What is a bed-wetting
alarm?
Almost all children and teens who wet the bed need to
get up during the night to urinate. A bed-wetting (enuresis) alarm,
which is activated by moisture, can help your child learn to awaken in
time to go to the bathroom. The new models are lightweight and easy
for the child to operate. Enuresis alarms can be used on any child age
5 and up who wants to try one. On the other hand, they should never be
imposed on a child at any age, even a teenager, if they don't want to
use one.
What instructions
should I give my child?
When you buy and alarm, give your child the following
instructions:
- This is your alarm. It can help you cure your
bed-wetting if you use it correctly. Remember that the main purpose
of the alarm is to help you get up during the night and use the
toilet. The alarm won't work unless you listen for it carefully and
get up as soon as you hear it. Better yet, get up before the alarm
goes off.
- Hook up the alarm system by yourself. Trigger the
buzzer a few times by touching the moisture sensor with a wet finger
and practice going to the bathroom as you will do if it goes off
during the night.
- Have a night-light or flashlight near your bed so
it will be easy to see what you are doing when the alarm sounds.
Turn on the night-light when you go to bed.
- Give yourself a pep talk at bedtime. Remind
yourself that you want to try to "beat the buzzer." You want to wake
up when your bladder feels full but before any urine leaks out. If
the buzzer does go off, you are going to try to wake up and stop
urinating as soon as you think you hear the alarm, even if you think
you are hearing it in a dream.
- As soon as you hear the alarm when you are
sleeping, wake yourself up and close the valve to your bladder to
stop urinating. Then jump out of bed and run to the bathroom.
- In the bathroom empty your bladder to see how much
urine you were able to hold back. Then work on turning off the
buzzer by removing the sensor from the wet underwear.
- Put on dry underwear and pajamas and reconnect the
alarm. Put a dry towel over the wet spot on your bed. Remind
yourself to get up before the alarm buzzes next time.
- In the morning, write on your calendar for that
day DRY (no alarm), WET SPOT (you got up after the alarm went off),
or WET (you didn't get up).
- Use the alarm every night until you go 3 or 4
weeks without wetting the bed. It usually takes 2 to 3 months before
you can go 3 or 4 weeks without wetting, so keep working at it.
How can my child learn
to wake up before wetting?
While your child is using the alarm, it's very
important that he also practice the following self-awakening program
at bedtime. Your child is trying to teach himself to awaken during the
night and use the toilet when the bladder feels full. Until he learns
how to do this, he won't stay dry.
Have your child practice waking up. Tell your child
to:
- Lie on your bed with your eyes closed.
- Pretend it's the middle of the night.
- Pretend your bladder is full.
- Pretend you feel the pressure.
- Pretend your bladder is trying to wake you up.
- Pretend it's saying: "Get up before it's too
late."
- Run to the bathroom and empty your bladder.
- Remind yourself to get up like this during the
night.
What can I do to help
my child?
If your child doesn't awaken immediately to the sound
of the buzzer, he needs your help. You may need to help your child
every night for the first 2 to 3 weeks.
- When you hear the alarm go to your child's room as
quickly as you can. Turn on the light and say loudly, "Get out of
bed and stand up."
- If that doesn't work, help your child sit up. Wipe
his face with a cold washcloth to bring him out of his deep sleep.
- Only after your child is standing, remind him to
turn off the alarm. By all means, do not turn off the buzzer for
him. Your child has to learn to carry out this step for himself.
- Make sure your child is wide awake and walks into
the bathroom before you leave him. If necessary, ask him questions
to help awaken him.
- Your goal is to help your child awaken immediately
and get out of bed when the buzzer sounds. Stop helping him as soon
as he appears to be able to wake up and get up without your help.
Going to bed with the radio off, going to bed at a reasonable hour,
and using a night-light can help your child respond faster to the
alarm.
Where can I get a
bed-wetting alarm?
Order alarms and parent information from:
- Nytone Alarm: Nytone Medical Products, 2424 South
900 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84119, or call 801-973-4090.
- Nite Train'r Alarm: Koregon Enterprises, 9735 S.W.
Sunshine Court, Suite 100, Beaverton, OR 97005, or call
800-544-4240.
- Wet-Stop Alarm: Palco Laboratories, 8030 Soquel
Ave., Suite 104, Santa Cruz, CA 95062, or call 800-346-4488.
- Potty Pager (silent alarm): Ideas for Living, 1285
North Cedarbrook, Boulder, CO 80304, or call 800-497-6573.
An alarm may be covered by health insurance if your
physician writes an order for it.
