One of the most common struggles that parents bring to their pediatrician is bedwetting. When it comes to toilet training, bedwetting is a widespread issue. In most situations, bedwetting stops by six years old. However, when it persists, you may want to talk with your pediatrician for help. Here are a few things that your pediatrician might recommend to help your child get through the night without bladder problems.

Make Sure There's Nothing Medical

One of the first things that you need to think about when your child struggles with a bedwetting problem is whether or not there's a medical problem causing your child's bladder control issues. Sometimes, undiagnosed health conditions such as diabetes, bladder infections, and UTIs can cause persistent bedwetting until treated. If there are no apparent medical causes, it's time to look at other intervention techniques.

Try A Bedtime Alarm

Bedtime alarms are a great tool for kids who seem to sleep too deep to respond to a bladder urge. The alarm triggers as soon as your child releases any urine. The goal is to awaken your child by the alarm so that they can get to the bathroom.

You can use the bedtime alarm nightly until your child goes a couple of weeks staying dry at night. Then, be prepared in case of any regression and use the alarm again if necessary.

Keep Track Of Accidents

You might think that you will remember which nights your child had an accident and which nights they stayed dry. However, it's easy for the days to run together. Track your child's nighttime progress. Log which nights they stay dry, and keep count of how many accidents occur each night. That way, you can more easily identify any trends and you'll be able to identify when your child has finally stopped experiencing nighttime bedwetting issues.

Have Your Child Help With Clean-Up

When your child does have an accident in bed overnight, you should have them take an active role in the clean-up process. Choose tasks according to your child's age, but you can have them assist with changing sheets, changing clothes, and other tasks. This isn't designed as a punishment as much as it is a consequence, and when your child faces clean-up afterward, it can help to encourage better practices.

Talk with your pediatrician today about your bedwetting issues. The more proactive you are, the easier it is to resolve the situation.

For more information, contact a pediatrician like Dr. Dahl.

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