Follow the previous recommendations. Talk with your physician
about possibly using enuresis alarms or drugs as well, as
described below:
1. Bed-wetting alarms
Alarms are used to teach a child to awaken when he needs
to urinate during the night. They go off when they become
wet. One type awakens you with a loud noise (buzzer), the
other type with an annoying vibration. They have the highest
cure rate (about 70%) of any available approach. They are
the treatment of choice for any bed-wetter with a small
bladder who can't otherwise train himself to awaken at night.
The new transistorized alarms are small, lightweight, sensitive
to a few drops of urine, not too expensive (about $50),
and easy for a child to set up by himself. Some children
as young as 5 years want to use them. Children using alarms
still need to work on the self-awakening program. For further
information see Bed-wetting Alarms.
2. Alarm clock
If your child is unable to awaken himself at night and you
can't afford a bed-wetting alarm, teach him to use an alarm
clock or clock radio. Set it for 3 or 4 hours after your
child goes to bed. Put it beyond arm's reach. Encourage
your child to practice responding to the alarm during the
day while lying on the bed with eyes closed. Have your child
set the alarm each night. Praise your child for getting
up at night, even if he isn't dry in the morning.
3. Medication
Most bed-wetters need extra help with staying dry during
slumber parties, camping trips, vacations, or other overnights.
Some take an alarm clock with them and stay dry by awakening
once at night. Some are helped by temporarily taking a drug
at bedtime. One drug (given by nasal spray) decreases urine
production at night and is quite safe. Another drug (taken
as a pill) temporarily increases bladder capacity. It is
safe at the correct dosage but dangerous if too much is
taken or a younger sibling gets into it. If
you do use a medication, be careful about the amount you
use and where you store the drug, and be sure to keep the
safety cap on the bottle. The drawback of these medicines
is that when they are stopped, the bed-wetting usually returns.
They do not cure bed-wetting. Therefore, children taking
drugs for enuresis should also be using an alarm and learning
to get up at night.
