Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Help children stop wetting the bed
• Method 2 of 2: Stop wetting for teens and adults
• Tips
• Warnings

The development of bladder control does not follow a set schedule, and some children take longer than their peers to stop wetting the bed. The secret is to reduce the risk of bedwetting by taking the right precautions. Bedwetting, also called nocturnal enuresis, isn't just a problem in children, however. With a little patience and dedication, you can get rid of bedwetting whether you're trying to help yourself or your child.

To step

Method 1 of 2: Help children stop wetting the bed

1. Do not panic. Almost 15% of the children sometimes urinate in bed at the age of five. Although this percentage is ending, you don't even have to worry about bedwetting until the seventh year. Before that, your child's bladder and the control they have over it is still developing.
2. Do not give your child too much to drink in the evening. Give your child less to drink in the hours before going to bed. Note that this does not apply to the whole day. On the contrary, because if you encourage your child to drink more in the morning and in the afternoon, it will be less thirsty in the evening. If your child is thirsty at night, especially if he / she has been exercising or otherwise physically active, give him / her well water.
   • If allowed, give your child a bottle of water to school so that they are less thirsty later in the afternoon and in the evening.
3. Do not give your child caffeine. Caffeine is a diuretic, which means that you have to urinate more of it. While you shouldn't give young children caffeine at all, this is more true if you want your child to stop wetting the bed.
4. Do not give your child any substances that irritate the bladder. In addition to caffeine, you should also avoid other things that can irritate the bladder at night and cause your child to wet the bed. These include citrus juice, colorants (especially juice with red coloring), sweeteners and artificial flavors.
5. Encourage your child to go to the bathroom regularly. Tell your child about every two hours in the afternoon and evening to go to the bathroom. This way your child will have less urge to urinate during the evening.
6. Apply the "double-urination technique". Many children urinate during their bedtime ritual before putting on their pajamas, brushing their teeth, etc. After this entire routine, have your child urinate again just before going to sleep.
7. Get rid of constipation. Pressure on your child's rectum from blockage can also lead to bedwetting. This complicates matters, as children are often embarrassed to talk about constipation, but this simple problem accounts for about a third of all bedwetting cases in children who are normally completely toilet trained.
   • If you know your child has constipation, give them plenty of fiber for a few days. If that doesn't help, see your doctor. There are many good ways to help children get rid of constipation.
8. Never punish your child for this. While the whole process can be very frustrating, you should never punish your child for wetting in bed. Your child is probably embarrassed anyway and wants it to stop just as much as you do. Instead of punishing when things go wrong, you can reward your child when it stays dry at night.
   • You can reward your child by, for example, playing a game, giving a sticker or making his / her favorite food. Make use of what he / she likes.
9. Try a bedwetting alarm. Waking your child before going to bed yourself can result in a child not well rested. You also don't want to wake your child when it isn't actually necessary. Instead, try a bedwetting alarm. You clip these devices to the underwear or a mat on the mattress, and it will beep as soon as it detects moisture, so that your child wakes up when it threatens to urinate in bed.
10. Go to the doctor. In rare cases, bedwetting in children can also have a serious cause. To be on the safe side, see your doctor so that he / she can examine your child for:
    • Sleep apnea
    • A bladder infection
    • Diabetes
    • Urinary or nervous system abnormalities
11. Ask the doctor about medicines. Because children usually grow out of bedwetting on their own, medications are often unnecessary. However, a few remedies are available as a last resort. These include:
    • Desmopressin, which is very similar to ADH, a hormone made by the pituitary gland (a gland in the brain). Among other things, it regulates the amount of water that the kidneys excrete. However, this medicine also has side effects and can affect sodium levels, and you should be careful that your child drinks enough while taking this medicine.
    • Oxybutynin, which can reduce bladder contraction and increase bladder capacity.

Method 2 of 2: Stop wetting for teens and adults

1. Do not drink too much in the evening. If you drink a little less drink a few hours before going to bed, your body will produce less urine at night, which means you won't be wetting as quickly.
   • This does not mean that you should drink less throughout the day. Always drink about eight large glasses of water a day. Simply drink it mainly in the morning and afternoon. It is very important to stay well hydrated, as dehydration can actually lead to bedwetting in adults.
2. Don't drink too much caffeine and alcohol. Both caffeine and alcohol act as diuretics, which means that they cause the body to produce more urine. Alcohol also makes you less likely to wake up at night when you actually need to urinate, which may cause you to wet the bed. Do not drink too much caffeine and alcohol, especially in the evening.
3. Treat constipation. Constipation can put pressure on the bladder, making it less under control at night. If you wet your bed while also suffering from constipation, eat more fiber, which you get from, for example, green leafy vegetables, legumes and other vegetable sources.
   • On the internet you will find a lot of information about remedying constipation.
4. Set a bedwetting alarm. A bedwetting alarm can also help teens and adults who want to train their bodies to respond when they need to urinate. A bedwetting alarm is attached to underwear or a mat on the mattress and will beep as soon as it detects moisture, allowing you to get up before actually wetting in bed.
5. Look at the side effects of your medications. Various remedies are known of which bedwetting is a possible side effect. Check if your medication is responsible for the bedwetting, but always check with your doctor before stopping your medications. Some medications that can cause bedwetting include:
   • Clozapine
   • Risperidone
   • Olanzapine
   • Quetiapine
6. Watch for signs of sleep apnea. If you snore very loudly and often wake up in the morning with chest pain, headaches, and a sore throat, you may have sleep apnea. Bedwetting is another symptom associated with this condition in adults who previously had no problems controlling their bladder.
   • If you think you have sleep apnea, see your doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.
7. Go to the doctor. If your bedwetting isn't related to too much drinking or constipation, see your doctor. Secondary nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting in people who previously had bladder control) is usually a symptom of another problem. Your doctor can do a few tests to rule out different conditions, such as:
   • Diabetes
   • Neurological Disorder
   • Cystitis
   • Bladder stones
   • Enlarged prostate / prostate cancer
   • Bladder cancer
   • Anxiety or emotional disorder
8. Ask about medications. You can use a variety of medications to get rid of bedwetting as an adult. Ask your doctor about the best options for you. Possibilities include:
   • Desmopressin, which causes your kidneys to produce less urine.
   • Imipramine, which is effective 40% of the time.
   • Anticholinergics, which treat overactivity of the muscles around the bladder, such as oxybutynin.
9. Ask about surgery. Surgery is only possible in the case of an overactive bladder muscle, and it is only done if you are incontinent during the day as well as wetting the bed at night. Surgery is the last resort. Your doctor can discuss the following things:
   • Bladder enlargement - In this operation, the capacity of the bladder is increased by attaching a piece of small intestine to it.
   • Removing part of the bladder muscle - Removing part of the bladder muscle strengthens it and decreases the amount of bladder contractions.
   • Sacral Neurostimulation - This surgery decreases bladder muscle activity by altering nerve activity.

Tips

• Sleep on a plastic or water-resistant mattress cover. That protects the mattress.
• Don't force your child to wear a diaper if they don't want to. People think this helps (and that kids don't mind wearing one), but it just makes your child tense which makes the problem worse.
• Stick to a steady sleep rhythm. If you go to bed at 7.30pm one night and only 1am the next, your whole body (including your bladder) will get confused.
• If you want to help your child get rid of bedwetting, write down what time you put him / her to bed (this may come in handy if you have a medical or psychological exam later). Sit with your child until sleep or sleep close by. If your child wets the bed, he or she will lie off the wet spot or get out of bed. If you notice, you can wake your child and change the bed together (let your child do more if they are older). Then repeat the bedtime ritual and go back to sleep. It can happen a few times a night, so don't leave your child alone just yet! After a few nights, he / she will automatically wake up after the incident, and can wake you up to change the bed together, and a little later it will wake up before it happens, so it's time to celebrate ! Hang on and soon you will have a child who will get out of bed with a big smile on his face because it has stayed dry!
• Stick to a regular toilet routine. Always urinate before going to bed.
• There are also special mats to prevent the bed from getting wet. Use them routinely and change them too.
• If an adult wets the bed, or if your child doesn't fit small diapers, you can also find larger disposable diapers, or use cloth diapers to keep the bed from getting wet.

Warnings

• See a doctor immediately if bedwetting is accompanied by other symptoms, such as red or different colored urine, painful urination, fever, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea.
• If your child develops a rash from sleeping in urine, apply a nappy rash cream and see a doctor if it doesn't go away after a few days.