Ways to Help a Child Stop Peeing the Bed

Bed-wetting is an issue that effects many children. Whether bed-wetting is caused by a medical problem, or just a genetic occurrence, there is no reason for the child to feel embarrassed by the situation. Parents need to lift their child up, praise him for the positives and comfort him when bed-wetting creates anxiety or frustration. There are tools that can be used to attempt to re-train a child's brain to wake up when he needs to go to the bathroom. Whether the tools work for a child or not, over time the bed-wetting will stop. A child needs to know bed-wetting is a normal issue that many other children are dealing with as well; they are not alone.

  1. Medical Issues

    • There may be a medical cause of nighttime bed-wetting. A trip to the doctor and a urine collection can help diagnose any possible medical issues. According to the Raising Children Network article, "Bed-Wetting Facts and Tips," not only can bed-wetting be a medical condition, but it can also simply be genetic. The child-rearing site says doctors report bed-wetting is something that a child's parents probably went through when they were children. A doctor can tell if there is a hormone level problem that is leading to bed-wetting. Once parents know there is nothing wrong medically, behavioral options can be explored.

    Lifting

    • Some parents use a technique called, lifting, to stop nighttime bed-wetting. This technique, as outlined in the WebMD article, "How to Stop Bed-Wetting" by Kathleen Doheny, involves timed waking of the child. Doheny says parents should have the child use the bathroom immediately before bed. Then, at 2 to 3 hour intervals, the parents should wake the child up to use the bathroom at night. This involves some sleep deprivation for the parents, but it is only temporary. Doheny says this technique helps the child develop a pattern of getting up at night to go to the bathroom.

    Bed Alarm

    • A tool that can be helpful in working towards eliminating bed-wetting is a bed alarm. In the Kids Health article, "Bed-wetting," bed alarms are recommended for a child that wets the bed. Kids Health explains, the alarm has a wetness sensor located inside the child's underwear. There is an alarm box attached to the child's shirt, and when the wetness sensor is activated the alarm goes off to signal the child to get up and use the restroom. Kids Health says that bed alarms are one the most effective tools in eliminating bed-wetting.

    Positive Reinforcement

    • Keeping a positive attitude can go a long way in helping a child overcome bed-wetting issues. According to the Healthy Children article, "Waking Up Dry, Helping Your Child Overcome Bed-Wetting," a child often becomes embarrassed of wetting the bed. The child may want to avoid sleepovers at friends' homes because of the fear of having an accident. Healthy Children recommends parents share any personal experiences from their own childhood. The site also encourages parents to keep an open line of communication so the child feels comfortable coming to his parents when he has a bed-wetting episode. No child should feel guilty or ashamed of bed-wetting, especially considering it is something over 5 million children over age 6 are dealing with, according to Healthy Children.

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