Bedwetting, also known as nocturnal enuresis, is the involuntary release of urine during sleep. Although usually done by children, bedwetting can also occur in adults. Sometimes, bed-wetting is a symptom of another disorder, especially in adults. These disorders include stress, constipation, urinary tract infections, and diabetes. If you or someone you know has a bedwetting disorder, you should consider seeing a doctor to rule out a medical disorder. Otherwise, you can manage this problem at home by cleaning your bedwetting and taking steps to prevent you from getting wet in the future.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Drying and Cleaning the Body
Step 1. Change soiled clothes or pajamas
Wearing wet-fitting clothes will cause bad body odor and physical discomfort. Wet clothes that are pressed against the body for a long time can also cause skin irritation. It's also a good idea to remove soiled clothing before changing your sheets to reduce the chance of discomfort and skin irritation.
- Keep extra underwear and/or pajamas near your bed if you wet your bed frequently. This will make it easier for you to change clothes if you wet the bed.
- Consider putting dirty clothes in a sealed plastic bag until it's time to wash. This step helps prevent the smell of bedwetting from spreading in the bedroom.
- Keep a plastic bag near the bed so that dirty clothes can be easily wrapped. If you're traveling or staying at someone else's house, make sure you bring a plastic bag and keep it close to you before going to bed.
Step 2. Clean the body
If possible, take a shower after wetting the bed. If you're at home or your roommate already knows your problem, take a shower. If you're staying at the house of someone who doesn't know your disorder, there are several ways to secretly cleanse your body.
- Use wet wipes to clean the affected areas, including the groin, buttocks, and thighs.
- Use a clean towel or tissue to dry the dirty body part.
- If your urine-soaked clothes touch your skin for a long time before you wake up, it's best to use a talcum-based body powder. This powder will help control moisture in the skin and prevent irritation and rashes.
Step 3. Put on clean and dry underwear
Once you are clean, put on your underwear and/or pajamas. Dirty underwear should be put in the laundry basket or wrapped in a plastic bag so the smell doesn't waft around the room.
If bedwetting is a frequent problem, it's a good idea to have extra underwear and/or pajamas near your bed every night. Thus, cleaning can be done more easily and confidentially
Part 2 of 3: Cleaning the Bed
Step 1. Respond to someone's bed bugs properly
Never scold or punish someone for wetting the bed. Neither children nor adults, no one wants to accidentally wet his bed. Be nice and offer as much help as you can.
- If your child wets the bed, help him clean up and change his clothes.
- Involve the child when changing/cleaning the sheets because it will help teach the child what to do in the future.
Step 2. Remove soiled bed sheets and bedding
All soiled linen should be removed immediately and placed in the laundry basket or sealed in a plastic bag. The bedding will have to be washed, and if you plan on going back to sleep, your room could smell if dirty sheets and clothes are not stored properly overnight.
- You should store dirty linen properly, especially if you have roommates or want to keep your bed-wetting problem a secret.
- You can prepare a special laundry basket for soiled linen. You can also keep a plastic trash bag near the bed so that dirty linen can be sealed and the smell doesn't spread.
Step 3. Ask for help
If you have trouble cleaning your bed, it's best to ask someone else for help. This is relevant, especially if you are staying at someone else's house.
- Get someone you can trust to help clean the bed. Ideally, wake up your relatives or close friends.
- You could say, "Sorry, I'm feeling bad and accidentally wet the bed. Can you help me make the bed?"
Step 4. Clean your mattress
Depending on how much urine you pass, you may need to clean the mattress plus change the sheets. Focus on absorbing any residual urine and cleaning the pee area to prevent urine stains and odors.
- Pat the area wet with urine with a dry towel.
- Spray the pee-affected area with an upholstery cleaner or an enzyme-based deodorizer. You can buy these products at hardware stores and grocery stores.
- If you don't have suitable cleaning products at home, you can make your own quickly and easily. Mix 1 teaspoon of dish soap in a cup of warm water, then add the mixture to a spray bottle or pat it on a towel.
Step 5. Eliminate mattress odors
If you wet the bed often, over time the mattress will smell more and more. You can remove some of the smell by sprinkling it with baking soda.
- Sprinkle baking soda on the area affected by the urine. Use as much baking soda as possible; some cases of bedwetting even require a box of baking soda to absorb odors properly.
- Baking soda takes time to absorb odors. You can leave the baking soda on the mattress until morning and suck it up then use a vacuum cleaner; if so, simply spread a dry towel between the baking soda and the sheets.
Part 3 of 3: Planning for an Easier Cleanup
Step 1. Wear breathable underwear
Absorbent underwear is the first line of defense against bedwetting. This product will not only prevent bedwetting, but also make cleaning faster and easier. Absorbent underwear is available in reusable and single use types. In addition, this underwear is also made for children and adults with various body sizes.
You can buy absorbent underwear at most pharmacies and grocery stores
Step 2. Use a mattress cover
Mattress covers are designed to protect the bed in case urine penetrates your clothes and sheets. This product can help prevent urine and odors from reaching the mattress, making cleaning faster and easier.
- There are many types of mattress covers, including waterproof, absorbent, and even sheet protectors.
- You can buy mattress covers at most supermarkets or through online retail.
Step 3. Limit fluid intake before bed
Reducing the amount of fluids you drink can help reduce your chances of bedwetting at night. This method is effective, especially regarding the amount and type of drinks consumed at the end of the day because drinks drunk close to bedtime tend to affect the body at night.
- Fluid intake should be limited in the afternoon and evening. Try to limit your fluid intake to about 1/5 of your daily fluid.
- Pee on the toilet twice before bed: once at the start of a bedtime routine, and once right before bed.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Both of these ingredients are diuretics which are also considered urinary irritants and contribute to increased urination and bedwetting.
- Limiting fluids is especially important for children and adults. Children have a small urinary capacity and are still developing, while adults urinate easily because their bladder is weak.
Step 4. Set the bedwetting alarm
Bedwetting alarms can be useful for those with incontinence of any age. This alarm is attached to the body and goes off at the first symptom of urination to wake you up. Over time, this alarm can help condition your body to wake up before you wet the bed.
- The bedwetting alarm can be programmed to make a sound or vibrate. This feature is useful if you want to keep your bed-wetting habit a secret.
- The bedwetting alarm is easy to clean if it is soiled with urine.
- This alarm is sensitive enough to detect a small amount of urine, but not so sensitive that it activates due to sweat.
Step 5. See a doctor
Your doctor can determine if any medical conditions are contributing to your bedwetting problem. He or she can also prescribe medication to help control your condition. Do not delay a visit to the doctor's clinic if there is a change in the frequency or type of bedwetting because it can signal symptoms of a more serious disorder.
- The doctor performs a variety of tests, including a physical exam, urine analysis and urine culture, as well as post-emptying measurements of residual urine.
- See your doctor right away if you have cloudy or bloody urine, painful urination, or daytime incontinence.
Step 6. Take medication
Your doctor can prescribe a variety of medications to help you control bedwetting. Medicines that are usually prescribed by doctors include:
- Desmopressin: helps regulate the amount of urine the kidneys produce. Side effects include nausea/vomiting, changes in appetite, headache, fatigue, and irritability.
- Oxybutynin: relaxes the urinary muscles so they can hold more urine without wetting the bed at night. Side effects include headache, dry mouth, constipation, diarrhea, and feeling sick.
- Imipramine: efficacy is the same as oxybutynin. Side effects include dry mouth, headache, dizziness, and increased appetite.
