Bed-Wetting
Bed-Wetting
5 Options for Sleep-Through Nights
Bed-wetting can be both uncomfortable and embarrassing for a child. Thankfully, almost all kids outgrow it in time. But chances are you will feel compelled to do something while you wait. What follows are the best bed-wetting remedies currently available—other than time.
Be realistic. "Don't praise and don't punish," says Ann Price, educational coordinator of the National Academy of Nannies, Inc. (NANI) in Denver, Colorado. "Just change the bed and don't say a word. It'll go away by itself. Kids don't do it on purpose, so don't praise them when they are dry or punish them when they are wet."
Change for the better. To help minimize psychological stress, Price recommends arranging the bedroom so the child can change the sheets himself. "And set out a felt-covered rubber pad so when he has an accident he can lay it over the wet part of the bed. Also, put out a pair of dry pajamas he can change into. That way, at least he won't feel babyish."
Don't be alarmed. "Bed-wetting alarms can work," says Bryan Shumaker, M.D., a urologist at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Pontiac, Michigan. "But you'd better have patience. The alarm is loud, and chances are good it'll wake up everybody in the house when it goes off."
Bed-wetting alarms emit a buzzing or ringing sound when the child is wet. The theory is that the sound will condition him to awaken when he needs to urinate. Eventually, wetting will be inhibited and bladder distension will become the signal for the child to awaken.
Most children respond to this type of conditioning strategy within 60 days, says Dr. Shumaker. Bed-wetting is considered cured when the child remains dry for 21 consecutive nights.
A new generation of alarms is much smaller and more sensitive to wetness than the bulky, complicated mats and pads of yesterday. Today's alarms run on hearing aid batteries and boast moisture sensors that attach directly to the underwear. Best of all, those who use modern alarms have relapse rates of only 10 to 15 percent, compared to the 50 percent relapse rate of older models.
Boost bladder muscles. "If the child's daytime pattern is one in which he goes to the bathroom fairly often, then bladder stretching exercises may work," says Linda Jonides, a pediatric nurse practitioner from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her recommendation: Have the child drink lots of liquids during the daytime, then practice bladder control by holding off urination for as long as possible.
Practice patience and love. "Understand that all kids outgrow bed-wetting at a rate of 15 percent a year," says Dr. Shumaker. "Which means by the time they go through puberty, less than 1 or 2 percent will still wet the bed. So be patient and be supportive. No kid wants to wet on himself. It's unpleasant, uncomfortable, and cold, and besides 'only babies do that'—and no kid wants to be a baby. Patience and support is the bottom line."
PANEL OF ADVISERS
Linda Jonides is a pediatric nurse practitioner in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Ann Price is educational coordinator of the National Academy of Nannies, Inc. (NANI) in Denver, Colorado, and coauthor of Successful Breastfeeding, Dr. Mom, and other books.
Bryan Shumaker, M.D., is a urologist at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Pontiac, Michigan.
