Understanding Bedwetting

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Nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting) can be frustrating to the entire family.  Parents want to help their child, so they may attempt limiting fluids at night and may set an alarm throughout the night to awake their child to reduce accidents.  They are often consumed with frequent linen washing and bed changes, not to mention the added financial burden of purchasing Pull-Ups, GoodNites, or even adult sized Depends depending on the age and size of the child.  Some families trial the use of medications, such as Desmopressin/DDAVP or Imipramine to remedy bedwetting.  These medications decrease urine production and only mask the problem; medication does not cure bedwetting.  

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Children that experience bedwetting should not be considered lazy and do not choose to have accidents.  Especially as children get older, they want to stop wetting the bed, but cannot control it and often feel bad or guilty.  Even if parents remain calm and supportive, kids are perceptive and realize that their bedwetting can be burdensome.  This can negatively impact self-esteem and engagement in social activities, such as overnight camps and sleepovers. 

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Children that experience chronic bedwetting are typically very heavy sleepers.  They do not have a urinary problem, assuming that they remain dry during the day, a urinary tract infection has been ruled out by pediatrician and there are no underlying pathological conditions. They have a sleep problem.  They are sleeping so deeply that they do not arouse to their brain signal that the bladder is filling.  Therefore, they do not awake to use the bathroom and are so relaxed that their pelvic floor muscles allow the bladder to empty while they sleep.  In my experience, boys wet the bed more often than girls, are often athletic, smart and social.  Sleep disorders like sleepwalking, sleep talking, and night terrors are often hereditary.  Many times, children that have nightly accidents have a parent that experienced a sleep disorder as a child.  

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Bedwetting is not discussed much due to embarrassment and lack of known treatment available.  Parents may feel their child is too old to not be ‘potty trained’ at night or that it is somehow their fault.  Physicians often tell parents not to be concerned about it and that the child will eventually outgrow it.  This can seem like an eternity to the child and the parents.  How many camps or sleepovers will he or she have to miss while waiting to outgrow bedwetting? 

There is limited bedwetting treatment available and many options are not successful.  My program is highly effective, so I encourage you to contact me to see if your child is a good candidate for this service.  I have several parents whose child has completed my bedwetting program that have volunteered to speak with parents considering this program.  I can give you their contact information and you can discuss their experience with my service and answer questions from a ‘parent of a bedwetter’ standpoint.  My hope is that you contact me with your questions and concerns. Don’t wait for your child to outgrow bedwetting.  I can help!