Bedwetting remains a problem for many children past toddlerhood.
Waking up soaked in the middle of the night isn't pleasant for the child who has to suffer the embarrassment of wetting the bed. Nor is it a joy for the parent who must clean up this sometimes-nightly mess. If your older child is still struggling to master the art of staying dry through the night, there are some things that you can do to help. By approaching the problem systematically and assisting your child in overcoming his night-time urination challenges, you can improve both your life and the life of your oh-so-embarrassed youngster.
Medical Causes
Before you attempt to tackle your child's bedwetting issues, it is vital that you make sure that there isn't a more serious medical problem at the root of the malady. Bedwetting is most commonly just the result of a child's lack of development of bladder control muscles; however, if your child was not previously wetting the bed and the issue suddenly appeared, there could be a medical cause. Particularly if your child was effectively staying dry through the night for an extended period of time prior to his current bout of bedwetting, it is vital that you speak to your child's doctor, as she can run tests for urological conditions of which the bedwetting could merely be an undesirable symptom.
Talking About the Problem
Particularly for older children who are still struggling to stop wetting the bed, the subject can be a sore one. Though your older bed wetter will likely be less-than-eager to discuss his challenges with you, it is vital that you sit him down and talk about the problem. Explain to him that it is a natural problem and that you are going to help him. In doing so, you can create a partnership with him and help him feel less alone in tackling the troubles he is having.
Urinary Delay
Your child's bedwetting may be due, in part, to the fact that he has yet to develop the muscles necessary to hold in his urine. One way to help him build these muscles is to train him to hold his urine during the day. Explain this to your child, and start him on a urine holding regimen. When he tells you during the day that he needs to relieve himself, ask him to hold it for five minutes. Continually increase the length of time that you are asking him to hold it, working towards an ultimate goal of him being able to delay using the restroom for 45 minutes. As he practices holding his urine, he will naturally strengthen these muscles.
High Tech Solutions
Bedwetting is an age-old problem for which there are some potential modern cures. Most often, a child wets the bed because the urinary urges he is feeling are simply not acute enough to rouse him out of his slumber. One way to overcome this challenge is to outfit your child with a urinary bed alarm. These alarms, which come in a wide variety of models, are designed to beep when they detect moisture, serving as a wake-up call for your child that can alert him to the fact that he needs to venture to the bathroom. While you certainly don't want your child to wear this gadget into adulthood, it can be a valuable training tool; with continued use, your child will learn to identify and respond to the urinary urges that naturally tell him that he needs to visit the restroom, extinguishing the necessity for the device.
Rewarding Desired Behavior
Keep your child excited about the prospect of changing his behavior by rewarding him for exhibiting the behavior you seek: making it through the night with a dry bed. Give your child a sticker for each night he goes accident free. Allow him to trade these stickers for toys or outings. As he amasses his sticker collection, he will not only have extra motivation to give staying dry his all, but he will also have the opportunity to experience pride in his ever-increasing abilities.
Tags: your child, that needs, through night, vital that, your child