Bed-wetting, also known as nocturnal enuresis, is a common childhood issue that can be effectively addressed with the use of a bed-wetting alarm. This article provides a detailed guide on how to use a bed-wetting alarm, factors to consider when purchasing one, and additional tips for success. The main goal of the alarm is to help your child get up or sleep through the night without wetting the bed and urinate in the toilet instead.
How Bed-Wetting Alarms Work
Bed-wetting alarms are designed to help children develop nighttime bladder control. They work by detecting moisture and sounding an alarm to wake the child. This process helps the child associate the sensation of a full bladder with the need to wake up and urinate.
Using a Bed-Wetting Alarm: A Step-by-Step Guide
Here's a step-by-step guide on how to effectively use a bed-wetting alarm:
- Explain the Purpose to Your Child: Remind your child that the alarm can help cure bed-wetting when used properly. Emphasize to your child that the alarm will not work unless she or he listens for it carefully and responds to it quickly.
- Involve Your Child in the Setup: Enable your child to help with setting up the alarm. Have your child activate the alarm by touching the moisture sensors with a wet finger and practice going to the bathroom as if it were night time.
- Prepare the Environment: Provide a strong night light or flashlight near the bed so your child can quickly and easily move to the bathroom and urinate into the toilet.
- Self-Awakening Exercise: Teach your child to go through a self-awakening exercise at bedtime. Encourage your child to "beat the buzzer" by waking up when he or she feels the urge to urinate but before any urine leaks out.
- Responding to the Alarm: If the buzzer does go off, your child should be taught to wake up, get out of the bed, and go to the bathroom and urinate into the toilet.
- Turning Off the Alarm: Your child should shut off the buzzer.
- Post-Alarm Routine: When the alarm has been turned off, and your child has attended to the bathroom, then your child should put on dry underwear or pajamas, reconnect the alarm, and place a dry pad or towel over the wet spot.
- Parental Assistance: Most children do not wake-up to the alarm initially and will need your help. You should try going to your child's room as quickly as you can and assist your child in waking up. You may also need to assist your child safely to the bathroom to void.
- Consistent Use: The alarm should be used every night until he or she can go 3-4 weeks without a bedwetting episode. This usually takes 2-3 months, so you should be persistent and patient as your child masters nighttime bladder control.
- Tracking Progress: When your child awakens the next morning, have him or her write on a calendar "dry" (meaning slept through the night), "Dry woke-up without alarm", "wet spot" (she or he got up after the alarm went off) or wet (he or she did not get up).
Factors to Consider When Buying a Bed-Wetting Alarm
Choosing the right bed-wetting alarm is crucial for success. Here are some factors to consider:
- Comfort: The alarm should be comfortable when attached to the child.
- Ease of Use: It should be easy to set up.
- Sensitivity: The alarm should be sensitive to a small quantity of urine but not to perspiration.
- Reliability: It should have reliable operation.
- Durability: The alarm should be durable if dropped on the floor.
- Cleanliness: It should be easy to clean/disinfect on a daily basis.
- Cost: The cost should be reasonable.
- Warranty: A money-back guarantee for technical problems is desirable.
- Secure Attachment: The alarm should not fall off when children toss and turn.
- Wire Length: Wires should be long enough for older children.
- Battery Availability: Batteries should be readily available.
Additional Features to Consider
While some features may increase the cost, they can enhance the effectiveness and convenience of the alarm:
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- Adjustable Loudness: Ability to vary loudness of alarm.
- Vibration Mode: Ability to set device to a vibrate rather than noise alarm.
- Remote Sensor: Additional remote sensor for parents.
- Wireless System: Wireless system with bed mat to avoid tangled wires.
- Secure Clips: Clips that connect firmly.
Additional Tips for Success
- Clothing: Use a T-shirt to cover and accommodate the wires and alarm (depending on the model).
- Underwear: Choose underwear thin enough to accommodate clips but not so thin that it does not prevent the clips from making a circuit and turning on the buzzer while the child is dry.
- Incentive Systems: Incentive systems might be helpful for younger children. Rewards should be provided for compliance with alarm procedures as active participation and enthusiasm for the procedure are critical to success.
- Child's Responsibility: Having the child keep track of wet and dry nights should be included as part of the child's responsibility in treatment.
- Minimize Distractions: Instruct your child to go to bed with the radio or television off and go to bed at a reasonable hour. A bright night light may help your child respond more effectively to a bedwetting alarm.
- Goal Reinforcement: Remember that the goal of the bedwetting alarm is to teach your child to awaken before the buzzer goes off or to sleep through the night and remain dry.
Alternative Alarms: Addressing Other Dietary "Sins"
While the traditional bed-wetting alarm focuses on nighttime bladder control, the concept can be applied to other behavioral modifications. Consider the humorous example of a "chip clip alarm":
The Chip Clip Alarm: A Humorous Approach to Diet Control
Imagine sneaking into the kitchen late at night, attempting a "Mission Impossible" raid on the pantry for some chips. The shame of the late-night snack, the guilt of breaking a diet, the awareness that you are about to do something you shouldn't.
A chip clip alarm will incessantly "oink" as soon as you open the bag of chips. This playful yet effective deterrent can help curb late-night snacking by associating the act with an unpleasant sound and a reminder of dietary goals.
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