One of the problems that many parents experience with children who wet the bed is they often have trouble distinguishing between a medical condition or a problem with the child’s ability to make it through the night without incident. This is an embarrassing situation for both parents and children, and many times this can cause a lack of communication that makes the situation even worse. Even though your child is uncomfortable discussing this problem, here are a few ways on how to train your child not to wet their bed at night.
Breaking the Sound Night Sleep
One of the reasons that a child may be wetting the bed is because they fall into such a sound sleep that they do not recognize the body signaling it is time to get up and go to the bathroom. These children that sleep soundly are unable to awaken themselves when it is time to relieve themselves, so they have an accident and sleep right through it until it is time to awaken. One of the ways that you can remedy this problem is by waking up your child just before you go to bed, and walk them to the bathroom. These little breaks in the night could be just enough to empty the bladder and give the child the chance to get through the night without incident.
Moving Up Drink Cut-Off Times
The bottom line when it comes to dealing with a child who wets the bed is limiting the consumption of liquids right before bed. Too many children are gulping down bigger and bigger bottles of soft drinks before bed, then waking up soaking wet when the body simply has to release all those fluids. If you have a child who is always drinking right up to bedtime, move back the time in which they can have their last drink. If you have them stop drinking right after dinner, they will most likely empty their bladder right as they get ready for bed. This small decrease in drinking time could have significant results in reducing your child’s bed wetting problem.
Having That Talk with the Child
Many children who wet the bed experience a level of embarrassment that is hard for anyone to understand who has not been there. The child will do almost anything to keep others from finding out, and the more they suppress the problem, the worse things get. Many children who wet the bed have a parent or relative who have done the same when they were younger. Sit the child down and have that talk about how you experienced the exact same as a child. Explain to them that you understand exactly what they are feeling, and how this condition is not their fault. Many times when a child can relate to the pain the parent experienced, it can open the door to eliminating the problem.
By limiting the amount of liquids before bed, walking the child during the middle of the night, and talking with them about past experiences, they can open up and ask for the help they need in finally being able to get through the night dry.
