How To Help Your Child With Bedwetting: 9 Solutions That Work

How To Help Your Child With Bedwetting 9 Solutions That Work

One of the issues some parents will battle with is bedwetting in their kids.

The National Institutes of Health defines bed wetting, medically called nocturnal enuresis or nighttime incontinence as the involuntary urination in kids over aged 5 and over five million kids experience it.

Bedwetting is also known to be genetic as most times it’s been found that one or more of the child’s parents might have had an issue with it as well. It is also more common in boys than girls.

What Causes Bedwetting In Kids?

Bedwetting mostly occurs when a child’s bladder isn’t fully mature and can’t hold urine the entire night.

Kids who bedwet produce a rather large amount of urine in the evenings and at night and don’t wake up to empty their bladders.

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What Experts Say About Bedwetting

While parents tend to worry if their kids still bed wets, Dr. Charles Kwon MD, a pediatric neurologist says it isn’t a problem until the child turns 7.

Turning to meds is also not a solution as, according to Dr. Audrey Rhee, a pediatric urologist, there are most times side effects to this.

Taking medications, including the synthetic hormone known for addressing bedwetting, work more as a temporary fix which doesn’t address the main issue.

Treating bedwetting in kids starts with knowing which of the two types it is.

A child who has never had a single dry night or gone an extended period without bedwetting is said to be experiencing primary bedwetting.

On the other hand, if your child suddenly starts wetting the bed after at least six months of stopping, then he is said to be experiencing secondary bedwetting

Secondary bedwetting cases most times have different causes and could come on as a result of underlying health or emotional issue the child might be facing.

If you are worried about your child’s continued bedwetting, here are the seven solutions put forward for managing the situation

1) Encourage

Most kids already feel embarrassed they bet wet and getting angry at them would put more pressure on them to stay dry and worsen the situation

Scott J. Goldstein M.D, an instructor of Clinical Pediatrics at Northwestern University School recommends the opposite. So, instead of blaming or shaming a child, reassure and encourage.

It might be effective to make him know he is not alone as about 15% of kids aged 5 and older still wet the bed.

2) Reduce the Amount of Water Taken Closer to Bedtime

For kids who produce more urine closer to bedtime, reducing the amount of water and other liquids they take during the evenings just might be the solution to this.

To ensure they still get enough liquid for the day, you should give them a water bottle to school and encourage them to drink up.

Reducing their liquid consumption in the evenings ensures they produce less urine at night.

3) Eliminate Bladder Irritants

Bladder irritants like caffeine, sweetness, artificial dyes, and citrus juices could also encourage bedwetting in kids, so you want to look into reducing or eliminating them closer to bedtime.

4) Let Them Empty Out Their Bladder

Since your child empties their bladder is a lot more effective if they already take in less water at night time.

With an empty bladder before bedtime, you are sure very little quantity of urine will be produced at night, most times not enough to be an issue.

5) Have Nighttime Breaks to Empty Their Bladders

Some experts strongly kick against waking a child up in the middle of the night to empty their bladder in the belief it disrupts their sleep and could also promote sleeplessness.

However, waking a child up at night, also called lifting doesn’t seem to have that profound or lasting effect on all kids. Some kids sleep right through the process and have no hustle falling deeply asleep afterwards.

In such a situation, waking your child up would be ideal. Over time, your child could also become accustomed to waking themselves by these times to pee.

Read Also: 9 Home Safety Tips Every Mom Should Know

6) Talk to Them

Talking to your child will also reassure them, especially if the issue is beginning to affect their confidence.

Knowing they are not alone and that you are strongly committed to seeing this issue to an end, will give them the added motivation to keep trying.

You could also make use of a Bedwetting Alarm that will get your child up before an accident occurs.

7) Offer Incentives for Dry Nights

A few children will do better with motivation in the form of incentives. This could be you rewarding the child with a huge or praises when they have a certain number of dry nights.

For this method though, you would need to exercise some patience as they might not get the number of nights at a stretch. You want to still keep your spirit up and encourage your child still so he doesn’t get discouraged.

8) Invest in a Water Proof Mattress

Part of the issue parents have with bedwetting is the urine smell that seems to linger and become a part of your child’s room.

However, you can work around this by getting a waterproof mattress or pad that is machine washable and can be taken off anytime.

9) Work with a Pediatricianp

If after all else bedwetting persists, especially in an older child, then you should look into working with a pediatrician.

A pediatrician is specially trained and will work with your child to achieve the desired result.

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