How to Help Stop Bedwetting

Most children begin to feel and know when they need to urinate at night when they are already 3 years of age. But it has become a cause of concern among parents if their children still wet their beds when they reach the school age of 4 to 16, often leading to them searching for advice or tools that can help stop bedwetting.

According to Pacific International Ltd., an organization whose mission is to help children as well as adults in overcoming bedwetting, this condition affects 15 to 20 percent of schoolchildren ranging from 4 years old to 16 years old or older. And that, 2 to 3 percent of the adult population also has this nocturnal problem.

From the statistics of the organization, there is a 3:1 ratio of bedwetting occurrences for boys and girls and based from their records in the last 52 years, 70 percent of the individuals whom they studied to have bedwetting problems were males while 30 percent were females.

Aside from these facts, studies made by The American Academy of Child and Adolescent also found out that an estimated 15 percent of kids after reaching the age of 3 wet their beds. Moreover, bedwetting can be hereditary such that, such problems do run in some families. They also found out that some bedwetters overcome this when they reach puberty and that, bedwetting individuals do not have emotional dilemmas and problems.

Causes of bedwetting are not definite but doctors do agree that if a child still urinates while sleeping and he is much older that 7 and 8, then they suggest that a urine test be made. This is to be able to check if there are problems with his gallbladder, to rule out possibilities of infections and to find ways in order to help stop bedwetting.

Most of the time, the bedwetting problem is linked with deep and incorrect sleeping that might hamper the bedwetting child, or enuretic, from reacting to the pressure his gallbladder makes when it needs to be emptied.

So in order to help stop bedwetting and to prevent it from happening, parents can help their children cope by trying to limit the amount of liquid taken in by their children before they go to sleep. According to Adam Health Care Center, drinking less than 2 ounces of liquids 2 hours before bedtime decreases the urine amount and in the long run can improve and even help stop bedwetting. They noted though, that if it doesn't give any significant changes on bedwetting conditions within 2 weeks from implementation, then, it might not be able to help stop bedwetting, at all.

Another means to help stop bedwetting is to encourage the child to urinate in the bathroom before going to bed. This will reduce the amount of urine stored in the bladder of the child. Waking the child on a certain time period in the nighttime can also help stop bedwetting although this won't speed up the process of overcoming the condition.

Certain individuals called continence advisers are also willing to help enuretics by giving them lessons and exercises for controlling their bladders to help stop bedwetting while they are sleeping. These exercises enable them to contain further amounts of urine in their bladders and become aware if they need to go to the bathroom.

Encouraging words and actions from parents can also do wonders and help stop bedwetting in children. It is good for parents to praise and compliment their children when they did not urinate during the night. And, it is also best to avoid giving out punishments if they did.

Apart from all of what was mentioned in order to help stop bedwetting, Adam Health Care Center also suggests that an additional 30 minutes of sleep each night might help stop bedwetting in children.

There are also products and aid kits that are designed and out in the market today that can be used to help stop bedwetting. The most common product is an alarm that can be attached in the child's pajamas or in his bed that buzzes or creates a sound when it detects wetness. With constant use, the enuretic will soon be able to know when to get out from bed and relieve himself. According to statistics, the use of this device is 80 percent effective among children and does help stop bedwetting.

Aside from alarms, there are also drugs designed to help stop bedwetting that are available. Some of these drugs include Desmopressin which is a prescription drug used to reduce the volume of urine produced in the bladder. These drugs, which were made to help stop bedwetting, are not advisable to take in because these do not address the condition long term and they do have side effects. Some of these side effects include stomach pain, headaches and nosebleeds. It is still recommendable for parents to consult with their family physicians if they plan to use drugs to help stop bedwetting in their children. Doctors and physicians still highly advocate the use and practice of natural means in order to help stop bedwetting.

Other alternative therapies are also being promoted to help stop bedwetting. Some of these include hypnosis and acupuncture. These are unconventional methods to help stop bedwetting and it is recommended for parents and individuals to consult with their doctors first before letting their children undergo such therapies.