Bed-Wetting Alarms – Can They Help Your Child

It is very common for young kids to wet their beds but most of them usually master bladder control by the time they are around four to five years old. However, if your child is over 6 to 7 years of age and still wets his bed, you should get in touch with your doctor and consider various treatment options to cure this condition. Your doctor may recommend getting a bed-wetting alarm to help overcome this embarrassing problem. We recommend reading the following post if you wish to know more about bed-wetting alarms, how to do them, how to choose one for your kid and other related aspects of this topic!

What Are Bed Wetting Alarms?

Nocturnal enuresis or bedwetting is a condition where a child does not have bladder control while he is asleep. Devices such as diaper alarm bedwetting devices, bed-wetting alarms, and other such devices can come handy in helping a child get control over his bladder in his sleep.

A bed-wetting alarm is an electronic device, which has moisture sensors placed in them. These alarms can detect even the slightest amount of wetness and, thus, helps in triggering an alarm if your child starts wetting himself or starts peeing in the bed. Such alarms are designed to detect the very first drops of urine and awaken the child so that he can go to the washroom and pee.

Types of Bed Wetting Alarms for Children

There are various varieties of bed-wetting alarms available, however, they all work on the same principle of setting off as soon as the child starts to wet himself and thus, waking them up to go and use the washroom. Here are three types of alarms that you can choose from:

1. Wearable Alarms

These alarms are wearable, which means you can clip them on your child such as on your child’s shoulder and it has a cord that has a moisture sensor attached to it, which sits either underneath or on top of your child’s underpants. As soon as the first drop of pee is detected, the alarm goes off. These kinds of alarms usually come with both sound and vibration settings.

2. The Wireless Alarms

Very similar to wearable alarms, these alarm units are not required to be placed on the child rather it sits away from the bed. This kind of alarm is attached to the moisture sensor unit through a wireless signal. The moment the alarm goes off the child needs to get up to switch off and also make his way to the washroom. This alarm works well for deep sleepers.

3. The Pad and Bell Alarms

One of the most comfortable alarms because the child is not expected to wear any devices but instead sleep on a pad. The alarm makes a sound as soon as wetness hits the pad that is placed underneath the child. However, this alarm may not be as effective as the other two alarms because the child can roll over from the pad in sleep or not pee that much that the wetness reaches the pad.

Using the support of anti bedwetting devices such as bed-wetting alarms can help your child in knowing when his bladder gets full while sleeping, so that he may wake up instinctively and go to pee! Your child may not wake up initially and may need your assistance in waking him up when the alarm goes off. However, with regular usage, the child may start waking up on his own when the alarm goes off!

How Do They Work?

Well, many parents may wonder that do bedwetting alarms work, well, the bed-wetting alarms are not only one of the most effective but also the safest ways of treatment. Studies have shown that such devices have been useful and successful in managing the condition in kids.

These alarms are designed to go by detecting the very first drop of urine, which can wake the child and the child can be directed towards the washroom to finish urinating. After using the alarm for about 4 to 6 weeks, the child may start waking up to go to the washroom or even may develop better bladder control and hold the pee until morning.

When your child stays dry for more than three weeks in a row, you should keep using the alarm for another couple of weeks for the habit to set in and then stop using the alarm. However, if your kid starts wetting the bed again, you may start using the alarm again. Using an alarm is not a quick way to overcome bed-wetting in kids; it may usually take 12 weeks or more for the process to be a success.

Instructions for Your Child for Using the Bed Wetting Alarm

Here are some directions or instructions for using a bet-wetting alarm:

1. Help your child in understanding that the aim of wearing the device is to help cure bed-wetting in the child and also help him in sleeping peacefully without wetting himself. The parents need to lay emphasis on the fact that the child needs to be proactive in responding to the alarm.
2. Help your child practice a few times by asking him to set the alarm and using wet fingers to trigger the moisture sensors. This exercise will make him better prepared to wake up and do the drill at night.
3. Place a flashlight or nightlight close to your kid’s bed as it can help the child to make his way to the bathroom.
4. Encourage your child with a little pep talk and ask him to try to ‘beat the buzzer’ by waking up before the alarm goes off. Even if the alarm goes off, ask him to wake up and get out of the bed to go the bathroom to pee.
5. Encourage your child to put off the buzzer on his own rather than you doing it for him.
6. After the child puts off the alarm, guide him towards the bathroom to pee and ask him to change into dry clothes, and set up the alarm again.
7. Children may find it difficult to wake up at night; therefore, the parents may have to help them with the drill of waking up and going to the bathroom on hearing the alarm.
8. Do not forget that the alarm is to help your child wake up before it goes off and to sleep through the night without wetting himself.
9. Be persistent when it comes to using bed-wetting alarms because it may usually two to three months for the child to master bladder control at night.
10. Bed-wetting is not a pleasant experience for a child; therefore it is very important for the parents to praise the child for his efforts. Be positive and empathetic towards the child as it will help him to sail smoothly on his night-time journey towards dryness.
11. Maintain a calendar and ask your child to fill it ‘dry’, ‘wet spot’, or ‘woke-up-dry-without-the-alarm’. This can be your child’s personal source of encouragement!

How to Choose the Best Bed Wetting Alarm

Here are some things to consider while choosing the best bed-wetting alarm for your child:

• It is comfortable for the child to use and wear.
• It is easy to set up and operate for the child.
• It has reliable operations
• It is able to sense even the smallest amounts of wetness; however, it should not get triggered with sweat.
• It is easy to disinfect or clean.
• It is sturdy and durable.
• It comes with a guarantee to cover for the technical glitches, in case they occur.
• It is not very expensive (within the 100 dollars range).
• It comes with long wires, which can be used by older kids comfortably.
• It does not come off when the child turns or tosses.
• It comes with batteries.
• It has both sound and vibration settings.
• It has clips that offer a firm grip.
• It comes with different sound settings that can be adjusted as per requirements.
• It has an additional sensor for the parents.

Additional Considerations and Important Tips for Parents

Here are some additional tips for the parents to help their kids with bed-wetting alarms:

• Make sure you clean or disinfect the sensor every morning. This will also prolong the sensor’s life.
• Make your child wear thin underpants for better adjustment of the clips.
• You can use a tee to accommodate and cover up the sensor wires.
• Make your child responsible for tracking his progress. Self-monitoring is a great way of getting motivated to do better.
• Ask your child to clean up his wet underpants, clothes, and even change the bedsheet. But it should never be implied as a way of punishing a child but to make the child more responsible.
• Provide incentives to your kid for his efforts. This not only peps up your kiddo’s spirits but will also motivate him.
• If your child does not respond to the alarm, gently wake him up and tell him to go to the bathroom to empty his bladder.
• Keep using the alarm until your child stays dry at night for at least 14 consecutive nights.

Bed-wetting is more common than you think and your child can easily overcome this hurdle with your support and love. Consider using such devices to help your child. However, make sure you talk to your doctor before using any such devices.

Also Read:

Bedwetting (Nocturnal Enuresis) in Kids
Sleep Disorders in Children
Sleep Walking in Kids