New Year’s Resolution: To Cure Bedwetting

10 Tips For Getting Started

Is your New Year’s resolution to tackle your child’s bedwetting problem? Bedwetting alarms are recommended as the first line treatment for bedwetting[1]. By purchasing a bedwetting alarm, you have already taken an important step in your child becoming dry at night. It is important to ensure that you are using the alarm in the most effective way possible so that you can cure bedwetting, permanently.

Read our Top 10 tips for getting the most out of your bedwetting alarm treatment...

  1. Motivation is key for making progress with the alarm treatment. Make sure your child understands the benefits to becoming dry at night and that the whole family is enthusiastic and dedicated to the treatment process as they may be disrupted by the alarm too.
  2. It is important that your child wakes up to the alarm. At first you may have to help wake your child and take them to the bathroom when the alarm sounds, but do not “lift” your child to the toilet as it is essential they wake up to the alarm for it to work.
  3. Make sure that your child understands what to do when the alarm sounds. Your child should go to the bathroom when the alarm wakes them up, so it might be beneficial to leave the bathroom light on or have a nightlight to make it as easy as possible for your child. Your child should also know how to reset the alarm so that they can take some control over the curing process.
  4. Check that the alarm sensor is attached correctly so that it can trigger the alarm to sound at the first signs of moisture.
  5. Don’t wear pull-ups or nappies during the alarm treatment. You could always try laying a waterproof sheet to protect the mattress if you are concerned about additional laundry.
  6. Praise and support your child during this process. Sometimes it can be frustrating if progress seems slow, but even the smallest improvements (such as these ones here) should be praised. Rewards for taking positive steps, such as drinking regularly throughout the day or remembering to go to the toilet before bed can also help, but remember that bedwetting is not a conscious process so don’t reward your child for dry nights alone.
  7. Record progress on a progress chart. All the Malem alarms sold by The Bedwetting Doctor come with a free progress chart included. Each morning, record whether the night was wet or dry – soon you should start to notice more dry nights than wet ones! When there are 14 consecutive dry nights recorded, you can stop the alarm treatment and enjoy dry nightimes.
  8. Read the instruction booklet carefully. All the Malem alarm models differ slightly in how they can be set up. If your alarm is a selectable model, try out different sounds and sound/vibrate combinations to determine what works best for your child.
  9. Have spare bedding and/or pyjamas ready. Your child should take an active process in remaking a wet bed and cleaning their wet pyjamas to keep them involved and motivated in the curing process.
  10. Be patient. Although becoming dry at night is a natural process, some children take longer to learn than others. Whilst a bedwetting alarm speeds up this process, the results may be gradual (although some children respond to the alarm within weeks). Remain patient and motivated and, before long, your child should become dry at night. Good luck! The Bedwetting Doctor

[1] Nocturnal enuresis: the management of bedwetting in children and young people. NICE clinical guideline 111 (2010).