How To Stop Your Child From Bed-Wetting: A Simple Tutorial

Is your kid still bed-wetting despite successfully training her to use the potty during the daytime? Bed-wetting is a common problem that affects around 20% of 5-year-olds and 5% of 10-year-olds.

As a parent, the best way to stop your child from bed-wetting is by being supportive rather than blaming, as the former can further diminish their confidence and will hardly solve the problem. Follow this simple guide to help your little one overcome bed-wetting and improve their self-image amid their peers.

Step 1: Control evening fluid intake.

The first step toward helping your kid stop bed-wetting is eliminating or drastically reducing evening fluid intake. Drinking a lot of fluid just before bed means your kid will need to urinate, especially if the fluid contains caffeine or added sugar.
Stop them from taking fluids at least two hours before bedtime and explain how evening fluid intake contributes to their condition. You want to ensure your child understands and agrees to the arrangement because you may never know if they will take it behind your back. Teach them to take as much fluid as they want during the day, so they don't feel dehydrated and thirsty at night.

Step 2. Using the bathroom before getting into bed

Train your kids to use the bathroom right before bed, even if they don't feel pressed to. The bathroom should be their last spot before crashing into the bed, increasing their chances of staying dry throughout the night.
This can be difficult to maintain for kids, so you also need to get used to taking them to the bathroom before YOU go to bed in case they forget. Emptying the bladder before going to bed means they can stay longer before needing to pee, and that's where the next step comes in.

Step 3: Waking them up at specific times to use the bathroom

Once you help them cut evening fluid intake and use the bathroom right before bed, it doesn't mean their kidneys have stopped filtering fluids. However, it only extends the time to make the bladder full, which is exactly what we need to achieve.

Commit yourself to waking them up to use the bathroom at least once at midnight, depending on what time they go to bed. If they sleep early, you may need to wake them up at least twice, say around 10 pm and 2:30 am.

Doing this will help your child regularly empty their bladder before it gets full and causes bed-wetting. Truly, it can be stressful, but if you want your kid to get used to getting up at night to use the toilet, you must be ready to provide all the help they need. You can also help make things easier by clearing the path so they have easy access to the toilet, installing night lights, and providing a portable toilet if possible.

Step 4: Bladder Training

Bladder training is a way to teach your child to delay urination, thereby increasing the bladder capacity and strengthening the muscles that retain urine. The overall impact of this is that it reduces the chance of bed-wetting accidents overnight.
Bladder training is a long-term practice that occurs during the day and can help to stop bed-wetting. Inform your kids to tell you whenever they need to urinate and ask them to wait for at least five minutes before going to the bathroom. Gradually increase the delay duration until they can hold it for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
With a larger bladder capacity and stronger muscles, your kid will stand a greater chance to stay dry overnight and stop bed-wetting.

Step 5: Reward your child for remaining dry

When your child begins to learn to stay dry on certain nights, rewarding them for the dry nights is one final step that can speed up the improvement. You may develop a system that helps them earn a reward after staying dry for X number of days. Give them a sticker for each day they stay dry and reward them when it reaches maybe seven days. You can then step up the game by rewarding them for staying dry for X consecutive days, e.g., a week at a stretch.
Gradually, their subconscious mind will become programmed to wake up and use the bathroom when they get a full bladder in the middle of the night.

Conclusively, bed-wetting can also be due to a medical, especially if your child doesn't have that problem before or if you notice some abnormalities such as constipation, pain during urination, etc.

Speaking with your doctor can help throw more light on the situation and provide an effective solution. Some kids might even need to use bed-wetting alarms, especially those who are deep sleepers.