Bed Wetting Solutions
Bed wetting solutions are of many kinds that will help you to solve the problem of bed wetting.
First of all, almost all children outgrow their bed wetting habit. As children mature, their muscles become stronger and their bladder capacity increases.
They tend to sleep less deeply and to become more sensitive to messages the bladder sends to the brain. Parents and the child need to know that bed wetting is quite common, that it can be corrected, and that nobody should feel guilty about it.
An older child who has bed wetting can take responsibility by limiting fluids after dinner (especially caffeinated beverages), urinating before going to bed, recording wet and dry nights, and changing clothing and bedding when wet.
Parents may choose to give the child age-appropriate rewards (positive reinforcement) for dry nights. Because there are several theories regarding the cause nighttime bed wetting, there are a variety of bed wetting solutions available based on the premise of each of these theories.
However, no one theory has proven correct nor has one bed wetting solution proven 100% successful. Often a combination of therapies is used in the hopes of gaining nighttime control. There are two approaches to bed wetting solutions: Medical bed wetting solutions or Behavioral bed wetting solutions.
Behavioral Bed Wetting Solutions:
a) Motivational therapy
Motivational therapy for the bed wetting solution involves reassuring the parents and the child, removing the guilt associated with bed wetting and providing emotional support to the child. In motivational therapy, parents attempt to encourage the child to combat bed wetting, but the child must want to achieve success.
Positive reinforcement, such as rewards or praise for staying dry, can help improve self-image and resolve the condition. Punishment for "wet" nights will hamper the child's self-esteem and compound the problem.
b) Behavior modification
Behavioral conditioning in the primary bed wetting solutions is based on the use of a signal alarm device. When the child voids in bed, a moisture-sensing device that has been placed near the genitals is activated and triggers an alarm.
Bed wetting alarms are considered a useful and successful way to treat bed wetting.Medical research has shown that bed wetting alarms have helped many children stay dry.
This evokes a conditioned response of waking and inhibiting urination. In some cases, behavioral therapy is combined with motivational therapy to reinforce successful behavior by rewarding the child for dry nights.
c) Retention control training:
Children are told to drink a large quantity of water and to try to prolong the periods between urinations first by a few minutes and then by gradually increased amounts of time.
This exercise can extent the capacity of the bladder and strengthen the muscle that holds back urination. Parents should always check with a doctor before asking their child to practice retention control.
These exercises are designed to increase bladder capacity but is only successful bed wetting solutions in a small number of patients.
Medical Bed Wetting Solutions:
The medical bed wetting solutions usually consists of the use of one of two drugs:
a) Imipramine (Tofranil):
This drug is a tricyclic antidepressant. It is used to either improve the child's sleeping pattern to improve the functioning of the smooth muscles found in the bladder.
This medication brings improvement of about 30% of the children who have tried it. Often, when the medication is discontinued, the bed-wetting symptoms return. The drug can cause serious side effects and needs to be closely monitored by the prescribing physician.
b) Desmopressin acetate:
This drug is a synthetic form of the antidiuretic hormone and is administered as a nasal spray. It helps the child's body make less urine, and thus lessens the risk that the child's bladder will overfill during sleep.
The medication works quickly. However, when the medication is discontinued, the symptoms return. While this medication is much safer than Imipramine, it still can cause some side effects.
Behavioral bed wetting solutions are often more effective and certainly is safer than medical bed wetting solutions.While behavioral bed wetting solutions may take somewhat longer to show results, the improvement usually continues indefinitely.
