Many children continue to wet the bed once they get used to staying dry without a diaper all day long. Even up to age six, many experts consider bedwetting (also called nocturnal enuresis) normal and natural; even after age six, more than ten percent of children continue to have this problem. Fortunately, there are ways to help your child learn to stay dry.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Stop Wearing Diapers
Step 1. Wait until your child is ready
Your child may have mastered how to stay dry during the day, but that doesn't mean he'll be ready to stay dry at night. For most children, you can continue to wear diapers (or disposable underwear) until they start to wake up dry in the morning.
Understand that when it comes to development, every child is different. Some children can stay dry at night as long as toddlers; while others still wet their pants at age six or older. Try not to compare your son or daughter to other children
Step 2. Purchase a waterproof mattress protector
Once you've decided to stop wearing diapers at night, you need to be prepared to deal with the inevitable problems. Purchase a waterproof mattress protector to place under the sheets, but over the mattress, to prevent the mattress from getting wet or damaged.
Step 3. Prepare spare sheets and pajamas
When your child wets the bed in the middle of the night, having prepared sheets and pajamas in a nearby place will be very helpful. That way, you can get rid of wet sheets, wipe the waterproof mattress protector with a cloth, put clean sheets on the mattress, and help your child change into clean pajamas.
As your child gets older, you may want to ask him for help with this routine. Most preschoolers can take off their dirty sheets on their own, put on clean pajamas, and help you put clean sheets on their mattresses
Step 4. Keep your cool
Bedwetting is bound to happen-and obviously, it can happen very often at first-and it's important that you support your child and calm him down. Tell your child that learning to stay dry at night is a process and that it's okay if he needs some time.
Part 2 of 3: Maximizing the Chances of Drying at Night
Step 1. Limit fluid intake before bedtime
Allow your child to drink plenty of fluids during the day, and make sure he or she has a glass of water at dinner, but try to avoid fluids after.
Make a special effort to avoid drinks containing caffeine (such as soda). This can increase urine production
Step 2. Tell the child to go to the bathroom right before bed
Encourage your child to empty his bladder immediately before bedtime. This will reduce the chances of her bladder filling completely at night.
Step 3. Stick to a bedtime routine
Coping with bedwetting at night is often just a matter of understanding the bladder and brain; make this possible by following a routine so that the child's body "learns" to hold urine for a certain amount of time.
Step 4. Watch what your child eats
Certain foods can cause an allergic reaction in a child, even if the reaction does not produce a rash or other external signs, or may irritate the bladder and otherwise increase the chance of bedwetting. If your child has trouble staying dry at night, consider keeping a food journal and noting any correlations between certain foods and bedwetting at night.
Certain culprits seem to be spicy and acidic foods which can irritate the bladder, as well as milk and other dairy products which can cause drowsiness and make waking up more difficult when the bladder is full
Step 5. Make sure your child is getting enough calcium and magnesium
Some experts believe that low levels of calcium and magnesium contribute to bedwetting at night. Apart from dairy products, calcium and magnesium are also found in bananas, sesame seeds, nuts, fish, almonds, and broccoli.
Step 6. Consider waking your child at night
Until your child learns to get up and go to the bathroom on his own when his bladder is full, you can set an alarm and wake him up on purpose. You can start by waking your child every two or three hours and gradually extend that duration over time, until your child can sleep through the night and wake up dry.
Step 7. Avoid the cold
The cold can increase the need to urinate, so make sure your child is warm enough to sleep.
Step 8. Keep a daily journal
If your child continues to have trouble coping with bedwetting, keep a detailed journal of bedwetting at night, including the time of day. You may notice a pattern, which will make it easier for you to pinpoint the cause and wake your child at the right time so he doesn't wet his pants.
Step 9. Use positive motivational drivers
Never punish a child for bedwetting at night, which is beyond the child's control. Instead, praise your child and give him positive motivation if he makes it through the night staying dry.
Part 3 of 3: Taking Additional Measures for Prolonged Bedwetting
Step 1. Bathe the child with salt water
Bathe the child in water mixed with 500 grams of salt before going to bed. Minerals from salt water can reduce infections, strengthen the immune system, and detoxify the body. This step may be useful if your child has a predisposition to bladder infections.
Ideally, the water temperature should be approximately equal to body temperature, which is 37 degrees Celsius
Step 2. Give the child a tea made with parsley
Put fresh or dried parsley in boiling water; let it soak for five to ten minutes, then drain, add a few drops of lemon, and toss with a teaspoon of honey. Parsley tea protects children from urinary tract infections and provides calcium and magnesium. However, give this tea only in the morning, because it can increase urination and increase the occurrence of bedwetting at night.
Step 3. Try corn hair tea
Let the corn silk dry for a few days, then make a tea by soaking the corn hair in boiling water and letting it sit for ten minutes. Corn silk tea can strengthen bladder muscles and get rid of toxins. As with parsley tea, give corn silk tea only in the morning, as drinking it at night can increase the chances of bedwetting.
Step 4. Consider oat tea
Boil the oats in a liter of cold water, then let the oat solution sit for an hour before draining and drinking. Oats are rich in calcium and magnesium and can help calm the nervous system, which can help prevent stress-wetting. Just like other types of tea, give oat tea to children only in the morning.
Step 5. Know when to see a doctor
Bedwetting is usually normal and does not need to be treated by a doctor. However:
- See a pediatrician if your child is over seven years old and still wets the bed at night. The pediatrician can help rule out other possible causes (including bladder and urinary tract infections) and make suggestions to help your child stay dry.
- See your pediatrician if your child is over five years old and still wets the bed during the day as well as at night. By the age of five, most children should be able to control urination. If your child can't do it yet, see a pediatrician for a physical cause and for treatment advice, but be aware that this problem may also be genetic: you'll just have to wait.
- See a pediatrician and/or child psychologist if your child starts to wet the bed again after a long period of time he or she no longer wets the bed at night. In these circumstances, bed-wetting may have something to do with trauma or stress: the death of someone close to the child, the divorce of a parent, the birth of a baby sibling, or anything else that is also frightening or disturbing.
Tips
- When your child is older, he may start to feel very embarrassed when he wets the bed. Make sure you give your child lots of love and support, and reassure your child that the bed-wetting problem will go away on its own.
- Never scold, punish, or embarrass your child for wetting the bed. Your child may not be able to control this, and this tactic will only hurt you, causing more stress and your child will wet the bed more often.
- There are a variety of medications and humidity control alarms (which will ring when your child begins to wet the bed) to treat prolonged bedwetting, but make sure you talk to your pediatrician about the length of time this option is available.
