Bedwetting and starting a new school year

The beginning of a new school year brings excitement and new adventures for children. The year ahead could be filled with new experiences; a first sleep over or first school camp – both of which could be potentially challenging if your child wets the bed at night.

There are a range of reasons why bed wetting occurs and for some children it will occur every night, while for others it is less frequent.

The Australian Parenting Website outlines a number of causes for bedwetting including;

• Deep sleep: some children sleep very deeply and do not wake up when their bladders are full
• Small bladder: some children have small bladders leading to an increased incidence in bed wetting
• Too much wee: some children produce larger than usual amounts of wee at night and don’t wake up in time.

While it can be frustrating at times, there are effective treatments that you can implement, ensuring that your child will be ready to confidently head off to camp and sleep-overs when the time comes. By putting the following ideas into action with time to spare, you will have time to work through bed wetting concerns in time;

Drinking fluids

Hydration is important, even if your child wets the bed. If you can ensure that your child drinks plenty of water throughout the day, you might be able to reduce their intake of water closer to their bed time. Thirst just before bed time could be an indication that they haven’t had enough to drink during the day.

Avoid giving them drinks with caffeine in the evening and these drinks will increase the amount of urine produced.

Regular bowel motions

constipation can also be a cause of bed wetting; if this is the case then treating the cause of your child’s constipation may reduce or resolve any bedwetting. High fibre foods and natural laxatives such a prune juice may be a good way to start.

Bedwetting Alarms

A bed wetting alarm is a device that makes a noise and wakes your child up when they wet the bed. Alarms will allow your child to wake up when they wet the bed and start to recognize when their bladder is full and learn to hold on or wake up and go to the toilet.

Bedwetting alarms aren’t always suitable or the best solution for every child or family – it may be best to ring the National Continence Helpline to get a consultation with Nurse Continence Specialist bedwetting Service prior to putting an alarm routine into place.

During the time that your child is still wetting the bed, it may be a good idea to purchase a waterproof mattress protector or underlay. This will prevent the mattress itself becoming wet. The Connikid Bed Pad ticks all the boxes and will make changing sheets during the night that little bit easier but there are plenty of options to choose from.

Keeping specifically designed Pyjama Pants such as the Huggies DryNites on hand is also a good idea for that early transitional phase, however if you reach a point where you are particularly concerned about your child’s bed wetting, it may be time to reach out to ring the National Continence Helpline to get a consultation with Nurse Continence Specialist bedwetting Service.  They will be able to talk you through options and recommend a treatment that will best meet the need of your child.

This article is sponsored by Independence Australia, a social enterprise that provides choices for people living with a disability or other personal need, enabling them to regain and retain their independence within a supportive community.

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