Bed Wetting Treatments

Children should be able to stop bed wetting on their own at night. If your child is already 7 years old and is still wetting his bed, you and your child can decide which option might work best for him. If there is a family history of bed wetting, your child is likely to stop wetting his bed at the same time his parent did.

Medications

• Desmopressin acetate, or DDAVP, works to boost levels of an anti-diuretic hormone in your child's system. This hormone forces her body to make less urine at night so her bladder doesn't fill up as quickly, which causes her nighttime bed wetting accidents. This medication is available only in an oral form. Side effects of DDAVP are few, with the most serious being a seizure if your child takes in too much fluid.
  Your child can take two other types of medication to calm her bladder if she has strong bladder contractions. These medications are Ditropan (oxybutynin) or Levsin/Levsinex (hyoscyamine) helps to reduce bladder contractions and increase bladder capacity. Side effects are facial flushing and a dry mouth.
  A tricyclic antidepressant such as imipramine can help your child increase her bladder capacity.
  Your child might benefit from a combination of medications, depending on what is causing her bed wetting. However, if medication is halted, the bed wetting might begin again.

Home Treatment

• Helping your child take care of his bed wetting if there are no physical causes can include the following: limiting fluids in the evening. Let your son drink his water, milk or juice in the morning and afternoon. Limit caffeinated drinks such as colas or chocolate milk, particularly at night. Help your son develop the habit of using the bathroom before he goes to bed for the night. Offer him the use of disposable underpants for nighttime use. Give him the choice on this and other home treatments, especially if he is older than 7 years. When your son gets through the night successfully without wetting his bed, praise him.

Moisture Alarm

• You can place an alarm, which consists of a small, moisture-sensitive pad connected to a battery-operated alarm on your child's bed. When your child is sleeping, as she begins to wet her bed, the alarm will go off, waking her and stopping her urination in midstream so she can make it to the bathroom. Another person may need to listen for the alarm if your daughter is a heavy sleeper and if she does not hear the alarm going off. According to the Mayo Clinic, moisture alarms are a better choice for a long-term solution to your child's bed wetting. While these alarms are a good choice, it can take up to two weeks to see a positive response and up to three months for her to achieve dry nights.