Solutions for Bedwetting in Children

In most cases, the solution for bedwetting in a child who is at least six years old, is behavior modification. Medicines should only be used as a last resort as there may be side-effects, and drugs may only treat the symptoms of the problem. Doctors recommend an examination for children over seven years of age who continue to wet-the-bed in order to rule out medical complications.

Some basic steps that a parent or caregiver can take to modify a child's behavior include the following:

• Probably the most logical thing to do is to limit the amount of fluids the child takes in just before bedtime. Overloading the bladder at this crucial time is just asking for trouble.
• Most children at this age have a rather elaborate bedtime routine, including snacks and stories. A good practice is to have the child use the bathroom at the beginning of this process, and then one more time just before "tuck in time".
• Setting up a reward system for dry nights is often effective. A very easy method is to use a calendar and put a smiley face or sticker on every day that the child has a dry night. Punishment is not a good idea and because it creates fear in the child can cause lying or other cover-up type behavior that can actually inhibit a concerted dry bed program.
• However, helping a child to understand the consequences of his or her behavior is appropriate. Have them help strip and make the bed and help wash wet sheets.
• Encourage the child to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Make sure the bathroom and the route to it are well-lit by nightlights.
• Another idea that may help is sometimes called "bladder training"¹. In this the child practices holding urine for long periods during the day in an effort to "stretch the bladder". The theory is that if the child has a larger bladder, he or she might be able to make it through the night without urinating.

Home Remedies for Childhood Enuresis

Home remedies for bedwetting are not to be disdained. These are remedies that have worked for some, and may be worth a try in controlling night-time bedwetting.

• Avoid giving children brown liquids like colas or hot chocolate after five pm.
• Limit the amount of light in the room. It is thought that light may prevent the hormone that limits production of urine at night.
• Avoid sweets in the evening.
• Chew cinnamon bark.
• Eat waltnuts and raisins.
• Eat a banana.
• A few dry dates boiled in a cup of milk and taken daily is thought to increase the strength of pelvic muscles and the urinary sphincter.²

All of these steps require patience on the part of both the parent and the child. It can become frustrating when a routine worked out by the parent and faithfully executed by the child seems to have little or no effect. For this reason the parent should carefully determine whether a child is actually ready to undergo a dry-bed program. In a majority of cases the problem will clear itself up through the child's own development. However, as the child gets older, he will become ever more conscious of the problem and at a certain point implementation of a dry-bed program will become imperative.

Probably the most effective behavioral means for ending bedwetting is using a bedwetting alarm in conjunction with the steps outlined above.

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1. FamilyDoctor.com
2. MamaHerb.com