Helping your child through bedwetting
| Published: 8th December 2007 13:35 |
There are steps you can take to make sure your child stays dry throughout the night.
Most people can remember wetting the bed when they were a kid. Nocturnal enuresis, as it is technically known, is common in childhood. It can be occasional or persistent and can affect children of all ages, even those in their teens. As well as being a pain for the parent, the problem can be a huge cause of embarrassment for a child.
The natural course of progression for parents is to encourage night-time dryness once a child has learned to stay dry during the day. Like potty training, walking and talking, every child is different when it comes to learning to stay dry at night.
Children recognise the urge to go, wake up and use the toilet at different stages. Bladder size and muscle strength are required before a child is physically able to remain dry throughout the night.
There are many reasons why children wet the bed for longer than normal. According to research, bedwetting can be an inherited trait, especially if both parents used to wet the bed when they were young. If the problem persists well into early childhood, it would be wise to consider possible physical factors, such as slow bladder growth, diabetes, constipation, allergies, abnormal sleep patterns, physical abnormalities or deficiencies in urine inhibiting hormones during the night. Speak to your doctor if you are concerned.
As children get older they will become more aware that this is not the norm and may feel embarrassed and ashamed. It is down to the parents to stay positive and reassure the child it is not their fault and that the problem will resolve itself with time. Experts advise that any discussions about bedwetting should always be as private as possible and away from any siblings.
One solution is to involve the child in prevention methods. There are a number of disposable underwear products available as well as disposable mattress pads to choose from. Ask if the child wishes to be woken in the night to pop to the toilet - you can offer them an alarm clock or bedwetting alarm device. Involving them in the choice of prevention may help build a sense of grown-up independence as they are self-managing the problem.
For some children a reward chart with incentives for several dry nights helps motivate staying dry. After five stars are earned for dry nights, reward your child with a small toy of their choice. If you see no progress in the reward chart system, end it to avoid making your child feel like a failure.
One good exercise is to encourage your child to wait as long as possible to urinate during the day, which stretches the bladder and increases muscle strength. Discourage caffeinated foods like chocolate or colas as they stimulate the bladder. Also keep them well hydrated during the day so they don't have a thirst in the evening.
Typically, children who wet the bed once a night will slowly progress to wetting fewer nights each week, with fluctuations back and forth, until they eventually outgrow the problem altogether. However, the entire process can take more than a year or two to fully resolve itself.
Regardless of how you proceed, avoid putting pressure on your child and don't dish out punishments, say experts. Staying dry all night is a developmental skill that all children achieve in time.
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