A huge number of children are affected by nocturnal enuresis, or sleep wetting, as it is often called. Although there is no specific treatment for this condition, parents can still find some good bed wetting solutions that work. This sort of problem is most common with children under the age of five – any extreme measures against it are simply not justified. However, sleep wetting is a problem and it may become an annoying issue to deal with, both for parents and for the child. While children under five do not have obvious psychological issues related to this phenomenon, after a certain age they become conscious about it. This is when finding appropriate bed wetting solutions becomes important for the child’s social development.
How to diminish the negative effects of bed-wetting
While this problem is natural for small children, parents can still take a few steps and reduce the negative effects associated to it. Parents can start by investing some time in preventing the problem from taking place. As part of the most commonly used bed wetting solutions, parents can control the levels of liquid their child drinks in the evening and before going to sleep. Diuretic drinks are those that fall in the following categories: caffeine containing, carbonated and acidic. Stopping your child from consuming them at night is an excellent bed wetting solution. It also helps if the parent trains the child to go to the toilet right before going to sleep. It is important that a pattern is developed in this case and the child will learn to urinate at a specific hour in the evening. This method, combined with low liquid quantities consumed in the evening, has some of the best results in reducing bed wetting at night.
Bed wetting solutions - diapers
Although the actual urinating process can’t be stopped, its effects may be reduced if the child wears a diaper. The diaper eliminates all the problems that affect the parents: having to change bed sheets every morning and it also helps the child sleep better and wake up in a dry bed. Older children might be against wearing a diaper, as they feel they are too old for that, so a simple change of term – from “diaper” to “night protection” is preferable. As an extra protection method, parents should also have protective plastic sheets because diapers are not 100% leak absorbents.
The radical approach to bed wetting – medications
Using medication to reduce nigh time urination is one of the most radical bed wetting solutions and, in most cases, the most effective as well. Treatments with medication such as anticholinergics, desmopressin or imipramine are often used to solve bed wetting problems. While such drugs have high success rates, parents should also remember that they are chemical and hormonal substances, and long-term usage may lead to unwanted side effects. As far as bed wetting medication is concerned, the opinions are varied, many parents trying to avoid this solution at all costs and teach the child to deal with the problem on their own.
Copyright © Jared Winston, 2006. All Rights Reserved.