Bedwetting is a problem that tends to make parents frustrated and children embarrassed and humiliated. Bedwetting, the common term for a medical condition known as nocturnal enuresis, is the involuntary act of urinating while sleeping occuring in individuals who already are old enough to have bladder control. Bedwetting is among the most common pediatric health concerns and it is the most common urologic health issue occuring in children.
One of the solutions for bedwetting is a device called the bedwetting alarm. A bedwetting alarm is equipped with a moisture sensor as well as an alarm. At the first droplets of urine, a bedwetting alarm’s moisture sensor activates a noise-driven alarm which serves to wake up the child. The child then realizes that their bladder is full and they need to get out of bed to make a trip to the bathroom to urinate. All bedwetting alarms are electronically operated. Some are worn by the individual, others are wireless devices, and yet others are pads which are placed under the sheets.
The wearable alarm is attached to pajama bottoms or the child’s undergarments. The wireless alarm is also attached either to pajama bottoms or undergarments and when activated by moisture, emits a wireless signal to an alarm device placed across the room from the child’s bed so that the child must get out of bed to stop the alarm signal and then head onto the bathroom. Pad alarms are not as moisture sensitive as either wearable or wireless bedwetting alarms and are positioned on the mattress so that the child sleeps atop the device. No matter what style of bedwetting alarm is employed, they all act on the same principle. The device serves as a reconditioning tool to help the child’s brain recognize when the bladder is full in order to wake up the individual in order to urinate properly rather than while still asleep.
Do bedwetting alarms work? They do if they are used properly and children are instructed as to how and why they work. A child should never be shamed or scolded into using a bedwetting alarm. The more a child understands that the bedwetting alarm is simply a conditioning device to help them wake up in time to urinate so that they don’t soil the bedding, the more motivated the child will be to feel good about using a bedwetting alarm.
It is also important for both parent and child to understand that the bedwetting alarm doesn’t promise overnight success. Some children will have to use it for several months before they can overcome nocturnal enuresis. The success rate of bedwetting alarms tends to be higher for children at least seven years of age or older who understand how to use the device and use it faithfully night after night without getting discouraged. Also, the alarm can only be effective if the child actually gets out of bed and goes into the bathroom rather than just turning off the alarm and going back to sleep on wet sheets.
Bedwetting alarms are most effective when both parent and child make a team effort to lick the problem. Parents who are encouraging and patient and children who are cooperative and persistent in using bedwetting alarms can more quickly solve the problem of nocturnal enuresis.