No More Wet Beds! What To Do For Bed Wetting In Boys

What to do for bed wetting in boys? Nocturnal enuresis, or bedwetting as it is more commonly called, is a traumatic experience, especially for the little boy who is dreaming of graduating to "big boy" status. He may feel anxious, ashamed or embarrassed by his inability to stay dry all night.

Bedwetting can be caused by a failure to wake up before urinating

You may feel overwhelmed or frustrated because having to do extra loads of laundry adds to your household task load, or you feel guilty because you are tired of getting up in the night to wake your son and take him to the bathroom. The good news is there are techniques to help boys stop wetting the bed, and you may not even need to go to the extent of purchasing bedwetting alarms or resorting to medications.

Bedwetting in Children

Here are some important facts about bedwetting in children that you may or may not know: 

• It's harder for boys to stop bedwetting than it is for girls.
• Bedwetting typically ends by the time children are between 5 to 16 years old according to WebMD. Their report goes on to say that in the United States, twenty percent of five-year olds wet the bed, with the number dropping to one percent of 16-year olds who still experience nocturnal enuresis.
• Medical disorders - autism, for example - can exacerbate the problem and make it harder for boys to stop wetting the bed.
• One-fourth of all preschoolers who are bed wetters stop as their bodies mature.
• No one - not the child or the parents - is to blame if a child is wetting the bed

What to Do About Bed Wetting

The first step to helping your son stop bedwetting is to confirm there are no contributory issues such as medical conditions, stress issues or hormonal problems.

Next, you need to understand what causes bedwetting. Typically, it is a failure to wake up rather than a full bladder. Once you've eliminated these potential problem areas and understand the trigger, you can focus on techniques for stopping the bedwetting.

How to Prevent Bed Wetting

Behavior modification is the most effective method of preventing bedwetting.

Establishing consistent routines such as bedtime rituals that include urinating before going to bed and limiting (but not restricting or denying) the consumption of liquids in the evening are time-tested ways to stop bed wetting issues.

These routines combined with incentives like a dry nights chart or journal for the child to fill in before bedtime and rewards such as stickers for having dry nights usually provide the necessary incentive for most boys.

Be Prepared

Plan ahead so if a bedwetting episode does happen, you can get your son clean, dry and back to bed quickly and easily. Many parents find it helpful to have a change of clothes, underwear and some towels staged by the bed.

That way, if your son does accidentally wet the bed, help him change clothes. Take the wet bedclothes off the bed, and use the towels to cover the bed so you can get him back to sleep quickly. Don't take time in the middle of the night to remake the bed; instead, focus on getting him back into the bed and asleep.

In the morning, your son should make the bed (with your help where necessary) to help him learn responsibility for staying dry. With many children, the inconvenience of making the bed in the morning encourages them to stop wetting the bed.

Reinforce the Positive

If your child wakes up before urinating, take him to the bathroom as quickly as possible to reinforce the idea of getting up and going to the bathroom to stay dry. Praise him for his success. Many parents find that waking their child, taking him to the bathroom, and then returning him to bed works well for helping their sons to stop bedwetting.

What to Do if He Can't Stop Wetting the Bed

If these simple methods don't help, it may be time to consider other options such as counseling, purchasing aids like bedwetting alarms, or having your healthcare professional to another evaluation to determine what other methods might help. However, keep in mind, most boys eventually stop wetting the bed as they grow older. If your son does have an occasional accident, simply revert to the methods listed above for a few nights until he is consistently dry for a week at a time, then stop.

Patience and persistence from their parents, guardians or caregivers combined with reliable bedtime routines, positive reinforcement for successes, and regular health check-ups help most boys stop wetting the bed.  

Knowing what to do for bed wetting is just one of the ways we parents deal with sensitive issues like kids' health problems or childhood fears. Fear of the dentist or the dark can be just as anxiety producing as wetting the bed. What childhood fears are you currently handling in your family?

http://visual.ly/bedwetting-vs-potty-training-infographic

Resource Material: Parker, Hilary, "A Parent's Guide to Bedwetting," WebMD, accessed 02/19/2013
Image by Anissat under royalty free license via SXC