Bedwetting or enuresis, is a common childhood disorder. In addition to being unhealthy and uncomfortable, this disorder can also be depressing and demoralizing. These tips may help.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: Varies
Here's How:
- Make sure your child urinates before going to bed.
- Keep fluid intake to a minimum in the evening.
- Avoid foods or soft drinks containing caffeine (like chocolate or colas) as they increase urine output.
- Make sure the child sleeps close to the bathroom for easy access.
- Use a night light so there's no danger of his or her tripping or becoming disoriented when getting up in the night.
- Wake the child periodically during the night and take him or her to the bathroom.
- Use plastic pants at night to eliminate the discomfort of wet sheets.
- If you wet your bed when you were a child, let your child know. If he or she understands that bed-wetting may be hereditary, it can ease anxiety and help him or her cope with the condition.
- Constipation can make bedwetting worse. If your child is constipated, try to alleviate that problem.
- Use a moisture alarm sewn into a pocket of the child's sleepwear. It will buzz at the slightest hint of moisture.
- Discuss the bedwetting problem and methods of treatment with your doctor or pediatrician.
- Have tests done to eliminate other medical problems like urinary tract infection.
Tips:
- Never punish a child for wetting the bed. Children often do not have control over bedwetting.
- Praise your child for effort as well as for success.
- Don't become discouraged. Most bed wetting problems end on their own when the child is four or five.
