prolong bedwetting but are instead a way to assure that a child does not wake up in the morning feeling both wet and cold. This is also a way to cut down on the amount of laundry that needs to be done on a regular basis and will prevent sheets from having to be changed during the course of the night. Wearing disposable underwear is for the comfort of the bed wetter and has no effect on when the behavior will be over.

Other bedwetting facts worth being aware of:

• Bed wetting seems to have a genetic connection. Studies have proven that three out of every four bedwetters came from a family where there was a history of it.
• Most children outgrow the deep sleep that causes them to not be aware of the “internal signal to urinate.”
• Some children who are bedwetters have a bladder that is not “anatomically smaller” than other people but is instead “functionally smaller.” What this means is that they are not aware that their bladder is full and needs to be emptied until after there has been an accident.
• Some children who wet their beds “produce insufficient amounts of the hormone that tells the kidneys to make less urine while they sleep; as a result their bodies make more urine.”

Although it is not terribly common, there are medical problems that can cause bed wetting. Some of these problems include bladder infections, diabetes, constipation and spinal cord abnormalities. Of these conditions constipation is the most common medical reasons for bed wetting to develop.

Making a Comparison Between Bed Wetting and Riding a Bicycle

It is generally considered by physicians that bed wetting is not a problem until it begins to take place on a more or less consistent basis in girls who are five years or older and boys who are six years and older. Boys tend to be developmentally slower in more areas than girls and this includes both daytime and nighttime bladder functions as well.

Often children who have dry beds for weeks or months on end and then begin bed wetting either have a medical problem such as a kidney infection, a bladder infection or the onset of juvenile diabetes or else they are suffering from severe stress that has brought it on. The latter is often referred to as secondary enuresis. If an illness is the cause of the bed wetting the emphasis has to be on proper treatment. However children who always have wet beds are not likely to have a physical oriented problem. It is more likely that they simply need to learn how to control their bladders.

Remaining dry all nightlong can be compared to learning to ride a bicycle. Some find it a simple skill to learn while others have a more difficult time mastering it. Learning to ride a bike is similar to nighttime bladder control because both are learned skills. When it comes to learning to ride a bicycle, the brain has to become attuned to the nuances of balance and it has to learn to shift and correct the body’s position as it moves about on the bike. At the same time the brain has to remember to watch for pedestrians and traffic, avoid bumps in the road as well as potholes and it has to make sure the feet using the pedals are in sync with the action of the brain.

When it comes to both sleeping and waking up dry in the morning, the brain has to be aware of when the bladder is full to capacity with urine and its response must be one of two things- it either must send a message to the brain that the child must be woken up immediately in order to urinate or it must squeeze and close off the urethra in order to keep the urine in place until the person is fully awake and can let the pee out of the body. All of these messages between the bladder and the brain must take place while a child is asleep in his bed. Both learning to master the skills that can enable you to ride a bike as well as learning to remain dry all night long seem almost impossible until you actually do. After that both bike riding and nighttime bladder control get easier.

This analogy works well for children who suffer from the angst of bed wetting. A child who admits with pride to having effectively learned to ride a two-wheeler can see the correlation between that and learning to stay dry. It is all a matter of learning how to do it and then to keep on doing the learned behavior properly.

Breast feeding & bed wetting

Bed wetting is a problem that affects millions of children throughout the world. Everyone is a bed wetter at some point, and getting over the problem is easier for some than others. In this article, we’ll relay some information that has been recently published in various news sources that relate to the topic of bed wetting.

A study was conducted that examined the differences in bed wetting behavior amongst both children that were breast fed as a child and children that were not breast fed. Conducted by Robert Wood Johnson Medical School located in Brunswick, New Jersey, the study examined 55 children who wet the bed and were between the ages of 5 and 13. 117 children who were not bed wetters were also included in the study to act as a control group.

The researchers conducting the study predicted that since bed wetting may be the result of delayed neurodevelopment in children, breast milk may help to prevent bed wetting. The results showed that only 45 percent of the bed wetters were breast fed as a child. Also, 81 percent of the control group who never wet their beds were breast fed as a child. The researchers conducting the study argue that this is conclusive proof that breast feeding does have a positive effect when it comes to warding off bed wetting in children. This research is of note considering that bed wetting is a problem to some 5 million children. It is a sleeping disorder that can cause immense shame and low self esteem to the sufferer, as well as causing damage to sheets and beds. Any research that works in the way of helping to prevent bed wetting should be heralded as great news.

A separate study was conducted in Hong Kong regarding the likelihood of bed wetting when it comes to adolescents. Since adolescents are better able to hide the symptoms of bed wetting than children, it’s tough to get actual statistics in the respect of how many teenagers actually wet the bed. The Hong Kong study consisted of a questionnaire given to 16,500 children between ages 5 and 19. The results showed that approximately 1 in 50 teenagers still wet the bed. That is a relatively high number, considering that after age 5, a child’s likelihood of spontaneously quitting bed-wetting is about 15 percent per year. The numbers wane as the child grows older, and it was thought to be of little worries to a teenager. Dr. Chung Yeung, the researcher helming the project, stated that if the teenagers with bed wetting problems do not seek treatment, they may well carry their problem with them throughout their adult lives. For that reason, it’s important that you visit a doctor to address your bed wetting problem if you are still experiencing bed wetting problems well into adolescence. There are many different reasons that one may have a bed wetting problem, and a medical diagnosis can go a long way in helping you to recover from your problem.

Secondary Enuresis

Secondary enuresis or secondary nocturnal enuresis (SNE) is when an individual has maintained proper control over their bladder during the night time hours for a consecutive period of six months and then the bed wetting problem starts again. Secondary enuresis is very common in young children but can affect teenagers and adults as well. Very rarely is the cause of secondary enuresis (or secondary bed wetting) a physical problem, more often then not it is related to a psychological stressor. Once the period of stress or the stressful situation or event has come and gone usually the bed wetting disappears as well.

The three most common psychological stress triggers for children include beginning school, the birth of a new baby in the family and needing to spend a few days in the hospital without mommy and daddy in the next room. While the first two events can also be exciting to the child, many find them frightening prospects and worry about how their life will change as a result. Many other types of circumstances in a child’s life can also bring on secondary enuresis. These include problems with schoolwork, problems with a teacher or a bullying situation, abuse or neglect at home (or seeing the abuse of another family member or a pet), divorce, financial pressures, alcoholism, constant fighting between spouses or between a parent and a child, fear over an upcoming test, school project, field trip, etc.

Regardless of whether this happens to a child or an adult if there is complete nighttime bladder control for a six-month period and then bed wetting begins, whether it be every night or even once or twice a week, it should not be ignored or brushed aside. If left unchecked and if it becomes ongoing, bed wetting can lead to sleep patterns that are disrupted which can then lead to serious sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation in turn ushers in a host of both physical and psychological concerns for an individual. Not to mention the fact that bed wetting can become a social oriented problem if you live with other people. As well bed wetting on a fairly regular basis necessitates the washing machine being used a great deal to keep up with the soiled bedding and pijamas.

It is a good idea to schedule a visit to the doctor and have a thorough medical exam to rule out any physical problems for the cause of secondary enuresis such as a urinary tract infection. If that is not the problem then ask yourself if you are getting enough sleep every night. If you go to sleep at approximately the same hour every night and you always get seven to eight hours sleep a night then it is much easier to keep your bladder in check at night. When it comes to adults in particular, altering sleep patterns can bring on secondary enuresis.

Stress is a very common trigger as well. If you have recently suffered the death of a loved one, lost a job or are experiencing financial worries this could cause unwanted stress and your body chooses to express the anxiety by a lack of bladder control at night. For children the stress could result from worries about schoolwork, an argument with a friend and family problems such as divorce, alcoholism or abuse.

Primary Enuresis

Primary enuresis or primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) is when a child has easily developed the ability to control their bladder during the daytime but still after a six month period cannot control their bladder at nigh while they sleep. Bed wetting affects approximately five to seven million children every year, more of these boys than girls. Primary enuresis is particularly common in children who are six years and younger and in most cases it is something that children will outgrow. Studies have shown that approximately every fifteen out of one hundred children who are chronic bed wetters simply stop doing the behavior and do not require a visit to the doctors or any form of treatment whatsoever.

Most children who suffer from this chronic problem are embarrassed and troubled by it. It is important to reassure children who suffer from this chronic problem that this is a problem that will go away in time. Also make your child aware that bed wetting does not mean that he or she is strange or abnormal in any way, not physically and not psychologically. For some children it is a natural part of their development and bladder control is not achieved at the same age for every child.

Be aware that primary enuresis is often believed to happen for one of two reasons. First the child has an immature bladder either in a physical sense or a neurological one and secondly, the child falls into a very deep sleep and is unaware that the bladder has sent a message to the brain that it is full and needs to be emptied. As well primary enuresis is believed to have a genetic link and may not be something a person can help.

Primary enuresis or primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) is when a child has easily developed the ability to control their bladder during the daytime but still after a six month period cannot control their bladder at nigh while they sleep. Bed wetting affects approximately five to seven million children every year, more of these boys than girls. Primary enuresis is particularly common in children who are six years and younger and in most cases it is something that children will outgrow. Studies have shown that approximately every fifteen out of one hundred children who are chronic bed wetters simply stop doing the behavior and do not require a visit to the doctors or any form of treatment whatsoever.

Most children who suffer from this chronic problem are embarrassed and troubled by it. It is important to reassure children who suffer from this chronic problem that this is a problem that will go away in time. Also make your child aware that bed wetting does not mean that he or she is strange or abnormal in any way, not physically and not psychologically. For some children it is a natural part of their development and bladder control is not achieved at the same age for every child.

Be aware that primary enuresis is often believed to happen for one of two reasons. First the child has an immature bladder either in a physical sense or a neurological one and secondly, the child falls into a very deep sleep and is unaware that the bladder has sent a message to the brain that it is full and needs to be emptied. As well primary enuresis is believed to have a genetic link and may not be something a person can help.

Preparing the Bed of a Bed Wetter

Whether your child suffers from primary enuresis or secondary enuresis, it is important to take measures to make sure your child will be as comfortable when he goes to bed as night. One way to do this is to prepare his bedroom so it is as ready for a bed wetting episode as can be. This will help put both the bed wetting child’s mind at ease as well as the parent(s).

It is a good idea to buy a protective mattress cover and place it over the mattress to protect it from the potential of bed wetting accidents. Mattress covers can be found in the bedding department of any department store and don’t cost too much. It is best to buy a heavy cover that is made of plastic. In case of accident not only will this ensure that the urine does not seep into the mattress but also it decreases the chance of odor.

Suggest that your child wear extra-thick underwear or pajamas to bed. Not only will this help the child from feeling wet and cold in the morning it will also means that in case of an accident less urine will go all over the sheets. This also provides an extra measure of security for a child and can help boost lagging self-esteem. However make sure to not buy your children extra-thick nightwear that is too tight or scratchy and during the hot nights of summer the child will probably not want to wear pajamas or underwear that is extra think in its construction!

Diapers should become a thing of the past for children who are past the age of four, even if they are regular bed wetters. Diapers are likely to wreck havoc with your child’s self-esteem and also to thwart their motivation to end bed wetting. Instead opt for disposable absorbent underpants such as Goodnites that are specifically designed for bed wetting children.

Always encourage your child to use the toilet before he crawls into his bed at night and limit his fluids at least two to three hours before bedtime. Also decrease his intake of sugary drinks that contain a lot of caffeine. Sugary drinks include many types of juice and drinks filled with caffeine include soda pop, tea and chocolate milk.

Place an extra pair of pajama bottoms and/or an extra pair of underwear near your child’s bed at night so in case of an accident he can quickly change before going back to sleep. It also would be a good idea to tell him if he should simply cover over the wet spot in his bed with a towel or wake you to change his sheets. If it were the latter, it would be wise to have a change of sheets in close proximity.

Awaken your child at some point in the night to see if he needs to urinate. If your child is old enough to do so, have him set his alarm clock to awaken him at a certain hour so he can empty his bladder if need be.

Always praise and reward your child for dry nights and never give in to the desire to blame, ridicule or punish your child for behavior that is beyond his control.

Imipramine

Imipramine, which is sold under the names Tofranil, Antideprin and Janimine, is a tricyclic antidepressant that is used to treat both nocturnal enuresis as well as clinical depression. This drug, under the name Tofranil, was the very first medication that was ever used to treat the problem of wetting the bed at night. This drug first appeared on the market in the late 1950’s and was used for depression before it came to be used for enuresis. This drug is not used as much today as it was in past years but is sometimes used as a back up for depression when other treatments fail to bring about the desired results. In limited quantities it has also been used to treat migraine headaches, post concussive syndrome and attention deficit disorder (ADD). As well in hospitals it is sometimes given to patients who suffer chronic pain or who are in the middle of a panic attack.

The purpose of this drug in regards to bed wetting is that it supports a child in having a restful and peaceful sleep during the night. It also helps to encourage the strength and smoothness of the bladder muscles in retaining urine throughout the night. Research studies have borne out the result that only approximately thirty percent of children who are prescribed this medication are actually helped by it. Relapse is very common once the drug is stopped. This medication can be dangerous for children under six years of age and is therefore only prescribed for those who are older than six.

Imipramine is available in both capsule and tablet form but can cause a number of side effects and therefore needs to be closely monitored by a patient’s doctor. Some of the side effects it is known to cause include dry mouth, tremors, constipation, insomnia, drowsiness, excessive perspiration, a flushed complexion, weight gain, anxiety, irritability, moodiness and loss of appetite. Sometimes this drug is prescribed for elderly people with bed wetting problems and they can suffer serious side effects as well. In the elderly the most common side effects which should be closely monitored by a health expert include confusion, delirium, agitation, and irritability.

In child patients this drug is usually started with a dose of ten milligrams daily and from there it is adjusted according to how the patient is reacting to it. If there are side effects noted then the dose with be altered and/or the drug will be discontinued all together. The weight of a patient is also taken into account at the time the drug is first administered.

In regards to bed wetting, Imipramine is safe in most cases but as previously mentioned due to its potential side effects, must be closely monitored by a doctor. If doctor supervision on a regular basis is not available, this drug should be passed over for another treatment option. This drug is reasonably priced and should be covered by most health plans. It is always a good idea to check with your insurance company before committing to any medical drug treatment. Your doctor should be able to answer any and all questions you have regarding this form of medication.

Helping to address your child’s bedwetting problem

Bed wetting, or nocturnal enuresis as it is known in the medical community, can be a traumatic problem for both children and adults alike. It is a sensitive topic that is often considered taboo, and one needs to exercise extreme caution when talking to their child about a bed wetting problem. As a parent, it can be tough to determine what you should and shouldn’t say to your child about bed wetting. In this article, we’ll address some of the commonly used techniques of talking to children about bed wetting.

Bed wetting affects approximately forty percent of all children that are three years old, and roughly five million children that are over age five. While the problem usually disappears on its own, there are some things to consider when helping your child to get through the problem. Children can be very embarrassed about their bed wetting problem, but it’s important to discuss the issue so that you can have a clear line of communication when it comes to solving the problem. One important thing to note is to tell your child that it is not their fault that they wet the bed. When parents attack their children with harsh words, they may be doing more harm than good when trying to help bed wetting. Telling your child that they are not causing the problem can go a long way when it comes to discussing their bed wetting more openly with you. If you wet the bed while you were a child, you should let your son or daughter know. This can ease much of the shame and the anxiety that is sometimes a factor in bed wetting. Also, telling your child that bed wetting is a natural process that everyone goes through to some degree may help them to ease their feelings of guilt.

One approach that parents often use with some success is to tell their child to mentally visualize a night without wetting the bed. While this approach is only of some efficiency, it can help. Another thing to consider is whether or not any anxiety-inducing events may have occurred recently. If you feel that some change in your life may be affecting your child’s level of anxiety, you may want to speak to a pediatrician to discuss ways of solving the anxiety-inducing problem.

The best way to approach a problem with your child regarding bed wetting is to let them know as much as you can about the problem while providing a capacity of warmth and love. This approach is generally agreed upon by physicians and psychologists alike when it comes to aiding the problem. If your child’s bed wetting becomes a big problem, consulting a doctor may be a good idea. Hormonal changes in the body can cause bed wetting, and there are medical solutions to the problem. Bed wetting alarms are also often used when treating the problem, which respond to any moisture on the bed with an alarm, waking the child up and creating some degree of behavioral conditioning.

Ways to Manage Bed Wetting

As a child’s body grows and his ability to control his bladder functions at night matures, bed wetting is likely to decrease. Most children who suffer from bed wetting outgrow it before their preteen years and if not, then by the time they enter their teenage years. It is estimated that only one in every one hundred adults suffers from the chronic problem of bed wetting. However until bed wetting becomes ac thing of the past it is important to be supportive of a child who wets the bed. Be sensitive to your child’s concerns and reassure him or her whenever they wish to talk about the problem. Many children are anxious, embarrassed and frightened that their friends will find out that they wet their beds and they will then become the object of ridicule.

Make sure your child knows that it is not anything he or she does that causes the bed wetting and that in time it will go away. Do not get angry with your child for wetting his or her bed and do not make too big a deal of it, otherwise it is likely to affect your child’s self esteem. Don’t allow other siblings to laugh at or tease the bedwetting child about his or her problem or this could make the problem seem worse than it is.

Help manage bed wetting by encouraging your child to not drink a lot of liquids before he goes to bed and to always go to the toilet before turning in for the night. Place a plastic or rubber cover, also known as a sheet protector between the fitted sheet and the mattress of your child’s bed. This helps keep the bed as unaffected by the bed wetting as possible by preventing the wet from being absorbed and also by preventing odor from sinking in and smelling the bed up.

If your child wants to help you change his sheets when he wets the bed then let him do so. This teaches both a sense of responsibility and also may bring some small comfort by deflecting his embarrassment at the situation.

Some doctors suggest bladder-stretching exercises as a way to manage bed wetting. What this means is that during the daytime hours your child stretches out the times when he uses the bathroom in order to encourage the bladder to be able to hold in more urine for longer periods of time. This is believed to help strengthen the bladder muscles. If you decided to go this route, make sure you carefully follow the instructions laid down by your doctor.

If a child is still wetting the bed upon reaching age seven or eight a special bed wetting alarm might be in order. Upon being aware of the presence of urine, this alarm will make the child aware that he must awaken and go to the bathroom. This helps prevent only the smallest quantity of urine from being spilled onto a child’s bedclothes and sheets. It is essential that the alarm be reset before the child goes back to bed in case the problem begins again in the night.

Bed Wetting Strategies for parents

The way a parent reacts to a bed wetting child can often make or break a delicate situation. Parents play a critical role in their child’s acquisition of self-esteem and it is important to keep in mind that during childhood an individual’s self-esteem is just beginning to develop and is very vulnerable. There are a multitude of treatment plans that can be put to use to help a case of bed wetting. It is important to speak with the child’s doctor and together to form an appropriate course of treatment. There are both behavioral techniques as well as medical treatments that can be undertaken and sometimes more than one can be used in conjunction.

There are helpful strategies that parents can put into play to encourage positive interaction with their child while he is going through this difficult period. It is important to always be positive and upbeat and to not get angry or punish your child for wetting his bed. Parents often scold their child because they don’t completely understand the bed wetting situation and feel annoyed and helpless to improve the set of circumstances for the child. Remember that bed wetting has nothing to do with a child who deliberately is trying to be bad nor does it reflect any way on a person’s ability to parent a child. Children feel embarrassed enough that they wet their bed at night, and don’t need to be humiliated further by their parents. Many doctors believe that belittle a bed wetting child, getting angry at them or making them feel inadequate can cause shaky self-esteem to be on even shakier ground. Sometimes punishing a child can lead to other problems such as wetting their pants during the daytime.

If there is more than one child in the home teasing can very likely take place. This is especially the case if the child who wets the bed is older and the younger sibling has achieved nighttime bladder control. It can also be more of a problem in the children share a room as the non-wetting child can be bothered by odor or can be constantly awakened by the parent coming into the room to check on the bed wetting sibling during the night, etc. Damage control may be in order if your bed wetting child is being ridiculed, teased and called mean names by the other child. It is important to institute a “no teasing” rule in the family. Take the time to explain to the other sibling that the child who wets the bed does not do it deliberately and that it will go away in time. If there is a family history of bed wetting, for example if mom or dad did it when they were young making both siblings aware of it might go a long way in fostering support and understanding. It might help the bed wetting child somewhat to wear disposable absorbent underpants so that he feels less shame and embarrassment and is drier more often.

Don’t make a huge deal out of bed wetting. Making a mountain out of a molehill can compound the problem and can wreck even more havoc with your child’s self-esteem.

It is so important that parents do not make a huge deal out of bed wetting. The more of an issue a parent makes it, the worse the bed wetting child will feel. It will also convey negative feelings to other siblings who might then in turn treat their brother or sister differently. Most doctors recommend that parents understand and also make sure their child understands that bed wetting is not the fault of the individual and that with time, patience and understanding it will come to an end. Children need to know that they will very likely grow out of the behavior and that bed wetting is most often caused by a bladder that has not fully yet fully developed. Try to be as patient, supportive and understanding of your child as possible as he is likely to be filled with a plethora of negative emotions including fear, anxiety, insecurity and confusion.

Although there are medications such as Desmopressin Acetate (DDAVP) and Imipramine (Tofranil) that can be prescribed for bed wetting it is wise to first try other treatment options. First try limiting your child’s intake of fluids before bedtime and waking your child up in the night to see if he has to use the bathroom. If that doesn’t work then you might want to try bladder training exercises, behavior modification, a bed wetting alarm or psychotherapy. Although they have not been proven to work conclusively, alternative therapies such as massage, hypnosis and herbal remedies can be undertaken as well. It is best to use alternative methods in conjunction with more traditional remedies and not by themselves.

There is another reason why medication should be used as a last resort and that is because of the potential side effects that accompany them. Some of the most common side effects of bed wetting include headache, nausea, chills, dizziness and constipation. Other side effects that are less common but are more serious include high blood pressure, shortness of breath, seizures and the potential for a heart attack.

No matter which treatment method you decide to try for your bed wetting child try to remain as calm as possible and be as sensitive to your child’s needs as possible. He or she is frightened and anxious and needs your love and support and not your criticism or scorn. It is a good idea to always keep your child’s doctor abreast of the situation. Always have a back up treatment plan in mind if the first one you try fails to work effectively.

Good News About Bed Wetting

All news about bed wetting is not bad. Although bed wetting is very common among children, almost all children who wet their beds on a regular basis do stop eventually. Some stop on their own without needing any type of treatment while others may try a couple of different treatments before finding the one that is successful for them. If you wet your bed or if you know someone who does, realize that there is nothing abnormal or weird about you. You have no serious physical or mental problem. In fact no one really knows exactly why some people experience bed wetting and others do not. It usually has nothing to do with your body functioning improperly or problems with your thoughts or your feelings. It is important to surround yourself with people who love you and understand what you are going through. Also it is good to be able to openly communicate with those you trust about this embarrassing problem. Do not allow yourself to get so discouraged that you stop enjoying your life and/or allow it to damage your self-esteem.

It cannot be emphasized enough- bed wetting is an unfortunate set of circumstances that often starts for no obvious reason but also ends all of the sudden with little if any outside intervention needed. Research studies have shown that in any given year approximately fifteen out of one hundred children just stop wetting their beds without the need for treatment or even a visit to the doctor. However in most cases it probably is a good idea to talk openly and honestly with your parents about this problem and then to go see your doctor just so he can help put your mind at ease and also rule out any physical problems such as a urinary tract infection or constipation.

When you go to see the doctor he or she is going to want to examine you and maybe even send you for a few tests. As well he will ask you questions about your bed wetting episodes in order to form a clearer picture of the problem you are experiencing. Try not to feel too embarrassed and keep in mind that your doctor sees a lot of children all of the time and many of then are likely to have the same problems as you. Be as honest and as clear in your answers as possible and feel free to ask the doctor questions about your condition as well. He or she is very likely to understand your anxiety and will want to make you as comfortable and relaxed as possible.

There is more good news. Although you cannot cure it completely by changing your routine or behavior, there are ways to help keep yourself as dry as possible during the night. First of all don’t drink any beverages within a window of two to three hours before bedtime and in particular avoid drinks that contain caffeine such as chocolate drinks and colas. Always go the bathroom before you go to bed, and if you feel the urge to urinate as you are slipping off to sleep then by all means throw off your covers and get yourself into the bathroom before you have an accident.

General Points to Remember About Bed Wetting

Most children begin the gradual process of potty training when they are somewhere between the ages of two and three. Before those ages bladder control is largely involuntary. Daytime bladder control is simpler to achieve and therefore tends to occur earlier in a child’s life than does nighttime bladder control. Some children master both day and nighttime bladder control quicker and easier than other children. This has nothing to do with intelligence at all. Bladder control function only becomes to be within a child’s voluntary control when they reach five or six years old.

Bed wetting before age six is not viewed as a problem but if it happens after age six and is frequent it might signal a problem. Of course it also might not. Children who wet their beds are not lazy, stupid, abnormal or unhealthy. There are many misnomers surrounding bed wetting and these are some of them that are simply untrue. There are many components that go into the process of learning bladder control and these include the synchronicity of the kidneys, bladder, nerves, spinal cord and brain. All children’s minds and bodies do not have everything working in happy harmony all at once. Some children have a bladder that takes longer to mature; other children may produce more urine from the kidneys than those in the general population and still other children may simply have a small bladder that can only hold a small percentage of urine at once. As a rule of thumb most doctor suggest that it is time for intervention if your child is six years of age or older and wets his or her bed an average of two to three times (or more) during a weekly basis.

It is not often the case but sometimes bed wetting is the result of a medical problem. The most common include kidney infections, bladder infections, constipation and the onset of juvenile diabetes. If your child suffers pain or discomfort upon urination, has very dark or foul smelling urine or experiences pain in his abdominal area or lower back it could be the result of a physical problem. If the doctor suspects that this is the case, he or she will send the child for a urinalysis (a urine test) and perhaps even x-rays to help isolate the cause of the pain, which could in turn be causing the bed wetting to occur.

Bed wetting is extremely common in children, although it is more widespread in boys than it is in girls. It is estimated that on average five to seven million children experience bed wetting on a regular basis in the course of a year. The likelihood that a child will wet his bed decreases with age. For example studies show that while ten percent of six year olds wet their beds, only three percent of thirteen and fourteen year olds do so. In the meantime if the problem is bothersome enough there are a variety of treatment options and these include everything from bladder retraining exercises, moisture alarms, medications such as Desmopressin Acetate (DDAVP) and Imipramine (Tofranil) and behavioral treatments such as behavior modification and psychotherapy. As well there are alternative therapies such as massage, acupuncture and hypnosis that can be used in conjunction with more traditional treatments.

Forms of Behavior Modification Treatment for bed wetting

One of the most beneficial ways to treat bed wetting from a behavioral perspective is by way of a bed wetting alarm or moisture alarm. These useful devices can be purchased for anywhere from fifty to one hundred dollars and should be carried by most drug stores as well as medical supply stores. There are also ways to purchase the alarms from catalogues available over the Internet. Research into moisture alarms has shown that they have tremendously helped children in remaining dry night after night. It is important to have a patient and supportive family unit when undertaking this form of treatment for bed wetting as it could take anywhere from a few short weeks to many months for the alarm to be successful in its goal. It is important to note that moisture alarms show very few relapses as opposed to other forms of treatment and their projected long-term success rate is high.

A moisture alarm is basically a clip-on sensor probe that is attached to the outside of underwear, pijama bottoms, a nightgown or is strategically placed under the bed sheet close to a child’s bottom. When a child begins to urinate in the night, the sensor sets off the alarm, which then wakes the child up and lets them know that they need to go to the bathroom and empty their bladder. After this the child can return to bed and reset the alarm in case the urge to urinate again later in the night arises. After being awakened enough times by the alarm, the brain becomes conditioned to respond as promptly as possible when the brain sends out the signal that the bladder is full and needs to be emptied as soon as possible. There are some cases where children, especially toddlers, sleep so soundly that they do not hear or feel the alarm going off at all. In this case it would be necessary for a sibling sleeping in the same room or a parent to wake the bed wetter up. If this happens on too many occasions then it is not likely to be the best form of treatment for this particular problem.

Hypnosis is another form of behavior modification that has met with a great deal of success. The adult or child who bed wets on a regular basis spends time repeatedly listening to a special hypnosis tape. This helps to “re-program” the bladder and by so doing will allow the child to be as aware of a full bladder at night as they are during their daytime hours.

Psychotherapy (which is often a fancy word for counseling) is sometimes used for children who suffer a great deal of angst and anxiety in coping with their bed wetting. Also if this stress is interfering with treatment methods, psychotherapy might be in order. Psychotherapy is defined as “A set of techniques intended to improve mental health, emotional or behavioral issues of individuals, group, or family interactional climates.” Psychotherapy cannot only help those suffering from primary enuresis, but those suffering from secondary enuresis that relates to stress and/or a stressful event or situation, as well.

Many doctors recommend a combination of therapies for optimum results, such as combining simple behavior modification in the form of positive reinforcement with hypnosis and a bed wetting alarm.

Enuresis (bed wetting) in the U.K.

It is believed that in the United Kingdom there are approximately half a million youngsters ranging in age from six to sixteen who wet their beds on a more or less routine basis. A higher percentage of these children and teenagers are male as opposed to female. Most parents begin toilet training their children around the age of two or three but it is important to remember that learning to control bladder function is a process and does not happen at the exact same time for everyone. Some children are ready to be toilet trained (or potty trained) by age two while others are not ready until they are three or three and a half. Enuresis or bed wetting very rarely is indicative of a physical or emotional/mental problem although sometimes it can be. Most doctors and researchers cannot say with one hundred percent knowledge what causes enuresis and why some children experience it and others do not.

The main feature of enuresis is that there is repetitive urination on bed sheets and clothing during the night (often described as involuntary urination). From a clinical standpoint a child is defined as a bed wetter if they are at least five years of age (or are the equivalent in developmental terms) and the bed wetting episodes take place for a period of at least twice per week and continue for a length of at least three months in a row. As well bed wetting has developed into a problem if it infers in any way with the child’s scholastic abilities, social performance and /or ability to function in any way in a personal sense (such as interacting with family members and friends). Other medical conditions such as diabetes, spina bifida and the possibility of seizures must be ruled out by a doctor, as does the use of a particular substance such as in the case of a person who uses a diuretic. In the United Kingdom (UK) enuresis is broken down into three types- nocturnal only, diurnal only (meaning daytime only), and lastly, nocturnal and diurnal. It is also often described as functional enuresis instead of simply enuresis or bed wetting.

Most children in the UK who suffer from functional enuresis do not have any “coexisting mental disorders.” However in relation to the population in general, more children who suffer from coexisting mental disorders also suffer from functional enuresis. Some of the most widespread mental disorders include sleepwalking disorder, sleep terror disorder, and functional encopresis. Encopresis is defined as “The repeated uncontrolled or involuntary passage of feces not as a result of a physical disorder but for psychological reasons.” Other psychological problems that can be related to functional enuresis include a lack of self-esteem, a limited quantity of social interaction, anger and punishment being doled out by parents, ridicule and rejection from peers, problems with conduct and behavior both in and out of school and underachievement in regards to scholastic abilities and other pursuits (such as sports, music, art, etc.). Keep in mind that children who suffer from enuresis need all of the encouragement and support they can get as bed wetting carries with it a social stigma that is difficult for many to cope with by themselves.

Do’s and Don’ts of Bed Wetting

There are many do’s and don’ts that parents should be aware of in regards to their children who suffer from bed wetting. Let’s take a look at the do’s and don’ts of this common childhood problem.

First of all do speak with your child’s pediatrician at the first sign that bed wetting has developed into a problem. Never keep this kind of information from the doctor as he or she can be a wealth of information, advice and can also serve to put your mind, as well as your child’s mind, at ease.

Do explain to your anxious or frightened child what is taking place in regards to his or her bed wetting situation and be open and honest with all of the questions that your child wants to ask you.

If you were a bed wetter as a child, do share your experience with your experience with your youngster so he or she feels less alone. It is comforting to know that someone you love once experienced what you are presently going through.

Do educate yourself as best you can in regard to your child’s bed wetting. There is plenty of information to be found on the Internet, plus your local library should also have some books. As well talk to your doctor and he might be able to direct you to a support group. The more armed with information you are, the better you will feel in coping with the situation.

Do remain as patient and as calm as possible under the trying circumstances. You are upset enough by the situation; just think how your child must feel.

Do be understanding and supportive of your bed wetting child. He likely feels a great deal of shame, self-ridicule and fear at his bed wetting problem. Try to diffuse the situation as best as you can.

Do reward your child for dry nights on a consistent basis. The consistent basis is very important. Being inconsistent in parenting in any area will not get you very far and it accomplishes little.

Do everything you can to make your child feel as comfortable and secure as possible (both physically and emotionally). For example you might suggest that your child wear thicker underwear or pajamas to bed at night.

Do try as many different kinds of treatments as possible for your child until you find one that works.

Do make an honest attempt to alter habits your child has that can contribute to the problem, such as drinking fluids right before bedtime or consuming too much caffeine.

Don’t criticize your child or make him feel ashamed of bed wetting. He probably feels bad enough already without you making him feel worse.

Don’t blame your child for his condition. This can damage his vulnerable self-esteem tremendously.

Don’t scold or punish your child for bed wetting. He is not doing it deliberately to be bad and it does in no one reflect negatively on your parenting skills.

Don’t prohibit your child from spending the night at a friend’s house or going camping because of his condition. Instead encourage him to enjoy the activities he enjoys and take steps to end the bed wetting problem for good.

Discussing Bed Wetting with Siblings

Childhood is a difficult period for anyone and it is also a time when a problem that makes an individual different from the norm can result in teasing, ridicule and even alienation from the peer group. Siblings in a household notice things that are going on in their home, such as how their mother is always doing laundry, or how their mother often reminds their brother to use the bathroom before he goes to bed at night, or how their brother never stays over at friends overnight. Also the odor of urine first thing in the morning in the hallway is often unmistakable and unsettling.

There are mixed views on whether or not siblings should be told about their brother or sisters bed wetting problems. Some children are so concerned about it that they swear their parents to secrecy and don’t want a word of their condition breathed to their siblings. If this is the case with your child then respecting your child’s express wishes is more important then informing the siblings of the situation. However some experts believe that bed wetting should not necessarily be a family’s “best kept horrible secret.” Secrets often give rise to feelings of humiliation and shame and the child who suffers from enuresis already feels bad enough already without being made to feel worse.

If you do choose to discuss bed wetting with the siblings do it in a straightforward and “matter-of-fact” manner making sure your children understand that it is not caused by anything bad their brother did. Let them know that bed wetting is considered a “developmental problem” meaning that the bed wetting child’s bladder has not caught up in its level of maturity to the rest of the child’s body. Also let them know that through treatment the child will be able to get rid of the problem and that in the meantime it is important to be kind, supportive and understanding.

Take the confusion and mystery surrounding bed wetting away from your children’s thinking by explaining that everyone is met with different obstacles or challenges in life. Point out that some people have trouble learning to add and subtract, while other people have trouble learning to ride a bike or swim and their sibling has problems with bladder control during the night. The bed wetting child may want to be present for your talk with their siblings or he may not. Proceed according whichever is the case.

If you or any other family member was ever a bed wetter share this knowledge with your children. Tell your children that bed wetting is often something that is inherited and no body really knows why. Explain that it is something that has to be dealt with just like any other problem in life. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill when explaining the matter to your children. If you make it seem small then they will likely see it that way.

Establish a “no teasing” rule in the family and tell your children that they are not to treat the bed wetting child any differently nor are they to tell their friends about their sibling’s situation. Make them understand that the child’s feelings matter and that he needs support and encouragement and not criticism and scorn.

Bed wetting & Using a Bed Wetting Alarm

Bed wetting alarms have a very high success rate and are a great deal safer than are medications. Sometimes they are called moisture alarms or “conditioning” alarm units as they condition the brain to let the sleeping child know that they have to wake up and empty their bladder. Let’s look at some directions that need to be followed in order for the alarm to work properly.

First of make sure your child realizes that the bed wetting alarm will only work if it is used in the way it is supposed to be. Emphasize that its purpose is to wake the child up at the first sign of urine in order that the child can make it into the bathroom to finish wetting and not soak the bed instead. It is essential that the child is tuned into the alarm and responds when it begins to vibrate or ring. Ignoring the alarm, sleeping through it or simply turning it off will defeat the purpose of it entirely.

Practice using the alarm with your child in the daytime so he or she will know what to expect when it rings at night. For example let your child help you when it comes to setting the alarm. Try it out beforehand by having your child gently touch the moisture sensors of the alarm with a finger dabbed in water to hear what the sound the alarm will make. Then have the child practice getting out of bed and quickly making their way to the washroom to finish urinating in the toilet, instead of the bed.

It is a good idea to not have your child sleeping in the pitch black dark, seeing as he will have to jump up in the night (perhaps more than once) to use the bathroom. Having a flashlight near the bed or putting in a strong night-light to help your child find their way to the bathroom is a good idea. Also remember that most people’s minds are a bit fuzzy when they are awakened suddenly and you don’t want your child to stumble and fall and perhaps even hurt himself.

Educate your child on how to “self-awaken” himself during the night when the need to urinate arises. In other words, encourage your child to “beat the buzzer” and recognize the signs of a full bladder before the alarm has a need to let him know. By so doing this should cause no urine to end up being spilled anywhere but where it should be- in the toilet. There may be occasions when your child can “beat the buzzer” and other times he cannot. Be supportive and understanding in these instances. If the child doesn’t know ahead of time and the buzzer does go off to tell him, teach your child how best to wake himself up and then as swiftly as possible leave his bed and go into the bathroom and use the toilet.

The child then needs to return to his bedroom and turn off the alarm. Once all this is done the child should change into dry underwear or a dry pajama bottom and then rest the alarm. As far as the wet fitted sheet goes, it can be decided ahead of time whether it is to be changed in the night or whether a dry towel or pad is to be placed over the spot that is wet and the sheet then changed in the morning.

More Things to Consider about the Bed Wetting Alarm

Keep in mind that even with practice in the daytime the majority of children do not wake up right away when they first begin using a bed wetting alarm. Often children need to be coaxed to hear it and any help that a parent can give them can prove useful. It may mean some more or less sleepless nights for a parent but it would prove beneficial for a parent to go into the child’s room periodically throughout the night and listen for the alarm and/or wake up the child to see if he has to use the bathroom. Children can be disoriented in the night so if the child does need to urinate it would be wise to help your child to the bathroom. Doing this a few nights should get your child into the habit and pave the way for them to help themselves for that point on. Keep in mind that the aim of a bed wetting alarm (or moisture alarm) is to encourage a child to wake him or herself up before the buzzer goes off or to be able to hold in urine throughout the night and be dry upon waking in the morning.

Don’t allow your child to drink fluids right up until it is lights out and turn the radio, television and/or computer off fifteen minutes to a half an hour before the child crawls into bed. Having a bright strong night-light in the child’s bedroom can help facilitate a better response time to the moisture alarm and a safer trip to the washroom.

Keep a special bed wetting calendar for your child to record his or her progress. Every morning when he gets up have him write entries in the calendar according to what kind of a night it was. For example use the word “dry” to describe a night that the child successfully slept through the night and did not wet the bed at all and “wet” to describe a night when he did not get up and also for whatever reason did not hear the alarm or failed to respond to it. Other entries you could use include “dry, woke-up without alarm” and “wet spot” meaning that the child was woke up by the alarm and did get up to go to the bathroom.

Diagnosing Bed Wetting

Bed wetting is a very widespread problem in children that can cause a great deal of strife for both the bed wetting child as well as his or her family members. After exhausting all basis methods for ending bed wetting, many parents decide to take their child to the doctor for a more professional opinion and help. It is important to realize that occasional bed wetting before the age of five is not considered a problem but it defined as such after that age when it happens on a consistent basis.

A doctor will need to ask specific questions of the parent of the bed wetter regarding family history and the child’s past medical history. The doctor will ask- Did you experience any medical complications when the child was born? He or she will also want to know if your child has ever had a problem with his central nervous system. Did either of the child’s parents ever wet the bed as youngsters and/or was there anyone else in the family that did? A doctor will also inquire as to whether a child has ever undergone any type of surgery and whether he or she has ever sustained any injury to the abdominal area, which could encompass the kidneys, bladder and genital area.

Recent studies into bed wetting have should that an estimated fifteen to twenty-five percent of children at five years old wet their beds but as they grow the percentage of children who wet their beds decreases by an estimated fifteen percent. Approximately eight percent of twelve-year-old males experience bed wetting whereas only four percent of females at the same age do so. Among teenagers a small percentage wet suffer from nocturnal enuresis (approximately one to three percent). There are two kinds of bed wetting or enuresis- primary enuresis and secondary enuresis- and while primary enuresis is more common, approximately fifteen to twenty-five percent of bed wetters suffer from secondary enuresis (or enuresis that is stress related).

One of the ways a doctor distinguishes primary enuresis from secondary enuresis is by asking of the parent, “At what age was your child consistently dry at night?” If the answer is “My child was never dry at night” then the child suffers from primary enuresis, as secondary enuresis is when bed wetting begins or starts again after a child has been free of it for a period of at least six months.

Enuresis can be considered complicated or uncomplicated. If your child suffers from nocturnal enuresis and daytime incontinence then he is likely to have uncomplicated enuresis. If your child suffers pain in the lower back or abdominal area upon urination then a urinary tract infection is likely the cause of the bed wetting problem. If your child does not have regular bowel movements then he likely suffers from constipation and constipation can cause bed wetting to take place. As well if your child has a difficult time passing a bowel movement then constipation is to blame and the child therefore requires more fiber in his daily diet to alleviate this health problem.

A Look at Desmopressin Acetate (DDAVP)

One of the most commonly prescribed medications for primary nocturnal enuresis is Desmopressin Acetate (abbreviated to DDAVP). This drug is a man-made form of an antidiuretic hormone in the body known as vasopressin and it can be administered either in tablet form or more commonly as a nose spray. This medication decreases the amount of urine manufactured by the kidneys and therefore decreases how much urine exits the body.

It is important to take this medicine right before bedtime and if you are using the nasal spray, to blow your nose before you use it. It is important to familiarize yourself with the directions before using the nasal or nasal solution and always use as directed. This medicine should not be used on children who are under six years. This medicine starts to work promptly and is considered fairly safe to use although it does have a few possible side effects. The most common three side effects are headaches, nausea and stomach pain. If you develop a headache taking a mild pain reliever is likely to bring relief from the discomfort. To avoid nausea eat small but frequent meals instead of large meals. As well chewing gums or sucking hard candies can lower the chance of nausea.

For adults taking this medicine there are precautions you should be aware of in regard to it. First of all alcohol should be avoided while taking this drug. This means all kinds of beer, wine and any hard liquor. Alcohol may interfere with the proper functioning of the drug. If you are pregnant presently or are trying to get pregnant make sure your doctor is made aware of this. As well women who are breast-feeding are not advised to use this drug. If you are allergic to anything it is important that your doctor or health care provider knows this, even if it seems insignificant to you. Explain how the allergic reactions you suffered in the past affected you, such as if you experienced any of these symptoms- itching, rash, hives, cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, swelling of the face, throat, lips, tongue, etc.

If for some reason you forget to take a dose at the specified time then take it as soon as you remember. However if it is close to the time for the next dose then opt for the regular dose and just skip the one you missed. Go back to your regular schedule of taking the dose at the appropriate time and don’t worry about it too much. Whatever you do never take two doses at once or extras as this can over load the body and be harmful to the system.

DDAVP is considered to be safe and effective for most patients and has a success rate that is somewhere between twenty-five to sixty-five percent. This drug is fast absorbing and if it is helping the patient then it can be administered every week for three to six months and then on a gradual basis it can be decreased. For example it can be dropped down to four or fives doses a week and then down to two or three and finally it can be dispensed with all together. There are sometimes relapses with this drug but for the most part it does what it is supposed to for the bed wetter.

Pediatricians & Bed Wetting

Your pediatrician will be an important part of dealing with bedwetting. However, since medical health professionals are so busy today, you will want to make sure that you approach your child’s physician in a way that ensures maximum cooperation. Here are some tips that can help you communicate with your child’s pediatrician in a way that will ensure better treatment options for your child:

Keep a diary

One of the best ways you can help your doctor treat your child is to keep a diary of your child’s bedwetting. Starting from the time your child seems to be bedwetting more frequently, keep notes in a small notebook. In this notebook note:

•When your child wets the bed (dates and times, if possible)
•Any family history of bedwetting
•Any results of bedwetting (crying, problems at school, teasing)
•Any medications your child is on or any medical problems your child has had or is having
•Any questions you have about bedwetting
•Any questions or comments your child makes about bedwetting
•Any comments that your child makes before bedtime that may indicate a problem (aches before bed, emotional upsets during the day)
•Any bedwetting products (disposable liners, moisture detectors) your child is using and how effective they seem to be
•Any other symptoms your child seems to be experiencing
•Notes on any resources or information about bedwetting that you encounter that seems helpful

Health care professionals are busier than ever today and keeping such a diary can be a big help to a busy physician. Go over the notebook with your doctor and together look for patters, and possible causes. Get answers to the questions you have written down.

Keeping a diary can also be useful for you and for your child. If your child shows improvement (wetting every few days rather than once a night) you can show your child this improvement. If you yourself have any questions, you can easily refer to the resources and information you have collected in your notebook for more information.

Explain any underlying problems

Sometimes, doctors will not pay attention to bedwetting once they have ruled out an underlying condition, because they assume that it is not a very threatening situation.

If your child’s self-esteem, grades, or social development is affected by bedwetting, you need to let your doctor know because at that point bedwetting has moved from a non-threatening problem to a problem that is affecting your child’s development. Discuss with your doctor the steps that must be taken to stop bedwetting or at least cope with the problems your child has developed as a result of it.

Did your child’s bedwetting develop at the same time as other symptoms?

If your child has developed bedwetting and snoring or extreme fatigue at the same time, you should mention this to your pediatrician.

In rare cases, something called Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) may contribute to bedwetting. OSA means that some blockage – such as enlarged lymph glands called adenoids – block flow of air to the lungs.

In some cases, this problem causes snoring while for some children OSA causes brief periods where breathing is entirely interrupted. OSA is thought to cause enough to seriously interfere with breathing. The most common cause of OSA is restless sleep, early morning headaches, and fatigue.

Some researchers have also linked this condition to bedwetting. Bedwetting caused by OSA is very rare, but can be treated, usually by removing the tonsils or adenoids. Your doctor can run a special test to determine whether your child’s bedwetting is related to OSA.

Get a Second opinion

If you are not happy about your doctor’s response regarding your child’s bedwetting, don’t be afraid to seek more help, possibly from a specialist. Get the care for your child that makes you feel comfortable. Every doctor has a different approach to child bedwetting. If your doctor is satisfied that your child will overcome the problem while you want some form of treatment, you may seek a physician who will help you.

However, you are the parent and you should take responsibility for your child’s health. If your instinct tells you that something is wrong, seek a second opinion. Consider the following problems that can easily be mis-diagnosed or overlooked:

•bladder reflux – This illness can contribute to bedwetting and can require surgery to correct
•constipation – If your child does not empty his or her bowels regularly or completely, remaining waste can press down on the bladder and cause bedwetting.
•Malfunctioning of the urinary sphincter – The sphincter muscle is responsible for controlling urine flow. In those people who do not have a functioning sphincter, bedwetting is chronic and will not go away by itself.
•Kidney diseases – Some kidney diseases cause bedwetting as well as other symptoms. Without resolving the kidney problem, there is not much chance in successfully beating the bedwetting problem.
•Undiagnosed underlying problems – Some children may wet the bed due some serious problem such as abuse, diabetes, epilepsy, OSA, or other problems. If medical avenues are not carefully explored, these conditions will remain undetected and untreated, putting the child at risk.

Build a team.

There are many people in your child’s life that can help ensure that bedwetting is a solvable and un-stressful problem:

•Teachers: You do not need to tell your teachers about your child’s bedwetting, but you should be in contact with your child’s instructors to make sure that your child’s grades or social development is not suffering. An alert teacher can also often be your first alert of bullying or teasing that is taking place.

•Pediatrician: Your child’s doctor should be one of your first stops when bedwetting becomes a problem, as your child’s pediatrician can run tests to determine whether there are any physical or underlying causes behind the bedwetting.

•Therapists/Child Psychologists: If your child’s grades, self-esteem, or social skills are affected by bedwetting, you may need to help your child develop a team of emotional support. Therapists and others can discuss your child’s feelings with him or her and can help your child develop coping strategies for teasing and other problems.

•Pediatric nephrologist or urologist (kidney or urinary system specialist): In some children, a medical problem such as a badly working urinary sphincter can cause bedwetting. Kidney specialists and urologists can tell you whether your child’s urinary system is fine or whether there is some underlying medical problem or physical problem behind the bedwetting.

If bedwetting persists very late (such as into adolescence) or is a nightly problem even by age eight or so, medical or physical reasons should be explored very carefully as they are a likely culprit.

Work with your team

You should choose the specialists who work with your child carefully, choosing those who seem to see the problem in the same light as you, and choosing those whose treatment options agree with you. When looking for health care professionals to treat your child’s bedwetting, you will also want professionals who listen to you and your concerns.

Once you have found a team you trust, however, it is just as important that you work effectively with them. This means following instructions to the letter (asking for clarification when needed) and being very frank about other treatments you are using and about which treatments seem to be working and which do not.

Do Your Own Research

While a doctor can be very useful in helping you deal with your child’s bedwetting, health care workers today are busier than ever and no one doctor can keep up with all the research and new information coming out each day. You may want to contact organizations such as the National Kidney Foundation or the American Academy of Pediatrics for more resources and then raise the information you find with your doctor.

You can contact some key resources about bedwetting yourself:

•The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) provides lots of useful information, and pamphlets about a variety of conditions, including bedwetting…

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
141 Northwest Point Boulevard
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007_1098
Phone: (847) 434_4000
Fax: (847) 434_8000

Alternative address:

The American Academy of Pediatrics
Department of Federal Affairs
601 13th Street, NW
Suite 400 North
Washington, DC 20005 USA
Phone: (202) 347_8600
Fax: (202) 393_6137
Email: kidsdocs@aap.org
Web Address: http://www.aap.org

•The PottyMD is a great resource about toilet training and bedwetting. Since this groups focuses only on this problem, you are sure to get information that is pertinent to the topic. Many parents swear by this resource.

PottyMD
2216 White Avenue
Knoxville, TN 37916
Phone: 1_877_POTTYMD (768_8963)
Web Address: www.pottymd.com

•The National Kidney Foundation has recently launched a number of resources about bedwetting. Their website has lots of information and even video clips about the subject. Plus, if your child’s bedwetting is caused by a kidney problem, this group can help you get information on that issue, as well.

National Kidney Foundation
30 East 33rd St., Suite 1100
New York, NY 10016
Phone: 1_800_622_9010
Web Address: www.kidney.org

•The National Kidney and Urologic Disease Information Clearinghouse provides all sorts of information about conditions that affect the kidneys and urinary system. Not surprisingly, they have several resources just about bedwetting.

National Kidney and Urologic Disease Information Clearinghouse
3 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892_3580
Phone: 1_800_891_5390
Web Address: www.kidney.niddk.nih.gov

Curbing a bedwetting problem

Bedwetting is referred to within the medical community as nocturnal enuresis. This problem occurs relatively often in infants, and as age and development increase, less and less children face the issue. When the problem persists for years on end, it can be a source of shame and embarrassment by the sufferer, who may feel incompetent due to the problem and may face self-esteem issues. The problem may be more widespread than you know; approximately 1 in 3 children wet the bed at age six. Some studies have also shown that between 5 and 10 percent of all teenagers wet the bed, showing that the problem is a universal one that affects many. While bedwetting isn’t a chronic illness, it’s effects on a child’s mental health can be vast. To that end, it’s important to know the methods of treatment employed when trying to help those with a bedwetting problem.

One type of treatment commonly used when trying to help a child to get over a bedwetting problem is Tricyclic antidepressant drugs. These drugs have a anti-muscarinic property that allows them to help children to curb their bedwetting problem for up to three months. Desmopressin is another drug that is often prescribed. It is a synthetic hormone that provides an alternative means for children’s bladders to control the amount of urine released. Some children that have bed wetting problems do not have this hormone naturally produced in their bodies, so their bladders may be filled with urine throughout the night whilst those with the hormone present don’t experience a filling of the bladder until morning. It can be used on a nightly basis to maintain the level of the hormone, and can be discontinued with no cumulative effects on the patient’s functioning.

Another non-prescription treatment used to treat those with a bedwetting problem is a simple alarm device. The device employs the use of behavioral conditioning, with an alarm sounding whenever any moisture is detected while asleep. In this manner, children can unconsciously learn to anticipate waking up when they sense a urinary release is about to occur.

One solution that is debatable when it comes to aiding a bedwetting problem is the use of absorbent diapers or pants. While they do not actually help the child to solve the bedwetting problem, they may be useful when it comes to taking the stress away from your child when it comes to damaging sheets. Some doubt the potential of diapers, however; they feel that the child may feel more ashamed of wearing the diaper than the bed wetting problem in the first place.

From a psychological standpoint, it’s important to let your child know that bedwetting is not their fault. Studies have shown that taking this stress away from your child increases the child’s desire to help treat the problem. Punishments regarding bedwetting should be avoided, as they often are counterproductive to the treatment process. Whatever solution you choose when it comes to dealing with your child’s bed-wetting problem, it’s important to show compassion and understanding when helping hem to get over their issue.

Deep Sleeper = A Wet Bed??

It was the long held view by the medical community that children who were five or six years old who wet their beds on a regular basis did so because they suffered from a sleeping disorder. More recent up-to-date studies have shown that this is not the case. However it is the case that many bed wetting children are deep sleepers who fail to awaken when their brain sends the message that their bladder needs to be emptied.

Many controlled studies in laboratory have shown that while deep sleeping can play a role in bed wetting it is not the primary cause of why it takes place in the first place. Studies done on children at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York have carefully recorded their EEG patterns (electroencephalography), which means that electrodes are attached to the head that monitor the electrical activity of the brain during sleep. In children who suffered from a variety of sleep disorders, abnormal patterns were noted in their EEG’s. However in those who suffered only from enuresis no abnormal patterns were noted. Being a deep sleeper and needing a little extra nudge to awaken does not constitute a sleep disorder just a small deviation from the norm.

Most doctors are not completely clear as to what causes enuresis however it is important to bear in mind that the ability to control one’s bladder functions is a gradual process that takes time for children to master. Not all children manage it effectively all at once. For some it is a smooth process and for others there are plenty of bumps along the road. As well daytime bladder control is usually achieved first as the person is alert and awake and therefore able to immediately answer the call of a full bladder.

The process of controlling urine involves many aspects of the body working in sync, including the bladder muscles, the nerves, the brain and the spinal cord. When the bladder is full and requires emptying it sends a message to the brain. However if the person is in such a deep sleep that they don’t respond to the brain’s message then the brain makes an attempt to contain the urine in the bladder until which time the person is awake and able to empty it. In the case of bed wetting however, all of the parts of the body are not yet cooperating enough to make this happen.

Some children simply have a smaller bladder than other children and it has not fully matured to make nighttime bladder control a reality. In other cases children may simply manufacture more urine than those in the general population. In yet other cases a physical problem such as diabetes or a urinary tract infection is to blame for the enuresis.

Bed wetting has also been found to have a genetic link. In fact according to a report by the National Kidney Foundation, a child who have parents who were both bed wetters has a seven in ten chance of becoming one as well. For one parent this drops to a four in ten chance.

Bed wetting – some conclusions

Now that you have pondered more than one hundred ways to help your child with bedwetting, the time has come to choose which methods to use in helping your child.

You may have chosen some methods to put into practice already or you may be wondering where to begin. You will notice that the methods of dealing with bedwetting fall into a few broad categories:

• Time and patience: Often the most-recommended method, this means that parents and children wait until the body on its own learns to stop losing bladder control at night. This can be a frustrating method, but tends to be an effective one, as most children tend to outgrow the problem on their own with time. All methods require at least a small dose of time and patience to work.
• Behavior Modification: This method works by trying to “teach” the body to wake up in time in order to go to the bathroom. Various methods are used in this treatment. Moisture detector alarms, making bathroom access easier, visualization, and other techniques are all used.
• Reduction of Mess or Problem: Some parents simply see bed wetting as a natural part of childhood, and work to simply reduce the mess and inconvenience. A number of products on the market today exist to help with this goal, including mattress liners, sleeping bad liners, disposable absorbent underpants, non-disposable absorbent products, and many others.
• These can all make mornings more pleasant until the child learns to sleep “dry.” In many cases, you should use one of these methods no matter what method you are using, as “accidents” may occur.
• Medical Treatment: Some parents seek doctor help with bedwetting. This can be a good idea if a parent suspects an underlying cause may be the real problem behind bedwetting. Even if the cause is not medical, doctors can prescribe medication that can control bedwetting.
• Holistic Treatment: A number of alternative treatments exist which help children with bedwetting. Eating honey, hypnotherapy, and other such treatments have been found effective by some parents, even though these treatments do not work for everyone and even though in some cases not much research has been done about the efficacy of these treatments.
• Proxy Treatment – Rather than treating the problem, some parents choose to treat the problems caused by the problem. This can mean helping a child cope with teasing or clean-up or discomfort. The idea is that if the problem is more bearable, the child will be able to wait for the problem to clear up on its own.
• Also, proxy treatment acknowledges that it is often not bedwetting itself that is a problem, but rather it is the problems caused by it that seem unbearable.

Most parents use at least a few treatments, if not several. They may use a few remedies to control the mess of bedwetting, for example, and use others to actually resolve the problem. Different parents use different methods, just as different doctors will suggest different ways for dealing with bedwetting. Whatever treatment system you choose for your child should have a few basic qualities. It should:

• Be accepted by the child
• Not make the problem worse
• Be safe
• Be effective
• Be affordable for your family
• Cause a minimum of disruption in the home
• Not require so much time that other family activities or responsibilities suffer
• Be a system that both the child and the parent feel comfortable with
• Suit your child’s and family’s specific circumstances
• Not interfere with normal child development and activities

Chiropractic Care for a Bed Wetter

Alternative methods of treatment such as hypnosis, massage and acupuncture are becoming more and more popular as ways to complement traditional treatments for a variety of health problems, and this includes bed wetting. More and more parents who believe in the positive attributes of chiropractic treatment are flocking to offices to have their children treated in the hopes that it will improve or completely rid their child of the condition of bed wetting.

A chiropractor will adjust a child’s spine accordingly and in particular will pay special attention to the sacrum or lumbar spine. The spine and nerves play a role in urination and improving the functioning of these can improve the way the bladder works. It is the detrusor and trigone muscles that control when and how the bladder is emptied of urine. The “nerve supply to thee muscles is via the sacral parasympathetic nerves from S2 to S4.” The urogenital diaphragm also plays a role in the emptying action of the bladder and it gets its rich supply of nerves from what is known as the L2 spinal nerve.

The tailbone (or sacrum) doesn’t develop as one complete section but instead does so in five different segments. These segments grow and then stay separate until puberty begins. Once puberty commences, each one of the sacral segments begins to fuse together to make a complete whole. The complete process of sacral fusion does not come to a conclusion until a person has reached their mid to late twenties.

Due to the fact that there are five separate parts that make up the tailbone it is conceivable that misalignment of any one of the parts can result in nerve irritation or nerve facilitation. Nerve facilitation in particular can directly affect the bladder and can well be the cause of nocturnal bed wetting in a child. If a child has sustained any kind of trauma or injury to the spine during these sensitive years when it is still in separate parts, such as a fall, a break or a fracture this can lead to bladder problems at an early age. This includes problems with bladder control at night.

Many studies done on the effectiveness of chiropractic treatments in children and in particular, the “adjustment of the sacral segments” has yielded different results. Some studies have shown that it helps children suffering from enuresis while other studies show it does very little good at all. This also might be indicative of the fact that in children with spinal problems who also wet their beds, chiropractic treatments can prove beneficial but it does very little for bed wetters who have perfectly healthy spines that are in perfect alignment according to their stage of development.

It is worthy to note that a chiropractor is also able to improve other problems that babies or children experience that can be related to the spinal column and the nervous system. It is not advisable to only seek out alternative therapies to help a child with bed wetting. Always try to put into play the most general methods at home first and as a second course of action make a trip to the doctor’s office with your child. Sometimes a doctor will suggest combining a few types of treatments for optimum benefits.

Enuresis (bed-wetting) and ADHD

Enuresis is a very widespread problem among children and so is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (often abbreviated to ADHD or AD/HD). ADHD is a very widespread disorder with both developmental as well as behavioral manifestations. ADHD is “characterized by poor concentration, distractibility, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness that are inappropriate for the child’s age.” Both children as well as adults who suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are “easily distracted by sights and sounds in their environment, cannot concentrate for long periods of time, are restless and impulsive, or have a tendency to daydream and be slow to completes tasks.” It is estimated that approximately three to five percent of children of school age suffer from either attention deficit order, hyperactivity or a combination thereof.

Enuresis is more common in children who suffer from ADHD than it is in the general population. While most of these children note that the incidence of bed wetting has decreased dramatically or halted all together by the time they are seventeen or eighteen years old, many still suffer from problems of impulsivity, inattention and a problem with organizational skills well into their adult lives.

Children who suffer from ADHD and also enuresis generally have a more difficult time adjusting and coping with both problems then do children who just experience enuresis. This often goes for then parents who care for them as well. A child who only experiences enuresis and not ADHD often responds more favorably to behavioral modes of treatment and is not ridiculed or treated as badly by his or her peers. Often an ADHD youngster is already aware that he is different from his peers and therefore his impulsive tendencies as well as his inattention and disorganization cause him to be rejected further. As well his shame because of his bed wetting is magnified when he suffers from ADHD. One problem is difficult enough for a child to cope with but more than one can cause multiple problems in a child’s life and is likely to affect his developing sense of self even more.

A child who has both enuresis and ADHD should be taken to the doctor for a thorough physical exam. Behavioral treatments often work well for children who suffer from both problems however avoid anything with negative or punitive consequences. Children with combined enuresis and ADHD suffer enough teasing and ridicule from their peers that they don’t need anymore from their doctor or their loved ones.

When it comes to treating both disorders there are both behavioral techniques as well as medical treatments. It may be necessary to prioritize which symptoms of which disorder are the most serious and need to be addressed first. It is also important to think of back up treatment plans if the first one you undertake does not work. This is often the case in many situations. Be aware that some medications prescribed for ADHD can make enuresis worse. Desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) has been known to improve bed wetting in some bed wetting children and teenagers while tricyclic depressants (such as Tofranil) work better for others.

Checklist for Potty Training

Potty training is a gradual process that can go very smoothly or can provide plenty of obstacles along the way. Generally girls are easier to train then boys as girls tend to faster in many developmental areas than boys. Boys often required an extra level of encouragement and support but eventually will catch up to their female counterparts. Most pediatricians recommend that parents begin introducing their children to potty training as toddlers (approximately two to three years of age) and often you can pick up cues from your child that they are ready to move onto the next phase of potty training. For example a child that is upset when his or her diaper is wet and can point to or tug at the diaper to tell you so is ready to begin potty training. Some children will go as far as to take the dirty diaper off their own body so they no longer feel wet or dirty.

When it comes to potty training, there are certain things that you need to check off on a regular basis to ensure that you are establishing the required potty training ritual with your child. There are a number of questions that you must ask of a child in potty training mode to ensure that the process is following along on a smooth, even course. Always take the time to assure and reassure your child that you are there to help her as she gets used to this very important developmental step in her life.

Ask your child if she remembered to push her pants and her underpants as far down her legs as possible in order to use the potty, without pulling them off all together. Next make sure that your child sits properly on the potty so he or she won’t fall off. Caution him or her that perching their bum on the edge of the toilet can result in the potential to hurt oneself and/or the chance the urine will spill onto the floor. Ask your child if she feels that she has sufficiently finished emptying her bladder? In other words, “Are you all done?” Let your child know that she can sit on the toilet as long as she needs to.

Whether or not your child has cleaned herself properly is very important. Teach your child the way to wipe her bum and always tell her to wipe from front to back (as this prevents the spread of bacteria from the anus to the urethra). Teach your son that he is to stand up when he urinates and that when he sits down for a bowel movement he should wipe from front to back. Tell your child to make sure that he or she has not dribbled on the toilet seat and if so to wipe it up with toilet paper.

Once the child has finished on the toilet, make sure she pulls up her underpants and then her pants remembering to button or zip up the pants all of the way. Remind her that she must make sure both pieces of clothing are adjusted accordingly and are not twisted and turned in such a way that they will irritate her skin or movements. Tell your child to flush the toilet and then to wash her hands with lukewarm soap and water.

Bed wetting – Behavior Modification Tips

Behavior Modification as Treatment for Bed Wetting

Behavior modification is a psychological approach to treatment that was first developed by an American behaviorist by the name of B.F. Skinner (1904-1990). Behavior modification has its roots in operant conditioning, which means, “Undesirable behaviors are replaced with more desirable ones through positive or negative reinforcement.” Positive reinforcement is by far the most widespread use of this treatment whereby specific behaviors are rewarded. Behavior modification has been used effectively to treat bed wetting in both children as well as adults. Other problems behavior modification has been helpful in treating include generalized anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and a variety of others.

It is important to always gently remind a child to go to the bathroom before he or she turns in for the night. Even if the child doesn’t feel a tremendous need to urinate, tell him or her to go to the bathroom and just make sure because you want to avoid any accidents at night if possible. It is wise to decrease your consumption of liquids at least two to three hours before bedtime. According to behavior modification principles, it is a good idea to encourage the child to change his or her own sheets when they are wet. But be careful to not make the child feel as if he or she is being punished.

One form of behavior modification is known as retention control training. In this instance the child is encouraged to strengthen the muscles of the bladder by delaying going to the bathroom when the need first arises. It is a gradual process. First he is encouraged to delay it by a few minutes and then working up to longer periods of time (not until it actually causes discomfort in the abdominal area of course!). This simple exercise serves to “extend the capacity of the bladder and strengthen the muscle that holds back urination.” Retention control training should never be done without a doctor’s permission to do so.

Parents should not take “behavior modification” to mean that bedwetting is a behavioral problem that needs rigorous correction to fix. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rather, behavior modification works more by teaching your child the nighttime bladder control that most children learn sooner or later. There are many types of behavior modification tips that have been proven effective in helping children overcome bedwetting:

Discipline Will Not Work

Many years ago, it was thought that children who wet the bed were simply poorly taught, were developmentally delayed (or otherwise “abnormal”) or just needed more discipline. Even though most parents know better today, many still look at bedwetting as a way of “acting out.”

It is important not to discipline your child for wetting the bed. This method not only does not work, but the stress of the discipline may make the problem worse. No child wants to wet the bed after everyone else can stay “dry” for the night. The child who has a hard time not wetting the bed needs sympathy and help, not discipline.

Offer Positive Reinforcement and Praise

When your child makes it through nights without wetting the bed, be sure to offer praise. Not only will this help the child if he or she feels bad when accidents happen, but it will subconsciously motivate your child to continue trying to correct the problem as well. A system as simple as offering gold stars is effective. A week that is dry should be given a slightly larger treat.

You can also use a points system. Have each star or dry night count for a point. When your child reaches three points, allow him or her to have a small treat. Five points can mean a very small gift. Ten points can mean a trip someplace fun, and so on. Keep points posted where they are visible. The excitement generated by this system will encourage your child to keep trying and press on.

Give your child hope that the problem is not forever

If your child seems to be doing better, remind him or her again that most people overcome bedwetting with time and notice that their situation seems to improving itself.

A child who does not believe that the problem will improve will simply have a harder time with the problem and for such a child the problem will seem larger and more dire than it really is. Help your child see that bedwetting will be resolved and your child will be calmer, happier, and so more able to work with you to get help for Enuresis.

Focus on Normal Bladder Control

Most children who wet the bed have trouble at night. However, a small percentage of children have overactive bladders, which means that they frequently have to go to the bathroom and may even have a hard time controlling their bladder during the daytime. If this describes your child, take him or her to a doctor or urologist to see what treatments are available for your child’s overactive bladder.

If your child only has trouble with control over the night, then it may be a good idea to focus on the fact that your child does do well in going to the bathroom during the day. Offer your child encouragement by pointing out that he or she can make it to the bathroom during the day and reassure your child that most people learn to control as well in the night, as well.

Night lifting

Night lifting is a technique that requires the parent to wake up the child in the night. Most children lose control of their bladder at a similar time each night (this is especially true if the child follows the same routine each day). If you can note when each accident occurs, you can set your alarm before this time, wake your child up, and lead them to the bathroom.

You can also try waking yourself and your child up twice a night. In many cases, this helps the child wake dry and encourages the child to keep trying to wake up before they are woken up. However, children may resist waking up in the night, especially if they are tired.

Bladder Control Exercises

Your doctor may prescribe exercises for your child to help him or her control their bladder more effectively. Some patients with Enuresis benefit from holding their urine as long as possible before releasing. The idea is to keep repeating these exercises in order to help the body develop more control.

Bladder control exercise:

1. Have your child tell you when he or she has to “go” during the day.
2. Explain to your child that you are doing an exercise to help him or her stay dry at night. Have the child hold the urine.
3. Have your child go to the washroom
4. Repeat daily, slowly increasing the amount of time you make your child wait

Urination control exercise

Some doctors find that helping the child control urination helps control the urinary sphincter, or the muscle that holds back or releases urine. This exercise is often used in conjunction with the bladder control exercise and is completely safe.

Urine Control exercise:

1) When your child urinates, have your child stop urinating “mid-stream” – that is, have your child start urinating and then stop by squeezing the muscles (urinary sphincter) that control the flow of urine.

2) Have your child start-stop three times.

3) Repeat process during each bathroom visit.

Some parents find the two exercises above useful. The idea is that the child will control the bladder more effectively during the day, causing the control to be present at night, as well.

In general, these exercises work best with children over the age of six years and those who are willing to work hard to control their bladder. Some small improvement should be visible in about two weeks.

Try Visualization

Visualization is a behavior modification tool that has proven effective in helping people accomplish many things, from waking up without an alarm to quitting smoking. You can use the same technique to help your child overcome bedwetting:

1) To begin, have your child relax and close their eyes. You should be in a quiet and comfortable room that has few distractions. Your child should be sitting down or lying down. Have your child breathe deeply and relax.

2) Now, have your child imagine sleeping in their regular bed and in their regular sleep wear.

3) Next, have then imagine having to go to the washroom. Your child should really imagine the pressure of having to urinate. Ask your child to imagine what it feels like to have to “go” during the day and have your child imagine that same feeling as vividly as possible in their imagining of the sleep.

4) Now, have your child imagine waking up and going to the washroom.

Have your child imagine this several times over a period of time. People who use visualization sometimes practice seeing a goal several times a day for weeks. Experts think that visualization works by having the body imagine how things are to be done so precisely and intensely that the body actually accepts the mind’s visual clues as reality.

The body actually believes what has been visualized is real. If your child imagines waking up in time to go to the bathroom, then, he or she will have set a sort or emotional and mental precedent for doing so in reality. Visualization is especially effective with older children and can be used with other behavior modification techniques. It is very safe and will generally show results in about two weeks.

Avoid lots of fluids before bed

It is important to keep your child hydrated. Drinking enough water helps the body function properly and helps keep the kidneys healthy. However, encouraging your child to drink most of his or her water intake earlier in the day so that less water is drunk in the hour or two before bedtime can help ensure that the body does not produce lots of urine at night.

Remember, though: Encourage your child to drink more fluids, not less, even if it does mean some wet nights. Drinking fluids helps the bladder and kidney function well, which will help ensure dry nights in the long run. Dehydration and lack of fluids will not solve anything, and may make the problem worse as people with smaller bladder retention have a harder time staying dry at night.

Watch what fluids your child drinks

Some fluids cause more problems that others. While your child is trying to overcome bedwetting, it is often best to stick with water. Colas, dark teas, and coffee all contain caffeine that irritates the bladder and also may increase the urgency to urinate more frequently. If your child is older, alcohol may also affect bedwetting by ensuring that motor controls (needed to wake up) are affected while the need to urinate is increased.

Apple juice also seems to cause increased urine in some children, thanks to the two substances, patulin and gallic acid, that it contains. Encourage your child to eat apples during the day, but do not serve apple juice or applesauce in the evenings.

Watch what your child consumes

Some parents have also found that sugary foods, carbonated drinks, milk, yellow cheese and other products containing these foods. Try cutting specific foods from your child’s diet for a while to see whether these foods have any effect on bedwetting. Monitor what your child eats before bedtime closely and eliminate any foods that seem to contribute to bedwetting, or at least limit these foods to morning.

Remember: When limiting specific foods, take great care to ensure that you child eats a balanced diet that still includes plenty of foods from each food group. Bedwetting is a minor problem compared to vitamin deficiency.

Night trips to the bathroom.

Encourage your child to go to the bathroom before sleep. You can even wake him or her up when you go to sleep so that he or she can urinate again. This gets rid of the urine in the bladder, reducing the chances that the bladder will be left with enough urine to vacate in the night again. Even if your child wets the bed, the amount of wetness will be reduced. Some parents also find that this technique alone is enough to help bedwetting. Even if it is not, it is a safe method that can be used with other remedies.

Wake up alarm

For many children who wet the bed, the problem comes from the fact that the bladder simply does not communicate well with the body. For most of us, when we have to urinate during sleep, our body wakes us up and we can head to the bathroom before returning to bed. For children with Enuresis, this system does not work. In addition, many children who wet the bed are also very heavy sleepers. Basically, the bladder empties itself since the body does not wake up to allow the child to go to the bathroom. In some cases, the child might not even notice the problem until they wake up the next morning.

There are a number of alarms on the market that your child can wear. These emit a noise when moisture is detected. They will wake your child up, allowing him or her to go to the bathroom. Even if your child is a very heavy sleeper and will not wake up, the alarm can wake up the rest of the household, so that you can wake your child up. The idea behind this device is that the child will eventually learn to wake him or herself after being woken up by the alarm several times. Some improvement will usually be seen in about two weeks.

Bed wetting statistics

Wetting the bed is a problem that is faced by a surprisingly large number of children and even teenagers. Medically referred to as nocturnal enuresis, bed wetting can be a real problem for both the children and parents alike. In this article, we’ll be relaying several statistics that relate to bed wetting to better help you understand exactly how widespread the problem is.

• During our development, bladder control is attained at various ages depending on the person. Everybody is born a bed-wetter, and while some get over the problem at a young age, it can take some children years to conquer bladder control issues. At age five, the majority of children have attained a normal system of waking up when they need to urinate. At age five, as much as twenty percent of children still experience a bed wetting problem. After age five, the likelihood of nocturnal enuresis occurrence continues to decrease, albeit at a slower pace. Approximately ten to twenty percent of all first grade boys have a bed wetting problem, and eight to seventeen percent of first grade girls. Approximately two percent of nineteen year olds may have bed wetting issues.
• If your child is a bed-wetter, they face roughly a fifteen percent chance of getting rid of the problem without any outside help within the year. To that end, 85% of all bed wetters do not solve their problem without some form of outside intervention.
• Bed wetting doesn’t necessarily happen in the night time. While it most commonly occurs at night, statistics have shown that about while seventy four percent of nocturnal enuresis sufferers wet the bed only at night, ten percent wet the bed only during the day and sixteen percent wet the bed both at night and during the daytime.

There are four established diagnoses when it comes to enuresis: diurnal enuresis, nocturnal enuresis, primary enuresis, and secondary enuresis. Diurnal enuresis denotes a problem with wetting the bed during the daytime, nocturnal enuresis affects the child only at night, primary enuresis occurs when a child was not properly toilet trained, and secondary enuresis is present when the child had a case of enuresis that was believed to be cured, but has come back.

These statistics were compiled from various sources regarding bed wetting. Since the testing methods may be skewed, it’s important to take every statistic that you read with a grain of salt until you fully understand the process that the researchers went through when collecting the data. Many of the facts above regarding bed wetting are universally known and are therefore considered sound data. Some of the results may be slightly off, but generally, the information is just about correct. Now that you can see just how prevalent the problem is, you may want to affirm your child with the information so that they realize that they are not alone. Many bed wetters are ashamed of their problem, and getting over that shame is an important step in curing the problem.

Bedwetting Devices and Tools

Many manufacturers have created products to make bedwetting less traumatic. These devices and tools can make bedwetting less embarrassing and can make cleanup or activities such as camping easier. However, they should be used with treatment rather than a substitute for it as most of these products will not cure bedwetting themselves:

Choose the right Moisture Detector Alarms

Moisture detector alarms are among the most effective tools in helping children overcome bedwetting. Unlike many of the devices and tools intended for children with Enuresis, alarms can actually treat bedwetting rather than just making the symptoms more bearable.

Moisture detectors are worn with underpants and the sensor of the alarm emits a loud sound when moisture is detected. The child can wake up and hurry to the bathroom in time. With use, the idea is to get the child to anticipate the alarm and wake up before any moisture is detected by the alarm. Within two or three months of nightly use, many children find that they can prevent all nighttime accidents and that they are actually getting up when their bladder is full and going to the bathroom.

Because moisture detection alarms are so effective in helping children overcome bedwetting, many manufacturers make them. However, all the different moisture detector alarms are not made the same.

If you choose the wrong model – one that makes your child uncomfortable or one that does not work well – the chances of success with the alarm are slim. You need a reliable and well-built alarm in order to help your child.
Signs of a good alarm include:

• Reasonable price – the alarm must be affordable
• Comfortable to wear – your child will need to wear this alarm nightly for a few months, anything that digs into your child, prevents sleep or has sharp edges could be detrimental. Plus, if your child hates wearing the alarm, he or she may not wear it often enough for the alarm to actually work
• Right levels of sensitivity – it is important that the alarm responds to small amounts of urine, so that the child can wake up in time to go to the bathroom. At the same time, an alarm that is too sensitive may be set off by night sweats, which will not only interrupt sleep unduly but will also make the alarm less successful in curing bedwetting.
• Ease of use – the alarm must be easy enough for your child to set and reset even in the middle of the night. Some alarms have a remote system that allows parents to reset the alarm from another room. This is useful for younger children.
• Durability – your child may drop the alarm in the night or may knock the alarm against the walls or bed during a restless night
• Reliability – The alarm must work each time urine is present, or it will be difficult to teach your child to solve bedwetting.
• Hygienic design – since the alarm will be in contact with urine, it is essential for good health that the alarm can be easily cleaned or disinfected after each use without its functioning being affected
• Loudness – The alarm should wake your child (and you, if your child tends to sleep through alarms). Some alarms come with adjustable sound levels, which can be very useful. Plus, some alarms allow children to be woken with vibrations rather than sound.
• If you have large family, young children, or if your child shares a room, this can be a very useful feature. Plus, children not woken by sound may well be woken by movement, so this feature is very useful if your child has trouble being woken by an alarm.
• Secureness – Some alarms come with wireless technology to prevent tangling or pulled wires. This is a nice feature, but even a lower-end alarm is fine as long as it fits snugly with clips or some other secure fastener so that it will not dislodge even with nightly tossing and turning.
• Size – The alarm should be small enough to be worn with comfort, and should be the right size for your child. It should fit snugly enough so that it is not dislodged during a restless night
• Simple power sources – Most of these alarms work on batteries. Make sure any alarm you are considering buying uses batteries that are easily available. Stock up on batteries, as well.
• Guarantee – The manufacturer should be confident enough in the product to offer a full warranty or guarantee on the product. Remember: if the alarm does not work well each time, it will not be able to teach your child to overcome bedwetting. An alarm that is not consistent is useless.
• Quality made – The device should be sturdy and made with a design that shows some thought to patient comfort. The device should also be made to last.

Of course, you may not be able to try the device out in the store. However, the package label may at least give clues as to which of the above qualities are present in a product. Doctor or clinic reviews and recommendations from other parents can also help guide you to the alarms that have most of the above features.

Use Moisture Detector alarms effectively for success

Once you have chosen the best moisture detector alarm for your child, you will want to use it properly so that your child will actually learn to use the alarm to stop bedwetting.

The idea is not to use the alarm in order to alert that an “accident” has taken place. The idea is to get the child up quickly so that they will go to the bathroom in time – after some time with the alarm, many children are able to wake themselves up when they need to use the bathroom, without the use of the alarm. The idea is to get your child to anticipate the alarm and wake up before the alarm has gone off, when the bladder feels full.

Be sure to explain to your child the purpose of the alarm. Stress the idea of using the alarm to get up and go to the bathroom quickly when the alarm is heard. Better yet, practice with your child. Have the child activate the alarm with a damp cloth and then have the child hurry to the bathroom from his or her room.

Have your child practice setting the alarm and then resetting the alarm once he or she has gone to the bathroom. Practice with your child so that your child knows exactly what to do when the alarm goes off.

Make it easy for your child to respond to the alarm quickly. A hall light or other light source can help ensure that your child can move to the bathroom quickly and without injury when the alarm goes off at night. Make sure that the child can easily access a bathroom close to his or her bathroom.

If your child is a heavy sleeper, he or she may need help waking up when the buzzer goes off. If you hear the alarm, wake your child and help him or her to the bathroom. If your child has trouble waking up to the alarm, make sure that there is no noise in your child’s room.

If your child sleeps in a noisy room, he or she may simply have become more adept at blocking out any noise, making him or her less likely to be woken up by noises of any type. Also ensure that your child goes to bed a little earlier than usual. Extreme tiredness caused by staying up too late will make it difficult for anyone to wake up for any alarm.

When using a moisture detection alarm, it is important to use the device faithfully each night until bedwetting episodes have stopped for at least a month. This may take a few months to accomplish, so patience is a desired trait when using this method to treat bedwetting.

Make sure that any bedclothes the child wears allow for proper use of the alarm. Thin underwear that allows a good grip for the clips that often come with the alarms, as well as a t-shirt to prevent tugging at wires, is often a good idea.

Disposable urine absorbers.

Infants wear diapers to control the mess of urine flow. Now, there are disposable products designed for older children and even adults. These can help ensure a dry night and less mess to clean up. Today’s products are made to be thin and discreet so that your child does not have to feel as though they are wearing diapers. These products are available through pharmacies and through medical supply stores.

However, even if your child wears these at night, be sure to pursue other options for actually treating the bedwetting. Disposable products are just a tool to make bedwetting less messy – they will not fix the problem.

These disposable systems are generally made to look like underpants, but they have liners of absorbent matter as well as top layers of plastic material to keep moisture away from the skin. For children who urinate only a little in their sleep, there are also liners that can be used with underwear.

Also be sure to keep your child’s hygiene in mind while using these products. These products do keep moisture away from the skin but they can also be heavy and very warm when worn all night (especially in the summer). Teach your child to care for his or her skin to prevent sore skin.

Reusable urine absorbers

There are urine stoppers that can catch urine during the night but which can be used again and again. These are less expensive than disposable products and can look either like underpants or like a combination of liner and underpants. Some parents prefer reusable urine absorbers because they keep sheets dry while still allowing a child to feel the wetness, which in some cases can wake the child up in time to go to the bathroom.

Used in this way, reusable urine absorbers such as underpants or liners can be used as part of behavior modification to cure bedwetting.

Choose the right type of urine absorber.

Urine absorbers come in two basic types:

1) Liners – These are strips of absorbent material, covered with a stay-dry layer and underpinned with a waterproof layer. They are attached to the underpants with adhesive strips, slips, or bands of some sort. They can leak if a child urinates a larger amount, but they are often enough for children who wet only a little. These liners are quite discreet and can cause less skin irritation and discomfort. On the other hand, they can also dislodge during a restless night, not offering protection.
BUY: "Dignity Plus Super Absorbent Liners, #30071 – 25 Liners / Pack, 10 Packs / Case"

2) Absorbent underpants – There are underpants made of absorbent material that is covered in soft fabric that keeps the skin dry. The outside of the underwear is made waterproof and may be covered in designs to make the underpants look more like regular “underwear.”

These absorbent underpants can be very expensive, but come in many styles and sizes. The newer styles are thinner than ever and also more discreet (they do not create any tell-tale sound of crinkling). For small children, these underpants provide a large area so that leaks are less likely. These absorbers can also usually absorb more urine. These underpants can cause skin irritation as the skin cannot breathe very well. For this reason, it is important to choose the correct size.

You should choose an absorber that works for your child’s situation and one that your child will not mind using. In some cases, it takes some trial and error for your child and you to find the absorber that is most effective and comfortable.

Mattress liners and mattress protectors

These products are placed under the sheets and keep the mattress free from moisture and stains. This can help protect a costly mattress and can make cleanup less of a hassle. These are a good idea while your child wets the bed, as otherwise the smell of urine can linger in the mattress and make your child uncomfortable.

Also, without liners, each time your child wets the bed you will have to air out and dry the mattress, which can take all day. Liners make life easier for everyone in your family. Families who do not want to invest in expensive mattress liners and protectors can easily cover the child’s bed securely with plastic wrapping (garbage bags, ponchos, any plastic material).

These have the advantage of being disposable as well as affordable, making clean up even easier. However, with these home-made innovations, you have to cover the mattress firmly as leaks may happen more readily with this solution, especially if you child is a restless sleeper. Store bought mattress liners are made to fit seamlessly and snugly over a bed, so that less leaking is possible.

Whatever sort of bed protection you use, make sure that all affected areas are covered. That means that if your child tosses and turns a lot, you should provide full mattress coverage as well as possibly pillow liners or protectors as well. Be sure to clean all protectors regularly (if they are not the disposable kind) to prevent odor.
BUY:
- Clusterfibre mattress topper
- Allertech Ultimate Cotton Mattress Protector – California King 72"X84"9"
- Terry waterproof mattress protector

 

Sleeping bag liners

These are more difficult to get than mattress liners, but they can make all the difference on camping trips and overnight stays at a friend’s house. Check at on-line retailers, sporting goods stores, and medical supply stores. These liners keep the inside of a sleeping bag dry and odor-free thanks to an absorbent inner layer, a soft top layer and a waterproof lower layer that keeps the sleeping bad completely dry.
BUY: Sleep Sacks Sleeping Bag Liners Cocoon Cotton Travel Sheet Natural

Those with chronic Enuresis often turn to catheters.

Catheters are medical equipment used to draw waste away from a body when a patient is very ill or unconscious. Some patients with Enuresis use them. Traditional catheters will generally present a risk of infection and should not be used nightly.

Something called the “Texas catheter” fits over the genitals, is less invasive, and so is safer.

The idea is that the catheter gathers the urine into a disposable container, ensuring that the patient wakes up dry. Urine can be disposed easily, ensuring no clean up. Also, unlike absorbency undergarments, catheters draw the urine away more completely, reducing the chances of skin irritation or skin infection.

This is a bit of an extreme method, as it is not very comfortable and is certainly not discreet. However, some Enuresis patients who wet the bed each night due to a medical condition use it. If catheters seem like a solution to you, speak with a doctor or health care professional. Catheters are available through medical supply outlets, but if you decide to get one you may need to be trained to clean and use it properly and safely.

Bedwetting Advice that Has Worked for Other Parents

Those who know a lot about bedwetting options, remedies and treatments are often those parents who have struggled with the problem with their own children. There are many alternative or less-used bedwetting remedies used by parents to help treat the problem. Some are backed by research, others are used simply because they work for some parents. At the very least, these tips are worth considering when you are trying to cope with bedwetting at your home:

Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is an alternative treatment that uses hypnosis to treat bedwetting (Hypnotherapy is also used to treat a host of other ailments). The premise behind hypnotherapy is much the same as the idea behind behavior modification or visualization – the mind is used to control what the body does.

During hypnotherapy, a child will be hypnotized and then suggestions will be made (by the hypnotherapist’s voice) that the child is able to control their bladder at night and can wake up in time to go to the bathroom. Hypnotherapy is safe and is generally used for older children, although there are hypnotherapists who work with younger children, as well. Some results can be seen in a few weeks.

If you decide to use hypnotherapy as a route, you need to investigate practitioners carefully, as in most states alternative healers such as hypnotherapists are not required to be licensed or otherwise controlled.

Get recommendations for a good hypnotherapist who has had success treating other patients of Enuresis specifically. Most health insurance does not cover this form of treatment, so get the best hypnotherapist you can so that your money is well spent on an effective remedy.

Check Your Child’s school bathroom and school drinking habits

It sounds strange, but it’s true – your child’s habits at school may be contributing to problems at home. Some doctors have suggested that children do not drink very much during schooldays.

Partly, this is because children are given only short breaks and because beverages are not allowed in class. Children who do not drink enough in school may be dehydrated by the time they come home, meaning that they drink most of their daily fluids in the hours leading up to evening.

Plus, many children are shy about using bathrooms in public places, such as their school. This means that they may be waiting to drink and use the bathroom until they come home. This forces the body to take most of its water but also perform most of its voiding within a few hours, encouraging accidents in the night.

If your child has wet nights more often during the school week, school-related stress or poor drinking and bathroom habits may be the culprit. Ensuring that your child can drink and visit bathrooms regularly throughout the day can help ensure drier nights.Encourage your child to visit the bathroom at school and drink during school time. Discuss any concerns your child has about using the bathroom at school or drinking water at school. Try to remedy these problems.

Develop a bedtime routine.

Plus, some parents have found that a steady routine helps to quiet the child and have the child prepare for bed in a good frame of mind. Some parents believe that just as the routine is established for bedtime, so the child’s mind can accept a routine for getting up and going to the bathroom. At the very least, this method costs no money and is perfectly safe to use alone or with other remedies.

A teaspoon of honey

Some parents find that a teaspoon of honey taken orally morning and night helps prevent bedwetting. There is some controversy about this treatment, as some doctors insist that it does not work while some happy parents claim that it does. Research indicates that the substances in honey may help with water retention and help calm fears. More research needs to be done about these properties and their possible impact on bedwetting.

However, at the very least a teaspoon of honey at night and in the morning is not harmful in any way and can easily be used with other treatments.

Subliminal Suggestion

Ask your child if he or she dreams that she is urinating on the nights when he or she wets the bed. If your child does, have your child practice imagining waking up in the dream. Practice with your child, and have your child say “I have to wake up and go to the bathroom now” in the dream sequence. If your child can do this in their dream, they will wake up and have time to go to the bathroom. This is called “subliminal suggestion” and many parents find that this works like magic.

Homeopathy and natural remedies

If you can find a qualified homoeopath or alternative doctor in your area, he or she may be worth a try, especially if he or she has had success in treating bedwetting problems in the past. There are a number of natural medicines out there for treating bedwetting. You can easily and inexpensively buy them at the health food store.

However, a good natural healer or holistic practitioner can be a better choice as he or she will be qualified to tell which medications and natural treatments are effective. Many parents and their children have found success by pursuing this method.

If you decide to purchase herbal or homeopathic remedies of any kind, it is important that you read the ingredients very carefully to make sure that your child is not allergic to any of the substances. It is also a good idea to talk to your pharmacist to see whether any ingredients in the medication or treatment could interact with any substances your child is taking.

Remember: even remedies that are all-natural may contain ingredients that can be harmful or can cause allergic reactions in your child. Many parents have found help through natural or alternative tablets, pills, and other treatments, but you need to be cautious about what you give your child to ingest.

Chiropractors

Some parents have found help through chiropractic therapy. If you decide to opt for this route, make sure that you choose a qualified and recommended practitioner. It is best if you can find someone who has had experience in helping patients with Enuresis specifically.

Chiropractors work by manipulating the joints and the spinal cord in particular. It is thought that this manipulation helps to ease many conditions, including bedwetting. In fact, one recent study seems to prove that chiropractic treatment is beneficial for bedwetting prevention and treatment.

According to a study published in Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics suggests that in some cases chiropractic treatment can help reduce bed wettings by half. In fact, the study found that chiropractic care helped more than 25% of subjects in the study make such dramatic improvement in their bladder control.

Chiropractic treatment is used by many people and when performed by a qualified practitioner is quite safe. It is even safe for children. However, you will want to find a practitioner with very good recommendations, as not all areas enforce strict controls on chiropractic practitioners.

Bed Wetting in Adolescents

Wetting the bed as a preteen or teenager is not uncommon. It is estimated that approximately three percent of all fourteen-year-old boys and girls continue to wet their beds at night in varying degrees (in other words it might only be twice a week but it is still consistent behavior). Bed wetting at any age is considered to be more widespread in males than it is in females.

Bed wetting at any age is broken down into two categories- primary nocturnal enuresis (or simply primary enuresis) and secondary nocturnal enuresis (or secondary enuresis). Primary enuresis is when the adolescent suffers from “persistent involuntary nighttime urination” and rarely wakes to a dry bed. Secondary enuresis on the other hand is when an adolescent begins wetting their bed on a fairly consistent basis after having had no previous bed wetting instances in the preceding six months.

Three of the most common reasons for primary enuresis are a genetic predisposition towards it, a tendency to be a deep sleeper and a limited production of a hormone known as vasopressin. Primary bed wetting appears to have a genetic link. Approximately seventy-five percent of children who do it had a parent, aunt, uncle or grandparent who also experienced the same problem. Some people are much deeper sleepers than others (the deepest stage of sleep being rapid eye movement or REM) and therefore have a difficult time waking themselves up or being awakened by others. Many of these people do not easily awaken to an alarm clock either. Vasopressin is an ant-diuretic hormone that lets the kidneys know that they should make the urine they produce as concentrated as possible thereby not allowing the bladder to go beyond its capacity to hold urine. It is theorized that those who suffer from primary enuresis do not produce as much of the hormone Vasopressin as other people do.
Secondary enuresis is often caused by a bladder infection. Bladder infections can also be accompanied by other physical symptoms such as a feeling of pain or discomfort in the abdomen or in the lower back in the area of the kidneys and/or a feeling of burning while urinating. If you suspect a urinary tract infection could be causing your secondary enuresis, pay a visit to your doctor for a proper diagnosis and a prescription for antibiotics. Stress either at home or at school can also bring on a bout of secondary enuresis in some adolescents. This is a very stressful time for many young people and therefore they need all of the encouragement and support they can get. Remember that an adolescent is in the process of developing their sense of self at this critical and sensitive period of development and many things can cause injury to a person’s vulnerable self-esteem. Rest assured that your preteen or teenager is as normal as anyone else. They are not dirty, lazy or undisciplined. They are instead going through a rough time and need as much love and support as possible. Never get angry at a bed wetting preteen and instead be understanding and open to conversation when the need arises.

Basic information about bedwetting

Bed wetting is a problem that millions of people across the world face. Clinically known as nocturnal enuresis, the problem is one of taboo and few realize exactly how medically prevalent the problem is. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the basics about nocturnal enuresis so that you can have a better understanding of the problem.

Enuresis is prevalent in much of the youth in society. Current estimates show that between 5 and 7 million youths are victim to the condition, with more boys being afflicted than girls. There are many causes to a case of enuresis; it is known to run in families, and those who have trouble waking up when asleep face a high risk of bed-wetting. Also, if a child’s central nervous system develops slower than normal, their bladder may empty while they sleep. Hormonal factors may also weigh into a likelihood of bed wetting, as well as several physical causes. Urinary tract infections, abnormalities of the central nervous system or urethral valve, and a small bladder give a person a significant risk of wetting the bed.

Bed-wetting most often occurs in children that are aged 5 or younger. At age 5, most children have sufficient bladder control to stop the problem. Although it may be very troublesome to the parents, bed-wetting until age 5 is relatively common. If you decide to take your child to a doctor, there are some simple procedures that they usually perform. They tend to ask questions regarding the bathroom habits of the child during the nighttime and daytime. Also, they will usually perform a physical and a urinalysis, as well as asking about the child’s family life, as it may be a contributing factor to enuresis.
When trying to cure a problem with enuresis, several different tactics are usually employed. One simple device that most parents use to help their child is an alarm system that goes off when it gets wet. By waking up every time that the bed gets wet, the child begins to become conditioned to waking up when they feel the need to urinate. Other tactics that are useful include setting up a system of rewards for your child when they get through a night without bed wetting. This gets them to focus more on the problem, and it may help to curb the enuresis. Another method of helping children with their bladder control is to have your child practice keeping urine in for increasingly longer periods of time when they have to go. If your child is older than 7 and is still experiencing problems with bed wetting after trying some of the above solutions, doctors may recommend medicine. One type of medication causes the body to produce less urine, and another increases the bladder’s capability to hold more urine. While not a cure for bed wetting, these medications may help you to decrease your likelihood of wetting the bed. Remember to not make your child feel guilty about the bed-wetting, but be sure to let them know that it is partially in their power to help stop their problem.