The Rodger Wireless Alarm has 3 parts.

The underwear:
Have the special moisture sensing threads built in
Are comfortable to wear and easy to remember to put on
Are machine washable and dryable (just remember to remove the snap-on transmitter before washing)
Make snapping on the transmitter easy to do

The transmitter:
Snaps on the underwear and is secured with the Velcro strap
Sends a signal to the receiver when moisture is sensed
Needs to be paired with the receiver when you receive it
Is small and comfortable
Requires a CR2032 battery, which is included in the package or already installed
Should be unsnapped from the underwear when not being used

The receiver:
Can be plugged into the wall or use AAA batteries, not both at the same time
Is where the sound comes from
Can make 8 different sounds, just listen to the sounds and push SELECT when you pick your favorite
Has a volume adjustment; press + or – to raise or lower the volume after triggering the alarm to sound
Is turned off and on by pressing the large button in the middle
Should be turned off in the morning and on at night

This wireless alarm can be ordered with an additional receiver for parent’s room. This is especially helpful if you are located far from your child’s room. This second receiver sounds at the same time as the child’s receiver and can be turned off when your child handles everything independently.

If you choose a vibrating cushion as an accessory to this alarm, it is connected directly into the alarm receiver. The receiver must be plugged in, not running on batteries for this to work. The vibrating cushion is placed on the bed and adds the vibratory stimulus to help alert your child.

Here are 5 tips to help you know when the time is right for starting an alarm.

Your child:

Is at least 5 or 6 years old and wets most nights.
Around this age, children are likely to have the maturity to be able to respond to the alarm, go to the bathroom and return to their bed.

Begins making comments about wanting to stay dry or stop using pull-ups.
Your child notices other kids their age stay dry at night and wonders why they can’t do the same. Even if you have been very careful to be positive and supportive, children want to be like their peers. Pull-ups are fine until treatment with a bedwetting alarm is begun. Then I recommend switching to cloth underwear.

Has no new changes in the household.
Because starting an alarm requires parent/family participation, begin at a time when you do not have travel, have schedule changes or increased work obligations. The first 2-3 weeks are the hardest.

Is able to stay reliably dry during the day.
If your child has leaking during the day or does not go independently without a reminder, this should be corrected before you start working on nighttime dryness.

Is feeling frustrated that they can’t stay dry on their own.
Even older children (over 10 years) can get to dryness with an alarm. So if your child hasn’t been motivated in the past or you have been patiently waiting for them to “outgrow” it, know that it isn’t too late to use a bedwetting alarm.

Help! My 6 year old daughter will not stop playing to use the bathroom. When she squirms, I remind her to go. She reluctantly stops and always has a lot to pee out. But if I don’t remind her, she will sometimes wet herself when she is only a few feet from the bathroom. I had her urine checked, which is fine. I’ve tried rewards, punishment, and praise. What do you recommend?

I know this is frustrating, but here are 6 tips that should help.

Make sure she is not constipated. Increase fiber and pay attention to when she has stools. Having a full bowel can decrease the sensation from the bladder and can decrease the amount of urine her bladder holds.

Make sure she drinks enough water throughout the day. Beverages with citrus, sugar and food coloring can make the bladder more irritable.

Implement a timed voiding program. Your daughter will be reminded to urinate at regular times, usually two hours apart. Her job is to go to the bathroom when she is reminded, even if she does not feel the need to do so. It’s best if the reminder is not you and if it is something portable.

Use a vibratory wrist watch as her discreet reminder. The VibraLITE Mini is a great vibratory reminder watch for girls her age. The other children will not know that this watch reminds her to go to the bathroom. Make sure she wears her watch every day, even weekends.

Reward cooperation. If she consistently goes to the bathroom when the watch vibrates, she can get a sticker or token. Following through when the watch reminds her to use the bathroom is something that she has control over. By cooperating, the ultimate reward will be dry underwear.

Wear the watch for several months. Over time, her bladder will begin to get the feeling of being emptied on a regular schedule, rather than becoming overfull and leaking.

A bedwetting alarm that records parent’s voices is already available. The Malem Recordable Bedwetting Alarm plays a 10-second “user recorded” message when it senses wetness. Families have reported that recording their voice saying their child’s name and giving instructions has worked when other things have failed. This alarm also features a choice of 8 pre-recorded sounds and vibration, giving families all the options for alerting their child.

The reports’ conclusions are not surprising to me because most parents report that their children sleep through the loud sound of any bedwetting alarm initially. Parents can’t believe that their child doesn’t wake instantly and are often concerned that a bedwetting alarm won’t work for them. We know that children respond best to their own parents and we recommend that all parents respond to the bedwetting alarm’s sound by going to their child’s room, waking them and reminding them what to do next. Over time, children often do learn to respond more independently. So, using an alarm with a recorded message or parents going to the room to do the waking are important in the beginning.

Adding chlorine bleach to the water while in the washing machine is all it takes to recharge the odor-fighting power of this overlay. Once charged, this underpad holds enough chlorine to kill 99.9% of the odor causing bacteria within 10 minutes of contact.
That means that a child or adult can have an accident, and even hours later, the odor will not be present.

The underpad comes in 5 sizes. I highly recommend the Medium with Wings for children who sleep in twin beds. The wings secure the pad in place, even with children’s movement during sleep. The other larger sizes work well for Full or Queen size beds.

Both sugary drinks and food coloring have been implicated in contributing to nighttime wetting. One school of thought is that sugared beverages may increase urine production; another is that kids drink more if the drink is sweet. Another possibility is that the food coloring in the Kool-Aid affected his bladder. In some people, food coloring can make the bladder more irritable.

Whatever the association, I do agree that drinking plain water is much healthier than sugary drinks with food coloring. I don’t know that changing beverages is an automatic cure for bed wetting, but it is a positive step that I recommend in my book, “Seven Steps to Nighttime Dryness” and for my patients. It’s a simple step that any family can implement.

Combs mentioned how proud he was the first time he didn’t wet the bed at a sleepover. That feeling of pride when a bed wetter has a dry night is still something I hear about over and over again. Drinking water, having a healthy diet and regular stools are all important. If these changes do not solve the problem, bed wetting alarms (which Coombs probably did not have access to) can help speed up getting to dry nights.

Here are some suggestions beyond those listed above that help end bed wetting in school-age children.

-Make sure there are no urological reasons for the bedwetting. A urinalysis and visit with your health care provider should rule this out. 97% of bedwetting children do not have bladder or kidney problems.

-Insure that your child has a soft stool every 1-2 days. Ask him about his bowel movement frequency. Increase his fiber intake, either by foods or supplements, so that he feels the urge to have a bowel movement every day. Increasing fluids during the day also helps with this.

-Make sure he or she drinks enough during the school day. They should feel the need to urinate at least twice while at school if they drink enough. Doubling up on fluids during breakfast and lunch and taking a water bottle help with this. Well hydrated children feel less of a need to drink more in the evening.

-Begin using a bedwetting alarm every night. This will sense the wetness and sound so that they begin to realize when the wetting is happening. This is the first step in putting together the important brain-bladder connection. Over time, their body will begin to associate a full bladder with waking up or holding on until morning. Learning to stay dry at night is a process and does not happen overnight. Initially, many children even sleep through the loud sound so parents have to help wake them. Signs of progress are smaller wet spots in bed, less frequent wetting and wetting closer to morning. Chart when the alarm sounded and the size of the wet spot in the bed. Your child can see how well they are doing by looking at previous weeks.

Wireless bedwetting alarms are well-suited for older children because they have to get out of bed to turn off the alarm. These alarms can also be ordered with a receiver for the parent’s room, which is helpful in the beginning. The average child takes about 10-12 weeks to get to complete dryness (14 consecutive dry nights). When the alarm is used long enough, he or she becomes permanently dry with little relapse.

Many families struggle with knowing when to discontinue disposables without having a large increase in the daily laundry. Washable underpads are a great product to help with this transition. These are reusable, waterproof absorbent pads that lie on top of the sheet. When wetting occurs, it’s easy to remove the pad and replace it with a clean one. Since these underpads have a soft, quilted top layer, kids find them very comfortable to sleep on. Our underpads can absorb up to 4 cups so can hold more than most kids produce. They come in a pretty print or standard white. Some of the underpads come with the tuck in sides or can be purchased in the larger size to cover more of the mattress. The extra length of cloth on each side of the pad enables it to be tucked between the mattresses, securing it in place for the entire night.

You might find that this is a good time to transition from wearing disposables every night. Not only will you save money, but your daughter will begin to sense what wetness feels like and may begin to experience more dry nights. If she does have a wet night, all you have to wash is the underpad. If she prefers wearing pull-ups a little longer, the underpads prevent any leaking onto the sheet and mattress.

Underpads are nice for travel, too. They can be used in hotels for extra protection or inside sleeping bags for kids who are dry most nights but want extra assurance. They are available in several sizes; to fit twin, full or queen sized beds. Pet owners also rave about washable, reusable bed pads. Easy to wash and dry, they protect any surface from accidents.

Sometimes children, age 10-teen, feel hopeless that there is a solution. You may have already unsuccessfully tried some things, such as limiting night fluids, urinating twice before bed, setting an alarm clock, or medications. Confidence can be eroded as kids get older and “nothing seems to work”. Your child might act like they don’t care to protect themselves from further disappointment. Well-meaning relatives and even doctors may suggest no treatment; that you just wait “until they outgrow it”.

2. They do not wet on purpose and are unaware when the wetting occurs.

The good news is that moisture sensing bedwetting alarms work as effectively in pre-teens and teens as they do in younger children. The sound and/or vibratory alert happens when wetting occurs. This enables the child to finally be able to make that brain-bladder connection.

It usually takes teens a little longer to get to complete dryness, but a few extra weeks to change a behavior that has been going on for years is quite tolerable. I’ve found that the key to success for teens and older children is to use an alarm that is easy to use and acceptable to them. The wireless alarms, like the Rodger wireless or Malem wireless, are easy to use and sound from across the room. The user must get out of bed to turn the annoying sound off.

It is worthwhile is re-try using a bedwetting alarm, even if your child used one at a younger age. Trying a different style, at a different age, may give different results.

3. Encourage your child to be responsible about using and responding to the alarm, but realize that parents play a big role, especially in the beginning.

Your son or daughter should willingly and consistently wear their alarm every night. It can be part of the nightly routine, just like urinating twice and brushing their teeth. As well-intentioned as he or she might be, many older kids just do not hear the loud alarm or cannot think through what to do next. Parents’ role is to go to their room, remind them that their alarm is sounding and make sure they turn off the alarm and walk to the bathroom. The quicker they learn how to respond to the bedwetting alarm, the more quickly they will be on the road to dryness.

The wireless alarms feature an additional receiver that can be purchased for the parent’s room. It sounds at the same time as the one in the child’s room and can transmit up to 75 feet.

1. 6 Tips for Summer Camp Bedwetting
Bedwetting is especially worrisome for children sleeping at camp. These tips help families cope.

2. Our Alarm Chooser
Simple steps to choose the right alarm for your bedwetting child.

3. Pee Alarm for Nighttime Potty Training
Discusses how bedwetting alarms work and other steps that help getting children dry in the nighttime.

4. Wetting the Bed- How to Stop
Strategies for 8 year old who wants to become dry.

5. Fast Progress in 11 Year Old
This popular blog post was most likely read by parents of other older children who suffer from bedwetting. Successful treatment, after others had failed, is covered.

6. Constipation and Bedwetting
New research suggests there is a connection between constipation and bedwetting.

7. Wetting at School: Tips that Help
Some children wet or leak during the daytime. These tips provide help and solutions for children and their families who deal with this embarrassing problem.

“Just in case” supplies

Even if your child does not have nightly wetting, it helps to be prepared. Disposable pull ups or disposable under pads for bed prevent embarrassment when an accident occurs. Reusable waterproof pads or waterproof sleeping bag liners are useful if laundry facilities are available.

Accommodations

Try to provide a sleeping area with privacy, especially if other children their age are present. Having a room close to your room is especially nice if you plan to walk them to the bathroom during the night. Extra pajamas and a night light or small flashlight will help with middle of the night clean-up. You can easily protect the mattress with a plastic cover if visiting relatives or friends. Inexpensive fitted vinyl covers fit discreetly under the sheet and take up little suitcase space.

Nighttime Routine

Schedules typically change with travel but it does help children with bedwetting to be as well rested as possible. Urinating twice before bed and limiting carbonated and sugary beverages, and milk in the late evening might help.

Medication

You may talk to your health care provider about a trial of medication for your older school age child, for special occasions, such as sleepovers or vacation. If trying desmopressin or similar short acting medication, have a trial of a few days at home to make sure the dosage is correct and that it is effective in stopping wetting. If the medication does not insure a dry night at home, have a backup plan and do not expect that it will keep your child dry when sleeping away from your home.

Medication does not “cure” bedwetting but it may help your child have a dry night when he or she takes it. Desmopressin works by making the urine more concentrated thus decreasing the amount of urine produced that night.

Reassurance

Reassure your child that it’s not their fault and you’ll work together to discreetly handle any accidents that may happen. A good New Year’s resolution might be to begin using a bedwetting alarm to speed up getting to dryness so this won’t be a problem when you travel next year.

The health related quality of life of 139 children with bedwetting and their mothers was evaluated before and after treatment for bedwetting. These three assessment tools were used for the mothers: SF-36, which measures the Relative burden of diseases, (SRD) Self-Rating Depression Scale, and (STAI) State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The Kid-KINKL protocol looked at the children’s quality of life.

Significant differences in the scores of mothers of children with enuresis versus the control group were noted in the SF-36 and STAI scores. Mothers of enuretic children had lower relative quality of life and a higher state of anxiety score. There was no difference in the rating for depression in the two groups.

After treatment for bedwetting, the mothers’ scores for both quality of life and anxiety were statistically improved. Once dry, the children’s quality of life scores also improved.

This current research confirms that bedwetting impacts the whole family. It also suggests that once children have achieved dryness, their quality of life goes up. Even more reason to implement treatment such as a bedwetting alarm in school age children who still have bedwetting. There is no reason to simply wait until they “grow out of it” when we have such safe and effective treatments available.

http://www.jurology.com/article/S0022-5347%2812%2904188-2/abstract

One recent morning, she saw him looking out the window into the rainy, gloomy dark day. She heard him say, “Enuresis”. Her reply was, “I’m sorry that this bedwetting has made you so upset” and she felt bad for him. His reply was, “Mom, I said INDOOR RECESS”. She laughed and didn’t feel so bad after all.

This vibrating watch has several unique features:

-Easy to set, with text prompts.
-Can have 12 independent alarms or countdown timer which automatically resets
-Lock-out feature so it can’t be inadvertently reset
-Strong 20 second vibration that can’t be ignored
-Discreet vibratory alert, but can have sound if preferred
-Durable, from company with extensive experience
-Economically priced

Other children in a classroom will not know about your child’s discreet bathroom reminder. They will just admire this attractive wrist watch. Alarms can be used for any type of reminder, whether it’s homework time, get ready for the bus, time for medication, etc. Adults with small wrists also find this reminder watch useful.

Pee alarms, also known as bedwetting or enuresis alarms, have been proven to be the most effective cure for bedwetting. Most bedwetting children sleep through the entire wetting episode and have no idea that they are even wet until they wake up in the morning. Bed wetting alarms work by sensing wetness and alerting the child and parents that wetting is occurring. Initially, he may not hear the alarm or know what to do next. Help him wake up and walk to the bathroom. Over time, he will begin to recognize the importance of the alarm’s sound, stop the flow of urine and get to the bathroom. Ultimately, his brain and bladder begin to work together to not release urine until he can be awakened or is already awake.

This page features the best alarms for a boy your son’s age. The biggest difference is whether he prefers a wearable or wireless model. Alarms work best in school age children who are motivated to become dry.

Here are a few other tips to help school age children get to dryness. Make sure your son:

-Is having regular bowel movements without constipation
-Has enough fluid intake during the day so he urinates every 2-3 hours
-Decreases evening intake of milk, carbonation, sugar and citrus
-Voids twice before bed, about 30 minutes apart
-Stops pull-ups when using the alarm, and protects bed with waterproof overlay

Patience and persistence pay off. Using a bedwetting alarm and following these tips should get your son to dryness in the next few months, rather than waiting years for him to “outgrow” it.

Bedwetting can destroy mattresses so having the right waterproof protection is essential. The thickness of the vinyl affects the durability and is worth a few extra dollars to get a better product. These heavy duty vinyl mattress covers are 6 Gauge, which is twice as thick as vinyl covers found in discount stores. The zippered covers come in different depths so be sure to measure your son’s mattress depth before ordering. If it is between sizes, order the next size up. Zippered vinyl covers stay in place and are easily cleaned in the morning with a spray on disinfectant. Our customers love these inexpensive covers and they have earned a 4.5 Star Review Rating.

I also recommend using a urine stain remover before covering the mattress. Urine-Erase is guaranteed to remove old set-in stains and DP is a convenient spray to remove urine from all surfaces, including the top of the vinyl. Specialized enzyme based urine removal products bind with the protein in the urine, and permanently remove the odor as well as the stain.

Things they had already tried:
- pullups, which leaked and still required sheet changes
- setting an alarm clock at midnight and 3 am to wake up and walk him to the bathroom, but he would still wake up wet
- medication, even 5 tablets of desmopressin had no effect on the number of wet nights
- Potty Pager vibrating alarm, used 3 years ago, which he slept through

One last thing:
This family felt hopeless and that they had tried everything to help their son. They decided to try a different style of alarm as their “last hope”. CG chose the Rodger Wireless Alarm because of the comfort of just wearing the special underwear and the fact that he had to get out of bed to turn the alarm off when it sounded.

The first few nights, dad heard the alarm and woke CG up. CG turned off the alarm himself and went to the bathroom. In a few nights, CG began waking up when the alarm sounded and noticed that the underwear were just a little wet. After one week, CG woke up “just to go to the bathroom”, even before the alarm sounded. This was the first time in his life that had happened.

Over the next 4-6 weeks, more dry nights were observed. Stretches of 8-9 dry nights in a row began occurring. After two months, CG was dry every night. Some nights he got up independently to go to the bathroom and some nights he didn’t have to wake up at all.

The best part is that he was able to go with his classmates on the overnight trip. Neither his parents nor CG thought that would be possible. Using the Rodger Bedwetting Alarm changed this chapter of his life.

These absorbent pants are perfect for larger children or teens who still need reliable overnight protection from wetness. They can be used nightly or in special situations, where a sleepover or campout with friends requires discreet protection. The new size is even less expensive than the smaller sizes and is available by the pack or case.

Here are a few tips to help stop wetting at school:

Talk to your Child
• Ask about bathroom policies at school. Are they asked to “wait” frequently?
• Ask about the bathroom specifically. Some children voice concerns such as “It’s too dirty. It smells funny. It’s dark and I can’t reach the light.”
• Is your child worried that they will miss something important while in the bathroom?

Talk to the Teacher
• Learn about the rules, location of bathroom, ask teacher for suggestions she has used in the past.
• Inform her/him that your child is having a problem. A busy teacher may not notice wet clothes unless it’s a large spot or even know your child is having difficulty staying dry. Pretty, discreet washable, waterproof underwear prevent leaking onto the clothes.

Associated Problems
• Constipation can contribute to wetting problems. The goal should be a soft stool every day or every other day.
• Urinary tract infections or vaginal irritation can cause frequent voiding, discomfort, and leaking. If suspected, have your doctor rule this out.
• Is your child fearful, embarrassed and hiding evidence? Reassure them that you will work on a solution to this problem together and getting soiled clothing washed is the best action. Kids don’t smell themselves so reasoning that they will address this because of the bad smell is not the case.
• Not drinking enough during the day. Concentrated urine can be more irritating to the bladder. Dilute urine and voiding regularly and frequently is healthier.

Solutions
• Make sure your child takes their time in the bathroom. Girls should spread their legs and wipe from front to back. Make sure their clothing is easily removed, zipped, or buttoned. Dark colors show less stains.
• Arrange with the teacher to have unlimited bathroom privileges and access to enough fluids. Try to improve bathroom usability.
• Start a timed voiding program. This is when a child uses the bathroom every 2 hours, even if they don’t feel like they have to go. Use a discreet vibratory reminder watch, such as the Rodger Vibrating Watch, to remind kids of this. Don’t expect a busy teacher to do the reminding.
• Be patient. Know that support, and not punishment is more helpful. Regular bathing and laundry can help kids stay odor free.

A recent study looked at the relationship of melatonin and bedwetting. In this small study of 24 patients, 11 persons used synthetic melatonin and 13 used a placebo. After 3 and 6 months, the frequency of bedwetting was evaluated. There was no difference in the sleep-wake cycle or the frequency of wet nights in either group.

I think this study was looking at Melatonin as a possible treatment for bed wetting, with the thought that it could help children to sleep differently. It concluded that it did nothing to increase or decrease the frequency of wetting. In this study, there was no difference in the children’s sleep patterns, either.

Studies of the benefits of melatonin for sleep disorders have been published for healthy populations, for children and adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, for children and youth with autism, and for several other special populations. These studies demonstrate some benefit with minimal side effects. Long-term melatonin use has not been studied in children.

In my experience, children who have been taking Melatonin can still respond to a bed wetting alarm to help them learn to stay dry. They readily go back to sleep after the alarm sounds so it does not interfere with sleep in the nighttime. Some families have experimented with the timing of the dose of Melatonin but have not noticed a marked difference. Your son could safely use a bed wetting alarm to alert him when wetting is occurring.

Timed voiding, as your doctor recommended, has been found to be the most effective treatment for daytime wetting. You are correct in noticing that your daughter needs a reminder in order for her to be consistent in doing this. Vibratory wrist watches, which can be set to vibrate at specific times or intervals of time, work great for this purpose.

Our smallest NEW Rodger Vibrating Watch works well as an attractive, discreet reminder that she needs to go to the bathroom on a schedule. You set times that are convenient for her to follow and her job is to go to the bathroom, even if she does not feel the urge to do so. By emptying her bladder before it is overfull, leaking and accidents are diminished. Her classmates do not know that she is getting a silent reminder to go to the bathroom. They will think she wears a pretty watch. Speak privately with her teacher to let her know that your daughter will leave the classroom every 2 hours to go to the bathroom. She should not be asked to wait or hold it.

Using a timer watch like this Rodger Vibrating Watch has been proven in this recent study to increase compliance with timed voiding and should allow your daughter to have a great year at school.

What you should say:

• Let your child know they are not alone, that bedwetting is something that affects many children. Chances are that several others in their class at school also have bedwetting. Most kids with bedwetting are great, well-adjusted and happy kids.

• You know they are not wetting on purpose. You will do your best to be supportive and keep their bed clean and dry. Explain that things such as small bladders, sound sleep and family history can contribute to their bedwetting.

• Share any bedwetting experiences you, your spouse, or relatives may have had when you were young. Let your child know that bedwetting runs in families.

• Let them know it is ok to talk about their bedwetting within your family and with your health care provider. It is not okay for siblings or family members to belittle the bedwetter.

• Talk about sharing responsibility for keeping their room clean and free of odor. If your child is older, proper care of wet clothing, carrying the sheets to the washer or helping make up the bed are good life long skills that they can learn to do.

• There may be some things they can do to help. Going to the bathroom twice before bed, not drinking a lot in the evening and having regular bowel movements can make a difference.

• Talk about treatment options when they are ready. Your doctor can make sure there are no related medical causes. Treatment options include enuresis alarms, lifestyle changes, and medication. Wearing waterproof disposable pants until treatment is in place saves on wet bedding.

What you should NOT say:

Do not punish your child for wetting. This is something they have little control over and punishment will not speed up getting to dryness.

Don’t blame yourself. Parenting is not the reason children wet the bed. Genetics are something you cannot change.

Try not to lose your patience. Even though changing sheets adds to your list of daily chores, know that bedwetting will stop when you seek treatment and your child gets older.

It sounds like your son is ready for some effective strategies to help him become dry at night.

Here are 6 Tips to Help Stop Bedwetting:

1. Make sure he has a regular bedtime and is not overly tired. A relaxed bedtime routine and going to sleep in a dark, quiet room is ideal.

2. Double void before bed. He should urinate 30 minutes before going to sleep, then once more immediately before turning off the lights. This insures that he begins the night with an empty bladder.

3. Insure that he has a soft stool every 1-2 days. Ask him about his bowel movement frequency. Increase his fiber intake, either by foods or supplements, so that he feels the urge to have a bowel movement every day. Increasing fluids during the day also helps with this.

4. Begin using a bedwetting alarm every night. He is old enough that he will benefit greatly by starting a bedwetting alarm. This will sense the wetness and sound so that he begins to realize when the wetting is happening. This is the first step in putting together the important brain-bladder connection. Over time, his body will begin to associate a full bladder with waking up or holding on until morning.

5. Chart progress. Learning to stay dry at night is a process and does not happen overnight. Initially, many children even sleep through the loud sound so parents have to help wake them. Signs of progress are smaller wet spots in bed, less frequent wetting and wetting closer to morning. Chart when the alarm sounded and the size of the wet spot in the bed. Your son can see how well he is doing by looking at previous weeks.

6. Use the alarm until he has 14 consecutive dry nights. The first few weeks are the hardest. Make sure he uses the alarm long enough so he becomes permanently dry with little relapse.

1. Make sure your child knows that he or she is not alone and most camps are very helpful in discreetly handling any wetting episodes. Double voiding (urinating two times) in the hour before going to sleep is helpful. In some cases, you can make arrangements with the camp counselor to continue a lifting routine if this is used successfully at home. (Lifting is when a caregiver walks the child to the bathroom at a designated time.)

2. Fluid of choice after dinner should be water. Staying well hydrated in the daytime is important so your child is not so thirsty later in the day. Drinking throughout the day allows frequent urination and fluids to be processed by the body during daytime hours.

3. Wear disposable pants, with a plan for putting them on discreetly and disposal in the morning. Disposables come in all sizes, even small through extra large adult sizes. If your child has outgrown traditional children’s pull-ups, there are still many options. Disposable underpads that lie on a sheet or in a sleeping bag have tape strips to hold them in place.

4. Use washable bedtime pants to preserve dignity. These can be a nice back-up for kids who are dry most nights but want to make sure there is no leakage onto bedding.

5. Waterproof sleeping bag liners fit into a regular sleeping bag. They provide a comfortable, waterproof surface for sleeping without raising questions from other campers. Mattress overlays can be used on top of a sheet or used inside a sleeping bag. The overlays can be discreetly pulled into place when your child is ready to go to sleep. The new blue cloud overlays are colorful and look like a regular piece of bedding.

6. Medication, such as desmopressin, can be used temporarily to decrease the amount of urine produced at night. The correct dosage should be determined a week or two before camp begins. One, two or three tablets may be required to keep your child dry at night. If three tablets do not provide a dry night at home, this medicine will not work at camp, either. Have a backup plan in place. Only a small amount of liquid (2-4 ounces) should be ingested once this medication is given. It works best when given close to the time of actually going to sleep.

Work out a plan using these tips before your child leaves for camp and he or she will have one less thing to worry about while they are away.

A bladder conditioning device is more commonly referred to as a bedwetting alarm. Other names for a bedwetting alarm include a pad-and-buzzer apparatus, pee alarm, bell and pad alarm, moisture sensing device, pee alert, wee alert, urine alarm, bed wetting sensor and wetting sheet. Many terms can be used to describe the same product.

Dr. Bill Sears, a well-known pediatrician, recently wrote a great article for “The Costco Connection” in the Children’s Health section. His informative article, “Tips to help a bed-wetter”, discusses six things parents can do to help their child get to dryness.

His tip for the persistent bed-wetter is to “use a pad-and-buzzer apparatus called a bladder-conditioning device”. He talks about the pad style alarm, in which a pad lies under the child, and a drop of urine causes the buzzer connected to the pad to sound. This is a traditional style bedwetting alarm, such as the Wet Call or Malem Bedside, that is effective but has been mostly replaced by the small wearable or wireless alarms.

The advantage of a wearable alarm is that it moves with the child and senses the first drop of urine as it hits the underwear. With a traditional pad alarm, the urine must leak under the child in order for the alarm to sound. Depending on the child’s position when wetting occurs, it may be a few seconds before the pad senses the wetness. If your child has rolled off the moisture sensing pad, it won’t sound at all. We have many bedwetting alarm choices so you can select just the right one for your child. The Malem Ultimate alarm features both sound and vibration, the Rodger wireless features specialized underwear that sense the moisture and the Clippo allows you child to personalize it by choosing from 9 colorful skins.

Dr. Sears other helpful tips include:

Play show and tell – to inform your child how the brain-bladder connection works
Empty the bladder completely before going to bed – by “triple voiding” to squeeze out all the urine
Have a bladder-programming talk – imprint on your child’s mind the actions he should take when he feels a full bladder in the nighttime
Shake and wake before you retire – parents lift the child when they go to bed
Get things moving – make sure your child has regular bowel movements

http://www.costcoconnection.com/connection/201205?pg=51#pg51

Bedwetting children let their urine out during sleep and are not aware that this happens. Their bladders may hold less than average and/or they may not have developed the brain-bladder connection that alerts them when they need to use the bathroom. There is often a family history of bedwetting.

Because of the perception of deep sleep, most parents worry that their child will not hear or respond to a bedwetting alarm. In fact, it is likely that your child will sleep through the alarm sound initially. But this tool helps you to be alerted when the wetting occurs.

Parents’ Job
Parents play an important role in rousing their sleeping child once the alarm has gone off. As long as the alarm is loud enough for parents to hear, you can provide back-up if your child does not respond initially. Over time, your child will begin to learn that the alarm’s sound is something that needs attention. This response can happen at a subconscious level, with little memory in the morning. Progress continues to take place, as the flow of urine is stopped, and wetting happens less and less frequently.

Results
The bedwetting alarm may sound at any point in the sleep cycle. If the wetting occurs in the first few hours of sleep, your child may be especially difficult to wake up, be disoriented or even combative. She will not remember any of this behavior in the morning. I see this frequently in the first few weeks of using an alarm. Don’t be discouraged! Loud alarms, such as the Malem Ultimate, which features a loud constant sound and vibration, and the Rodger wireless, which has a loud receiver with a volume control button, are good choices because parents can usually hear them to respond.

Eventually, the brain and bladder begin to work together to alert the child before the wetting occurs or to hold the urine until morning.

Possible triggers

Milk products before bed may make him/her sleep more soundly.
Carbonated and sweet beverages may increase urine amount.
Citrus and extra Vitamin C can cause more bladder irritability.

Things that do make a difference

Insuring enough fiber so that your child has a soft stool every day.
Making sure your child drinks enough so that they feel the need to urinate at school twice a day. Taking a water bottle to school makes this easier.
Water is the beverage of choice between dinner and bedtime. If your child drinks enough during the day, they should not be overly thirsty before bed. However, if they are thirsty, drinking a small amount before bed is okay.
Toileting twice before bed, about 20-30 minutes apart, insures an empty bladder to start the night off right.

We have a similar, less expensive, popular product that we have been carrying for the past few years. The StaPut Disposable waterproof underpads come in a pack of 12 for $11.95 or in a case of 72 for only $52.95. This is a significant savings ($0.74/pad) if disposable pads are an ongoing need for your family. These pads are the same size as the Bed Mats and have an adhesive strip on the back.

Our washable overlay pads are the most economical choice if you have access to a washer and dryer. They are the most absorbent and can be reused every night. The tuck in style is the most popular and features tuck-in flaps in both sides of the pad to secure it in place. Overlay pads come in white or a pretty Blue Sky print.

I don’t think there is anything “wrong”. I frequently see this pattern of wetting, especially in children who have just begun using a bedwetting alarm. Since parents now know when the wetting is occurring, they are surprised and amazed that it occurs so early in the sleep cycle. In children with bedwetting, it seems that their bladder and pelvic floor muscles relax and let the urine flow out when their body relaxes and falls into deep sleep. Their bladder isn’t so full that it can’t hold any more urine; their body just lets the accumulated urine out at the wrong time. Two hours into the sleep cycle is when we are all very groggy, can’t make sense of where we are, and have very little memory of this sleep interruption. Parents observe a disoriented child, who may be combative or resistant, who do not remember the alarm at all in the morning.

When your son is ready to stop bedwetting, he will make great progress with a bedwetting alarm. Initially, the alarm will sound early in the sleep cycle, when he wets. Help him turn off the alarm and get up to the bathroom. He may not cooperate at all in the beginning (that will come later). Reattach the alarm because he may wet a second time later that night. Over the first few weeks, you will begin to see his pattern of wetting change. Instead of wetting in two hours, the wetting will happen later. His body will begin to learn that letting the urine flow out when in the deep sleep phase isn’t the best time to respond. He’ll begin to “hold it” longer and will respond more appropriately when the alarm sounds four to six hours into his sleep cycle. Eventually, he’ll get up before he wets or hold it until morning.

Continue to have him urinate twice before bed, about 30 minutes apart and limit evening fluids to water. Drinking a lot throughout the day will prevent him from being thirsty in the evening. Stopping disposable pants once he begins using a bedwetting alarm is a good time to transition to regular underwear in the nighttime. Using a waterproof mattress overlay on top of his sheet helps with clean-up.

But the best part about this alarm is that your child can choose the skin for a customized look. Most parents know that children are more excited about something that “looks good” and appeals to their interest. Putting the alarm on each night before bed is fun when you can use something that looks like a soccer ball, basketball, or pink flowers. You can choose one free skin when you buy the alarm and shop for additional ones anytime.

This economically priced alarm is well suited for a child who likes to play a role in choosing their own toys, clothes, school supplies, etc. Having a say in what style of alarm skin to get may make a huge difference in the level of cooperation, and ultimately, their level of success. The Clippo Starter Kit includes 2 mattress overlays and the book “Seven Steps to Nighttime Dryness” to help guide you on the journey to dryness.

As a follow-up to this study, I would like to see a larger sample size, a double-blind study (in which children received a laxative or inactive therapy), data 6-12 months later to evaluate relapse, and the timing of the abdominal x-ray to be after the children had a spontaneous bowel movement.

This small study does bring up the importance of looking at bowel and bladder habits when treating bedwetting. Having an abdominal x-ray to evaluate stool in the last 4-5 inches of the rectum would seem important, especially in kids who are not responding to conventional bedwetting treatment or prior to starting medication. This kind of constipation occurs when children put off having a bowel movement. The stool is backed up and the bowel is never completely emptied.

Here are some tips to manage constipation:

Insure adequate fiber intake. A guideline for fiber requirements in children is their age plus 6. For example, a 8 year old would require at least 14 grams of fiber a day. My patients’ favorite source of fiber is Cracklin’ Oatbran Cereal. Read labels when buying food and opt for the higher fiber choice. Fiber bars or drinks can also be used.

Add products such as Miralax, with your health care provider’s guidance, if fiber isn’t adequate. Miralax is unflavored and is dissolved in the drink of your choice. It is a gentle way of softening stools and the dosage can be easily adjusted.

Have a regular stooling time, where she sits quietly and has uninterrupted time in the bathroom.

Provide a stool for her to put her feet on and a toilet lid insert if she feels like she will “fall in”.

Stop to have the bowel movement when he first gets the message. Holding it in until he gets home can create a vicious cycle.

My son usually wets once a night, gets up within a minute or so and turns off the receiver plugged into the wall. He takes off the wet underwear, usually leaves them on the floor and changes into dry underwear. He doesn’t wet a second time so does not reattach the alarm. We know when the battery needs to be replaced because the unit in the wall doesn’t sound when his underwear get wet. It works perfectly when the battery is fresh.

My guess is that your son is leaving the transmitter attached to the wet underwear that is lying on his floor. Even though he turns off the receiver (wall unit), the transmitter continues to try to send signals when it senses wetness. If it sends signals the rest of the night and next day (until it is removed from the underwear), the battery will wear out quickly. This applies to any of the wireless alarms.

A better practice is to remove the transmitter from the wet underwear immediately when the alarm sounds and you turn off the receiver. When removed from wetness, the transmitter sends no further signals and uses no energy. The battery will last much longer when your son begins doing this. If you do need a new battery, both the Rodger and Malem wireless alarms use an A23 battery.

This alarm features both sound and strong, steady vibration. 8 different, loud sounds are randomly played when urine is sensed. This prevents the child from getting used to the same sound. The alarm is set to both sound and vibrate, but can be changed to sound only or vibrate only, if that is preferred.

The sturdy sensor clip attaches to the outside of your child’s underwear, where you would expect the first drop of urine to be detected. This clip opens wide enough to accommodate cloth of any thickness.

Once the alarm is triggered, remove the sensor from the underwear, and turn it off by pushing the reset button on the side of the unit. This alarm takes AAA batteries, which are included. This alarm is a great value, at only $49.95 and can be ordered as part of a starter kit, for additional savings. For the same cost as a few bags of pull-ups, your child can become permanently dry.

Bedtime bathroom alarms, better known as bedwetting alarms, do speed up that process of getting to dryness. For girls in her age group, we recommend the Malem Ultimate Wearable Bedwetting Alarm or the Rodger Wireless Bedwetting Alarm. Read a description of these alarms and why they are well suited to your daughter.

Bedwetting alarms sense wetness and sound exactly when your daughter needs to go to the bathroom. Some parents worry that this is “too late” and the wetting has already happened. This is how behavioral conditioning works. The brain begins to make the association between the sound/vibration and the bladder emptying. Over a few nights or weeks, the urine flow is quickly stopped at the sound of the alarm. This allows the remaining urine in the bladder to be emptied into the toilet, instead of the bed.

Your “sound sleeping” daughter will begin to be aware of what a full bladder feels like and what to do next. Using a bedwetting alarm is much different than setting an alarm clock or walking her to the bathroom when you go to bed. She actually learns the proper response so she can begin to do it independently. The average child takes 8-12 weeks to get to dryness so it is important to be patient. Having dry nights is well worth the effort, though.

That sounds like great news for your son. We recommend that he wear the alarm every night until he has 14 consecutive nights of dryness, then use the alarm every other night until he has an additional 2 weeks of dryness. Have him use the alarm until he achieves the 14 dry nights in a row. If he has a wet night, he should start the 14 night countdown again. By using the alarm long enough now, the chances of relapse after he stops the alarm are much less.

We’re excited to be able to answer your question with our unique Alarm Chooser. After years of experience and feedback from our customers, we help you pick the best alarm for your child, based on their sex and age. We tell you why we recommend that particular alarm, too. You can pull down the correct information for your child on this page.

Or you can view our selections by clicking on the following categories:

Alarms for Female Age 5-6
Alarms for Female Age 7-12
Alarms for Female Teen
Alarms for Female Special Situations

Alarms for Male Age 5-6
Alarms for Male Age 7-12
Alarms for Male Teen
Alarms for Male Special Situations

It sounds like you and your son are very motivated to solve his bed wetting. I know he sleeps through the wetting episode and would like to know when he should get up and go to the bathroom. Some children develop this ability quickly, when they are getting day toilet trained. Others, like your son, need some help in getting that brain-bladder connection when they are asleep. Using a tool like a bedwetting alarm will speed up the process of learning how to wake up to a full bladder.

Bedwetting alarms sense wetness, and then sound at precisely the moment that wetting occurs. Initially, you may need to help him wake to the alarm and remind him to get up and walk to the bathroom. Over time, his bladder will stop the urine stream in response to the sound. Then you’ll notice that he has urine left to empty in the toilet. Eventually, he’ll learn to wake up before he wets or hold his urine until morning. The average time to dryness is about 8-12 weeks, so it is important to be patient. However, a few weeks is much better than waiting a few years for him to spontaneously learn how to wake up before wetting.

The best thing about using a bedwetting alarm is that it’s a permanent solution. Once he learns how to wake up if he needs to urinate in the night, he’s just like you and me. A full bladder triggers your body to wake up and walk to the bathroom, not let it out in bed. He can then stay dry, no matter how much or what he has had to drink.

Everyone starts like this. The alarm detects the first drop of urine and immediately sounds. It pinpoints the actual time that the bladder needs to empty, not a few minutes before or a few minutes too late. There is no way to know precisely the time of the wetting until it begins to happen.

Initially, the urine comes flooding out of the bladder, just as it has always done. Even though the alarm sounds at the first drop, your son has not learned to stop the flow yet.

Over time, his bladder and brain will work together to stop the urine quickly so he can get out of bed and walk to the bathroom to empty the rest in the toilet. This is a new conditioned response and takes some time to learn.

Eventually, his brain will begin to recognize what a full bladder feels like and that he must be awake before the urine is released. He’ll learn to get up before the alarm sounds.

The first few weeks are the hardest and the messiest. Using mattress overlays (waterproof pads on top of the sheet) make your job much easier. Put one on top of his sheet before he goes to sleep. When the alarm sounds, have him walk to the bathroom and empty any urine left into the toilet. Simply replace the wet pad with a clean one and he can immediately go back to a dry bed. In the morning, just wash the overlays. The Starter Kit has two overlays in it, as well as the bedwetting alarm and the book.

The missing piece for most children with bed wetting is the ability to independently arouse from sleep to the feeling of a full bladder. Some children can do this from the time they are day toilet trained; others take longer and might need a little assistance. Bedwetting alarms speed up this development and provide a long lasting cure to the bedwetting problem.

Bedwetting alarms sense the wetness and sound to alert you and your son that he needs to wake up and walk to the bathroom. Over an average of 10-12 weeks, he will develop the ability to do this by himself. The first two weeks are the hardest and he may not even respond to the loud alarm. You should go to his room when you hear his alarm, remind him what is happening and assist him to the bathroom. He may have no urine left to empty in the toilet in the beginning. Over time, he will start having smaller wet spots in his bed and urine left to empty out when he uses the toilet. Ultimately, his body will learn to wake up to the feeling of a full bladder or hold the urine until he wakes in the morning,

Providing your son with the right “tool” to permanently stop his bedwetting in a few weeks will be a step in the right direction. Most kids are cooperative and so grateful to have something that will make a difference. The Malem Ultimate alarm, which is a wearable alarm that sounds and vibrates, is popular with boys his age. The Rodger wireless is also a great choice. The sound unit is located across the room, which encourages him to get out of bed to turn it off. You might let him look at the different options, look at the alarm videos and select the color and style he would most like to use.

While bedwetting affects up to 12% of 6 year olds, it becomes less common as kids get older (2% of 14 year olds, 1% of 16 year olds). When your child is the 1 or 2 out of 100 that continues to wet, you can begin to feel very alone and hopeless.

The good news is that bedwetting alarms work as effectively in teens as they do in younger children. It usually takes teens a little longer to get to complete dryness, but a few extra weeks to change a behavior that has been going on for years is quite manageable. I’ve found that the key to success for teens and older children is to use an alarm that is easy to use and acceptable to them.

The wireless alarms (such as the Rodger and Malem Wireless) are my recommendation for teens. A positive feature of wireless alarms is that your son must get out of bed to turn off the alarm. Since the receiver is located in an outlet or on a dresser, it will continue to sound from that location until it is turned off. Many tech savvy teens quickly disconnect the sensor from alarms that are worn on the shoulder, then roll over and go back to sleep. They rarely remember this is the morning and wonder why their alarm is disconnected but their bed is wet and they don’t remember getting up.

Another reason that wireless alarms are recommended is that there are few steps to attach them. The Rodger alarm comes with two pair of specialized briefs. (More can be purchased). Your teenage son simply puts these on when getting ready for bed. The receiver stays plugged in the wall or on the nightstand. This alarm also has a bedshaker option, which is a vibratory cushion that lies on the bed and vibrates when the alarm sounds. The Malem wireless alarm fastens to underwear he already owns (close fitting, not boxers) and can be an advantage if your family doesn’t do laundry very often. If there is no wetting, the underwear go back in the drawer. If wetting occurred, the underwear is laundered with the sheets.

Even with teens, your role is important initially. Listen for the alarm and make sure that your son is getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom as the correct response. The quicker he learns how to respond to the bedwetting alarm, the more quickly he will be on the road to dryness. If your room is far away, either of the wireless alarms can be ordered with two receivers, one for your son’s room and one for your room.

One last point is to make sure the alarm is worn long enough. Having 14 consecutive nights of dryness is important before beginning to use the alarm every other night for 14 nights. Often, my teen patients are so excited to have 4 or 5 dry nights in a row that they stop their alarm use prematurely. Wet nights begin occurring sporadically and further progress is delayed.

Wireless bedwetting alarms can be used for any age child but they are particularly well-suited for teens. Persistence and patience will help insure success.

You are describing most children. Even children who do not have bed wetting exhibit sound sleep patterns and are not easily alerted to sounds. In a study that was done by the fire department, up to 89% of all children tested (non-bed wetting) were not awakened to the sound of a smoke detector of 85 decibels. All of the adults in these households were awakened and the children were finally alerted by their parents’ voices.

This same phenomenon often occurs when using bed wetting alarms initially. Even though most of our bed wetting alarms sound at about 80 decibels, many children will not arouse independently when the alarm sounds. In the beginning, the alarm is for the parents. When you hear your son’s alarm sound, go to his room and remind him what is happening and what he should do. We know that children can be conditioned to respond to familiar sounds and eventually know how to respond to that sound. Over time, your son will understand that the sound he is hearing is important and means that he should stop the flow of urine and get out of bed to go to the bathroom. Of course, if he hears the alarm and knows what to do from the first night on, that makes your job a little easier.

Our wireless alarms, the Rodger and Malem wireless, can both be ordered with dual receivers, one for your son’s room and one for your room. This works well for homes where the bedrooms are far apart. Both of these wireless alarms have a volume control dial on the receiver so the volume can be adjusted to be louder than the shoulder worn models. Another feature unique to the wireless alarms is that your son must get out of bed to turn the alarm off and stop the noise. Wireless alarms are great for those older children who are good at reaching for the alarm on their shoulder, turning it off and rolling over.

The wearable alarms, like the Malem Ultimate or Malem auditory, have a strong constant tone of about 80 decibels. If you cannot hear this alarm from your room, you could use a baby monitor in your son’s room. The Malem Selectable alarm and the wireless alarms all offer a choice of 8 different tones. In some situations, one tone is more likely to alert your son than others. You could experiment with different sounds to see what works best.

(I get this question so frequently that I am re-posting some information from last year).

Yes, I have some great suggestions for this common problem. As you have noticed, urine odor is difficult to remove with typical household cleaners. The key to removing urine, whether it is human or pet, is to use an enzyme based product. The enzyme binds with the protein component of the urine so that it can be removed. Cleaners without this feature simply mask the odor but do not permanently remove it.

We carry two spray-on urine removal products, OdorZyme and the new DP. Lift up as much of the accident or stain as possible by wiping and blotting the affected area. Then saturate the affected area with OdorZyme or DP (de-pee) Stain & Odor Remover. Let it work for 5 to 10 minutes, then wipe away the accident or stain with a clean white cloth. OdorZyme can also be used as a laundry additive if urine smell remains in clothing. Presoaking in Odorzyme before doing regular laundry effectively rids clothing, bedding, and incontinence pads of urine stains and odor.

When using any urine removal product, remember to use as much of the product as the amount of urine that created the stain. If the mattress or carpet is affected, make sure the urine removal product reaches the source of the odor. A thick mattress or carpet with padding requires more product than a hard floor. Older stains may require the product to sit longer. The spray-on products also work well for cleaning vinyl mattress covers on a daily basis. Quickly spray the vinyl surface before remaking the bed with clean sheets.

For older, set-in stains on mattresses or floors, Urine Erase works well. Urine Erase is an enzyme based 2-step cleaner. The first step is to mix the enzyme packet with tepid water and saturate the stain for 8 hours. The second step is to use the special solution that comes in the bottle to saturate the stain and let air dry. The gallon size container can be used for large jobs, such as carpets or floors that pets have urinated on.

Once you get your mattress cleaned, be sure to protect it with a heavy duty 6 Gauge zippered vinyl mattress cover or a breathable Premium Mattress cover. These comfortable covers will protect your mattress from further wetting episodes as well as bed bugs and dust mites.

The components are:
1) The bedwetting alarm of your choice. You can choose a wearable alarm like the Malem Ultimate, or a wireless alarm like the Rodger wireless.
2) Two waterproof washable mattress overlays. These are essential for the children who are transitioning from disposable pants to cloth underwear. (Recommended when you begin using an alarm). Middle of the night clean-up is so much easier when you just remove the soiled pad and quickly replace it with a clean one. Morning laundry is just a pad or two, rather than entire sets of sheets. I recommend the overlays with the tuck in flaps, which stay in place even with a child’s movement.
3) The book “Seven Steps to Nighttime Dryness”. This book guides you with using the alarm, what to expect, what the parents’ role is, and how long things take. Knowing what to expect makes using a bedwetting alarm easier for everyone. “Unrealistic expectations” is the number one reason that families fail to be successful when using an alarm.

Call us (800-214-9605) if you have any questions about the Alarm Starter Kits. If there is an alarm that you want, but it’s not offered in a Starter Kit, call us and we will create a Starter Kit just for you.

“Our daughter was interested in using the potty by herself in the daytime at a young age and she was fully day trained before she was 2. We did not worry about night time dryness, assuming it would sort out spontaneously, but it frustrated her a great deal by the time she was 3 and 4. Her frustration mounted over time, with many morning tantrums over waking up wet. We then tried all of the standard approaches, including setting alarms for us and trying to wake her at assorted times during the night. Basically, she slept so deeply it was impossible to wake her up, and so all failed.

At 5, she informed us that her friends slept dry, and this was not fair. We did some research and talked with her about using an alarm; we explained how they work, and that she would have to decide to listen to her body in the middle of the night, and get up to use the bathroom until her bladder learned to hold all night long. Several weeks later she announced that she would like to have the alarm. I purchased the Rodger wireless alarm, as she often does not like to wear a shirt to sleep in at night, and we did not want to add any additional stress. Based on advice in the other reviews, we also purchased 3 pads and 2 addition sets of alarm underwear (a total of 3 changes all around), the remote alarm for our room, and the vibration alarm for under her pillow since she was such a deep sleeper. We unpacked together, set everything up, let her pick the alarm tone, and practiced several times before bedtime – she pretended to sleep, we set off the alarm artificially, and she had to get up, turn it off herself, and walk to the bathroom with us, sit on the toilet, and at least try to pee.

She was so enthusiastic we were concerned that it might not work, or could take several months, increasing her frustration instead of getting to a solution – so we made sure to talk about how her body might take some time to learn, and she would have to be patient, and tried to set her sights on success in a month or two and not in a few days. The first night, we were up three times, with full floods, and I was very glad of the extra changes for everything – it made getting though possible for all of us. The second night, one flood, and one partial wet. The third night, one partial wet, and one drop, The fourth night, one drop. The fifth night, nothing.

Her ability to wake up changed dramatically as well, the first time the alarm went off, she didn’t budge for several minutes (and believe me, it is LOUD), however, we followed the instructions to the letter, and encouraged her but made sure that she was the one to sit up and turn it off, and walk to the bathroom on her own, etc. By the second night, we were able to encourage her more, because the volume of urine was so clearly so much less, which really resonated with her. By the third night it was clear to all of us it was working, and her enthusiasm for the project, already extremely high, only increased – and the rest is history.

We stayed with the system until she was fully dry for 14 days, as suggested – she did have a few in between lapses, aka she would go totally dry for a week, and then have an alarm for a tiny tiny leak. In all, it was one month from start to finish. It’s now been four months, and not even an accident. I can’t say enough about how well this worked, or recommend it highly enough. Finally, there were no issues with the purchase, everything arrived promptly and in good conditions, and the quality was excellent. Hope this helps anyone on the fence – it was a big investment, but well worth alleviating this incredible frustration for our daughter and empowering her to participate in a solution”.

How Common Is Bed-Wetting in Children

Yes, bedwetting is common in children. As many as 1-in-10 7 year olds continue to wet every night. That means in your child’s second or third grade class, at least 1 or 2 other kids are affected. As children get older, bedwetting does decrease so that only 1 % of teens are affected.

What’s “Normal” When It Comes to Bed-Wetting

There is a wide range of normal and we don’t exactly know why one child continues to wet while another quickly gets dry. It could be due to development and having a bladder that can’t store urine for the entire night. Sometimes the ability to recognize when the bladder is full and get up has not developed. Often a parent or other family member was similarly affected so heredity does play a role. Since the majority of children have achieved dryness by school age, children who are 6 or so and still wetting are considered to have bedwetting. Before this age, nighttime wetness can be a normal pattern.

When Should We Talk to our Health Care Provider about Bed-Wetting

If your child is school age and continues to wet most nights, it should be discussed with your doctor or health care provider. Research has found that many parents of 9 year olds with bedwetting have not mentioned it to anyone. If your doctor does not ask about nighttime wetting, bring it up yourself. Remind your child that this is no different than mentioning other conditions like constipation or diarrhea. Even though it is embarrassing, a confidential office visit is the perfect place to seek help. Many parents assume that there is nothing that can be done or that their child’s wetting has to do with their parenting skills. These assumptions are not true!

Treatment

Most pediatricians and urologists recognize that bedwetting alarms are the most effective and long lasting way for kids to become dry in a few weeks. Although bedwetting alarms take effort from the parents and children in the beginning, the results are worth it. If your health care provider does not recommend any treatment, it may be because they haven’t learned much about bedwetting alarms. Bedwetting alarms sense wetness from the underwear and sound and vibrate to alert the user that wetting is occurring. Over time, the child’s brain begins to recognize when the bladder is full and coordinates the waking and walking to the bathroom. The biggest benefit is that the time to get to dryness can be shortened from a few years to a few weeks.