What settings should I use on my bedwetting alarm?
The huge range of models of bedwetting alarms available mean that there are many different options for different settings. All alarms fundamentally work by waking up children, but they can do this in different ways. This means that every child is able to use settings that are most effective for them, helping them to stop wetting as quickly and efficiently as possible. What are the key features of these different settings and how can they help to achieve dry nights?
SINGLE SOUND
An alarm sound only is the most basic way to wake a child up when they wet the bed. This is ideal for those that want to recognise exactly what the alarm sound means – the same sound will be associated with bedwetting all the time. On some alarms, the single sound is the only option provided. On selectable alarms, your child can choose their favourite alarm sound and set it so that it’s the one that always plays when they wet the bed.
8-TONE SOUND
The 8-Tone setting was designed to prevent “auditory accommodation”. This is where a child might become familiar with the same alarm sound and start to ignore it or sleep through it. To get around this issue, the 8-tone alarm setting cycles through 8 different alarm sounds, playing a different one each time the alarm is activated and preventing getting used to the sound.
SOUND + VIBRATE
This setting is helpful for deep sleepers. The multi-sensory stimulation of both sound and vibration at the same time increase the likelihood that a child will wake up to their alarm.
VIBRATE ONLY
Ideal for those hard of hearing, an alarm that vibrates only wakes them up by vibration rather than sound. This setting is also helpful for those that require a more discrete alarm, either if they share a bedroom and don’t want to disturb others, or if they have guests staying, for example, but do not want to interrupt their bedwetting alarm treatment.
RECORDABLE MESSAGE
Recordable alarms are ideal for deep sleepers. It has been shown that children respond much better to the sound of a voice rather than an alarm – in fact, a recent study of smoke alarms showed that 94% of children wake up to a voice recording compared to only 20% waking up to sound only. Recordable messages can also be helpful for children with special needs, or autism, as instructions can be recorded to instruct and/or reassure the user when they wet.
MELODIES
Melodies can be more comforting to children that might feel anxious when they hear a loud alarm sound. Alarms with pre-recorded melodies have much “gentler” tunes that can play when the alarm is activated. An alternative is to use a recordable alarm and, instead of voice, record a favourite piece of music to sound on activation instead.
