Bed-Wetting – How to help your child avoid it
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Whilst some children may learn to keep themselves dry during the day fairly quickly, it is much harder for them to remain so at night. Bedwetting at night is therefore a common issue among many children under the age of five.
The main reason for this is because they are still learning to master their bladder control, but other factors may also contribute to the challenge of staying dry overnight. These might include a child’s reluctance to use the bathroom at night when the house is unsettlingly dark and quiet, their sleepy state which means they cannot get to the bathroom soon enough, and sometimes just don’t realise they need to do anything until it is too late. Much to the relief of countless parents (not to mention creaky washing machines!), children will often grow out of it by themselves. Aside from the afore mentioned factors, there may also be other reasons your child is wetting the bed. These could be psychological or physiological. Sometimes you can guess the probable reason quite easily, other times it can be a little more difficult. In the latter case, you may require the help of a healthcare professional to uncover the cause.
Each child is uniquely different but, in most cases, there are universal steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of your child wetting the bed. As well as the things you should do, there are also things to avoid.
The DO’S:
Whilst children should have a small cup or beaker of water beside them during the night, if you ensure they have plenty to drink during the day, this will keep them hydrated, thus reducing the likelihood they will need a drink during the night.
Always make sure they use the toilet just before they go to bed so there is a smaller chance their bladder will need emptying during the night.
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Use a waterproof mattress cover and bedsheet as this will make your life so much easier. Even better, have multiple bedsheets in stock so it is quicker to re-make the bed each time they have an accident.
Make sure your child has easy and lighted access to a toilet at night. Leave the bathroom light on and the door ajar, and use plugin night lights to help them find their way in the dark.
Create an incentive, such as reward charts and stickers in order to encourage your child to stay dry. This will motivate them to keep trying and will allow you and them to track their progress and success.
The DON’T’S:
How ever many times it happens, it is important not to scold your child as it is seldom their conscious decision to wet the bed.
Do not give them caffeinated drinks such as cola or tea because the caffeine acts as a diarrhetic, making them urinate more often.
Do not wake them up during the night to take them to the toilet as this disruption to their sleep will not help anyone in the long term.
How long it will take for them to master staying dry through night varies from child to child, so stick with it for as long as you need to. However, if your child was previously dry at night, and had been so for more than six months, you should seek the advice of your GP. You can also seek their advice if nothing you do seems to make a difference, despite your lengthy perseverance.
Photo courtesy of Dimitri Houtteman (Unsplash)