Bedwetting: How to Stop It

Bedwetting, which is known by its medical term as Enuresis, will eventually stop as the children go into adolescence. However, it can cause embarrassments and stress if the children are above the age of five, not only to the children themselves but also to their parents. However, before we take any measure to eliminate this problem, we must fully understand the definition and the causes.

The Definition

A child who is above age five, wet the bed two or more times per week for a period of three months or longer, falls into this category. If a child below age five and wet the bet occasionally, cannot be marked as having bedwetting problem.

The Causes

Even though, there is no clearly defined cause of bedwetting, parents must always understand and remember that the children never wet the bed on purpose, out of spite or simply want to make the parents angry. It is just a bladder control. We all are born with it and need to be trained. Some children are sound sleeper and do not wake when they have a full bladder. And some have small bladder capacity. It happens more often in boys than girls. Usually, there is a strong family history of bedwetting.

Measures to Be Taken

Please do not resort to punishment; ridicule the child in public or teasing him. These can prolong the problem and can have a long-lasting mental scar.

You must teach the child to wake up at night on his own and go to the toilet to pass urine. Initially, you may have to wake him up for a week or two but make sure do not bring your half-asleep child to the toilet.

It is best if the bathroom is near to the child room. Switch on a nightlight, it can be a great help.

Avoid drinking caffeine-contained drinks such as coffee, tea, cola and chocolate or fruit juice before bed. These drinks stimulate the production of urine. It is advisable to control the volume of liquid intake at night to avoid excessive fluids in the bladder.

Encourage the child to take responsibility for the problem, such as letting him change the sheet himself. By doing this, it will remind him to empty his bladder before bedtime.

Giving incentives and keeping records will motivate the child to keep trying.