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Archive for the ‘Bed Wetting’ Category

Bed Wetting Alarms Get Good Results

Friday, March 5th, 2010

If you have a child that is having problems mastering that last little piece of toilet training and staying dry throughout the night, take heart, because this problem is fairly common. By the time a child is about six years old, they have normally developed the ability to sleep through the night without needing to go to the bathroom, and if they do need to go to the bathroom, their bladder sends a message to the brain which awakens them so that they can get up and go to the bathroom.

Modifying behavior by limiting fluid intake several hours before bedtime and using a bed wetting alarm can be very successful in training your child to stay dry throughout the night. These alarms are attach to a child’s pajamas or underwear in an area where you would expect the first drops of wetness to occur. As soon as the monitor senses moisture, the alarm sounds and wakes the child prompting them to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. Over time a child learns to feel a full bladder, and they will get up to go to the bathroom before the alarm sounds.

When you are looking for a bed wetting alarm notice how it attaches to the child. For example, does it come with its own special pair of underwear, of does it attach to the child’s underwear. You can also find a pad style alarm for those who would rather not have the alarm attached to their clothing.

Once the alarm sounds, it needs to be silenced, and there are different styles of alarms available with different shut offs. Removing the sensor from wetness and hitting a reset button is a common setup. This two step routine keeps the alarm from being turned off accidentally. You can also find wireless alarms which require getting out of bed and turning off the alarm at the base unit on the wall.

The alarm itself can be worn on the shoulder, be placed on the bedside table or across the room. Having the sound close to the ear is great if the child will hear the alarm and get up to urinate. However, if they still need prompting from their parents, then having a wall mounted unit may be easier for everyone, the child and parents, to hear.

These bed wetting alarms are also available with other sensory stimulation like vibration, which simply makes the alarm more effective. The vibration acts like the gentle shaking of the shoulder. Of course if your child is a very sound sleeper, then having a volume control is essential. Top volume is usually needed when both parent and child need to respond to the alarm. When your child first starts using the alarm, you will want to help and guide them with its use. If your child is a very sound sleeper, you will want to make sure that the alarm awakens them. So when you hear the alarm, you need to quickly awaken your child.

As you are working with your child to put the finishing touches on toilet training, you may want to enlist the assistance of some protective coverings for your mattresses, or even a disposable mattress pad. DryForLife is happy to advise you on products that may help make your situation easier to manage, and you can order them online or over the phone. Then they are delivered right to your home with fast, convenient shipping.

Further Bed Wetting Articles

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A Positive Approach to Enuresis Treatment

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Enuresis, or bed wetting, happens when a child over the age of about six accidentally urinates. While this involuntary urination can happen any time, either during the day or during the night, the more typical problem in children is nighttime enuresis, and the enuresis treatment for nighttime bed wetting is behavior training o5 drugs, or both..

If your child is having a nighttime accident, two or more times per month, then they are suffering from enuresis. Two of the most common reactions that parents have when an older child is bed wetting are to either do nothing at all or to punish the child. Both of these approaches are absolutely no help at all. Instead of leaving the child to figure the problem out on their own, let them know that this problem is common, and then get them some help.

The first line of assistance can come from you. Begin by regulating their bathroom times during waking hours so that they are not having to hold urine for an extended period of time. Always have your child go to the bathroom before going to sleep, and reduce liquids several hours before going to bed.

This type of behavior modification is the most successful when your child is between five and eight years old. While it may not solve the problem, it is a sensible place to start, and coupling it with positive reinforcement can work. However, when it does not work you can employ the use of a bed wetting alarm. These small alarms awaken the child when it is time for the child to go to the bathroom. It may take a couple of months to fully train your child, but bed wetting alarms have a really high success rate if they are used properly and consistently.

There are also drugs that are very effective for enuresis treatment. Some medications decrease the volume of urine that is produced during sleep, and it has been used with very good results. A doctor may prescribe this type of medication for a time, and then stop to see if the problem has righted itself.

All children develop at different rates, and remaining dry throughout the night is essentially the last stage of toilet training. After the age of six if a child is still wetting the bed at night, then they are considered to have nocturnal enuresis.

There are two types of enuresis, primary and secondary. Primary enuresis occurs when a child has never been completely toilet trained. Frequently the cause for primary enuresis is that the body is making more urine than the bladder can hold, and the child does not awaken to go to the bathroom. The child’s brain has not learned to respond to the wake up signal when the bladder is full.

Secondary enuresis occurs when a child has been completely toilet trained for at least six months. When a child suffers from secondary enuresis, the problem could be physical, emotional or a change in sleep patterns. Normally when a child is suffering from secondary enuresis, a doctor will not begin treating the child until they know what the cause of the problem is.

If your child is suffering from enuresis, it is important to get the righe enuresis treatment and use the right products to help your child avoid accidental embarrassment. Whether your are looking for nighttime mattress protection or protective undergarments for your child, DryForLife has been helping people find just the right products to suit their situation for over forty years. You can order by phone or online, and have the products shipped directly to your home quickly and discretely.

Further Bed Wetting Articles

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Adult Bedwetting: Causes and Management

Thursday, November 12th, 2009
Nocturnal enuresis or bedwetting is the involuntary voiding of urine during sleep after the age at which bladder control is normally established. Both men and women can suffer from uncontrollable bedwetting. Often, adults who wet their beds refuse to discuss their discomfort even with their own doctors because they feel embarrassed. This is a rather unfortunate mistake because your doctor can give you advice on ways to improve symptoms as well as possible treatments for bedwetting.
Bedwetting is a complex disorder because many factors are thought to play a significant part. Bedwetting that occurs in adulthood may either be persistent primary enuresis or secondary enuresis.

Primary nocturnal enuresis begins during childhood, where nighttime dryness has not been achieved for longer than six months. If this is not resolved during childhood or teenage years, it is quite likely that bedwetting will persist into adulthood.

The causes of primary nocturnal enuresis may be any of the following:

  • Strong genetic predisposition - The exact mechanism for the inheritance of the disorder is still unknown.
  • Insufficient production of anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) at night - Your ADH level normally increases during the night, causing your body to produce a smaller total volume of urine during sleep. If your ADH level is not high enough, urine production is increased.
  • Abnormalities of the urinary bladder - Some nocturnal enuresis sufferers have smaller than normal bladders.
  • Psychological factors - Stress and other psychological issues have long been thought to play a part in bedwetting.
Secondary enuresis occurs when a person has established bladder control for a period of six months, and begins wetting the bed again.

The causes of secondary enuresis may be any of the following:

  • Diabetes
  • Chronic constipation
  • Urinary tract infection
  • Urinary tract stones
  • Prostate enlargement
  • Bladder cancer
  • Neurological disorders
Age or illness can weaken the muscles that control the flow of urine to your urethra. If these muscles weaken, you may leak urine during sleep, or you may be unable to stop the flow of urine when your bladder is full.
Adults who suffered from spinal cord trauma from a fall, auto accident, or other traumatic event may also be at risk for secondary enuresis. Anxiety or other emotional disorders are considered as rare causes of adult bedwetting.

Some medications that can cause a deep sleep can lead to adult bedwetting. Such medicines do not enable a person to wake when the urge to urinate occurs.

Management Options for Adult Bedwetting

Adult bedwetting needs to be evaluated by your doctor. If you have relatives suffering from adult enuresis, you need to encourage them to talk about their problem. Their concerns must be treated sensitively, and they must be gently persuaded to seek medical attention. There are a number of treatment and condition management options for bedwetting. These include medications, programs to change the sleep pattern, and exercises to improve the bladder control.

Many adults suffering from bedwetting find absorbent pads, protective underwear and waterproof mattress pads to be extremely helpful. These products promote comfort and at the same time ease clean up of bedwetting incidents. DryForLife supplies incontinence pads, which may be ordered online and delivered discreetly right to your front door.

 Additional Bedwetting Articles

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