Bedwetting Tips

Bedwetting is a common occurrence among children, and sometimes carries into adulthood. Here are a few tips to prevent bedwetting, and avoid the embarrassment associated with it.

Avoid Beverages Before Bedtime

• Stop drinking large amounts of liquid about two to three hours before bedtime. If a drink is required, take small sips. Also remember to go to the bathroom right before bedtime, to flush out any excess fluid.

Protect Bed Sheets

• Plastic sheet covers are now available at all drug stores. This is an easy fix to protect the mattress from bedwetting, as it fits right between the sheets and bed mattress.

  You can purchase absorbing bed pads, which should be placed under the sheets where the lower half of the body will rest. If a spill occurs, the top layer of the sheet will absorb the spill without allowing it to seep through to the mattress.

Schedule a Bathroom Break During the Night

• If your child usually goes to bed a few hours before you, awaken your child and have him or her use the bathroom before you to go bed. Typically, if your child goes to bed at 8 p.m., and you go to bed at midnight, that would be the perfect time for a bathroom visit. If you go to bed around the same time as your child, simply set an alarm for a few hours later, when you can awaken your child to use the bathroom.

Talk to Your Child

• Let your child know that you do not blame him or her for bedwetting and that things like this happen to many children. Also, do not pick on your child about bedwetting, and make sure other family members do not harass them either.