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.

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.

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.

Since you’re writing to ask this question, I assume that both you and your son are ready to tackle this problem. I will also assume that he wets most nights and now wears disposables or that you do daily laundry. Since invitations to sleepovers with friends will most likely be popping up in the next year or so, this is a great age to help him stop wetting.

The equipment that you need consists of a bedwetting alarm, some waterproof bed protection and some guidance. There are many bedwetting alarms to choose from and they all function to sense moisture and alert your son (and you) that wetting is occurring. Our most popular alarm is the Malem Ultimate, which sounds and vibrates both in response to the wetness. The small sensor fastens to the outside of his underwear and the sensor cord goes under his shirt. The alarm unit fastens to his shoulder and stays put while he moves about in the night. The Malem alarm series also features a wireless model, in which the sound unit sits on a bedside table across the room. This is a great choice for kids who roll over and go back to sleep at the sound of the alarm. The Malem wireless alarm requires that your son walk over to the alarm to turn it off. It can be ordered with an optional receiver for your room as well. If these alarms don’t seem to be the best fit for your son, look at the many others that we carry. Choosing a dependable and comfortable alarm that he will easily and reliably wear each night is important.

The next piece of equipment is waterproof bed protection. When he begins using the alarm, he should transition out of disposable pants and wear regular underwear to bed. You will now be alerted when he wets and you want him to quickly go back to a dry bed after he has walked to the bathroom. My patients love waterproof mattress overlays, which are absorbent waterproof pads that lie on top of the sheet. The ones with the tuck in sides stay in place and protect the sheets from getting wet. In the morning, only the pads need to be laundered. Encasing his mattress in a zippered vinyl cover further protects it from any leaking or wetness.

Lastly, guidance to know that you are doing things correctly is important. Children with bedwetting are all very sound sleepers and many do not hear the alarm by themselves. Your role to wake him when you hear the alarm is important to his success. The first couple weeks can be difficult for parents but knowing what to expect can make it easier. My book, Seven Steps to Nighttime Dryness, describes the process and what to expect at each phase.

The equipment that I’ve described can be purchased individually or bought together, as a Bedwetting Starter Kit. The Starter kit includes my book, and you can decide which alarm and overlays you would like included. This kit saves you money over buying the components individually and includes the bed wetting equipment that your son needs to be successful.

First, if your child is currently using an alarm, we would not expect him or her to take it to camp with them. They can interrupt usage and restart when they come home. If your family is traveling together and using the alarm could be handled discreetly, continuing alarm use while on vacation would be great.

Secondly, a backup plan should be in place, even for children who wet intermittently. Here are a few suggestions:

• Wear disposable pants, with a plan for putting them on discreetly and for 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 male guards or women’s incontinence pads can be secured to regular underwear to catch a small amount of urine. Disposable underpads that lie on a sheet or in a sleeping bag have tape strips to hold them in place.

• 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.

• 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.

• Make arrangements with the camp counselor to have toileting twice before bedtime and 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.)

• Medication, such as desmopressin, can be used temporarily to decrease the amount of urine produced that night. The correct dosage should be determined a week or two before camp begins. Only a small amount of liquid (2-4 ounces) should be ingested once this medication is used. It is best dosed shortly before actually going to sleep.

Lastly, make sure that your child knows that they are not alone and most camps are very helpful in discreetly handling any wetting episodes. Fluid of choice after dinner is water. Double voiding before going to sleep is helpful. Staying well hydrated during the day is helpful so the kids are not so thirsty later in the day.

These waterproof sheets are superior for several reasons. First, they are comfortable and breathable. Unlike vinyl mattress covers, these sheets feature a polyurethane waterproof layer. That means that the heat that your body produces during the night will flow through the cover, and not be reflected back to the user. This feature allows the user to forget that there is a waterproof sheet under her. The terry cotton top layer is comfortable enough to be slept on directly, but most people choose to put a regular set of sheets over the top.

A second feature is the choice of styles, either fitted or zippered. If you expect to be washing the sheet very frequently, the “easy-on and off” fitted waterproof sheet is recommended. The zippered style is ideal for leaving in place to protect your mattress from occasional accidents. Both styles are simple to machine wash and dry, and can be laundered in the same load as your regular sheets. Because there is no cushioned or filled layer, the drying time is the same as a set of sheets.

The third reason that I recommend these is the durability. If you have used a vinyl cover in the past, you may have experienced a tear or crack that happens over time. Vinyl does lose it softness and becomes more brittle over time, making it necessary to replace frequently. The waterproof sheets (premium mattress covers) carry a 10 year warranty, which gives you an idea of how durable they are. The softness and comfort persist, even after being laundered many times. Although this product is initially more expensive than a vinyl cover, its durability ends up saving money in the long term.

Do yourself a favor and make clean-up in your bedroom easier. Using these waterproof sheets eliminates any worry you may have when unexpected accidents occur.

This is a very common concern of parents. The general consensus is that nighttime dryness can follow daytime dryness by months or even years. Here are 8 things that you can do to help with night time potty training:

1) Daytime dryness should be established first. Make sure she is reliably dry in the daytime, knows when she needs to use the bathroom and has soft, regular bowel movements.

2) Encourage drinking and frequent toileting during the daytime. Fluids after dinner should be water, not milk or juice, in a small quantity.

3) Double void before bed. This means making sure she tries to go potty 30 minutes before bedtime, then once more as lights go out.

4) Trial of no pull-ups. Especially if you have noticed that her pull-ups are less wet or dry in the morning, try having her wear underwear to bed. Protect the bed with a waterproof cover and protect her sheets with waterproof, washable overlay pads. The ones with the tuck-in sides are the best. If a couple weeks pass with no sign of progress toward dry nights, restart the pull-ups and know that there will be a better time to try this later on.

5) Don’t allow pull-ups to be worn while she is awake. Put it on last thing before lights out and take it off first thing in the morning. Some children will wet the pull-up as they are waking up in the morning, just because they know it is there.

6) Remind your daughter if she wakes up for any reason or if she comes to your room in the night, she should use the bathroom at this time, even if she doesn’t feel she needs to.

7) You can introduce a bedwetting alarm to help her speed up that brain-bladder connection if your daughter gets to 6 and is still having nighttime accidents.

8 ) Walking your daughter to the bathroom before you go to sleep probably does not speed up the development of dry nights but there is one less voiding in the bed.

In most cases, children do not have control over their nighttime wetting and this behavior is not reflective of your parenting skills. There is no need to feel parental guilt; being kind and supportive is much better. Punishment is not warranted and will not speed up the development of dry nights. Be patient and know that each child develops at a different rate.

You’re smart to buy some coverings to protect your mattress. The most economical waterproof sheet is a vinyl zippered cover to encase the mattress. The 6 gauge vinyl cover is more durable than the ones you commonly find in discount stores and will last longer for a child’s bed. If your son’s pull-up leaks, simply remove the sheets and use a disinfectant spray to wipe the cover off. Because vinyl may not be the most comfortable product to sleep on, I also recommend a great alternative: a premium mattress cover. This premium zippered or fitted cover is breathable and waterproof. It is very durable, and has a 10 year warranty. If this waterproof cover gets wet, remove it and wash and dry it in your machine.

For extra protection and to prevent frequent removal and washing of sheets, I recommend tuck-in mattress overlays. These waterproof, washable pads with tuck-in flaps stay in place on top of the sheet. Since these pads lie on top of the sheet, any leakage is contained before it hits the sheet. In the morning, simply wash the pad instead of the whole set of sheets.

A good waterproof mattress pad is another option. Mattress pads have multiple layers, provide some absorbency and have a vinyl or breathable waterproof barrier. This type of pad can be washed and dried by itself and is easy to take off and put on. If your son is a “warm sleeper”, the Beautyrest breathable mattress pad is a good choice.

Lastly, if his mattress has already become soiled, Urine Erase is a great product for removing set in stains. This enzyme based product binds with the protein in urine (which is what causes the lingering odor) and removes it. Clean his mattress before covering it.

It can certainly be frustrating when you’re spending all that money on pull-ups and you still have to do daily laundry.  Since your current product isn’t providing the absorbency that your son needs, let’s talk about some alternatives.

Diaper Booster Pads can double the absorbency of a disposable pull-up or diaper.  The thin disposable pad is worn inside the pull-up.  The polymers in these pads absorb and wick away moisture, just like the disposables do.  Your son’s pull-up will be much thicker in the morning so make sure you allow enough room for the booster pad to expand. The regular booster pad holds almost 11 oz.  A regular pull-up holds around 13 oz. so you can see that this almost doubles the absorbency.

Another option is to look at the sizing of the current pull-up.  If the pull-up fits too snuggly, the urine might leak over the top or from the leg openings.  We carry some disposables in larger sizes, such as the Tranquility All Through the Night in XS Adult or the Prevail Underwear in Youth/Small Adult. These provide more absorbency and many have found that correct sizing helps with the leaking problem.  Protective vinyl pants can also be worn over a pull-up to prevent leaking.  These soft pants feature a layer of vinyl sandwiched between two layers of cotton.  They are machine washable and dryable and add another layer of waterproof protection.

A third option is to use a washable mattress overlay over the top of the sheets.  This would protect your son’s sheets and limit your laundry to a small pad instead of the entire set of sheets. The tuck-in style is particularly popular because it prevents the pad from moving around.  These are very absorbent, holding up to 4 cups of liquid.  Disposable pads can also be useful, especially if traveling.

Until your son is ready for a permanent solution, using some of these products may help you with keeping him clean and dry.

Many families have similar concerns.  After adjusting to the new school schedule for six weeks or so, this should be a fine time to begin using an alarm.  Having a regular nighttime routine, as most families do during the school year, is good when beginning alarm use.  You could start the alarm on a Friday night or over a long weekend so you can see what his initial response will be.  Even though his sleep will be interrupted by the alarm when the wetting occurs, most children go back to sleep immediately after getting up to go to the bathroom.  Many have little memory of this in the morning.  Using the waterproof mattress overlays (that come in the Starter Kit or can be purchased separately) on top of his sheet make middle of the night clean-up very easy and quick.  Because the alarm goes off only when his bladder needs to empty, it’s actually less tiring than setting an alarm clock or parents walking their child to the bathroom.

The parents are the ones who may feel a little sleep deprived during this initial phase.  Because your son may need your assistance, you should respond when the alarm sounds.  Insuring that he responds correctly by getting out of bed after turning off the alarm helps him to make faster progress.  Once he can do this independently, you no longer have to respond.  Some parents find that it can be difficult to go back to sleep.  Knowing that the worst will be over in two or three weeks is helpful.  Some parents take turns getting up to the alarm or alternate nights.

Getting to bed on time and being well rested is as important for doing well in school as it is for learning to become dry in the nighttime.  Remind him to double void, about 20-30 minutes apart, before bed and help him to get homework done early so he can have a regular bedtime.  He can be successful in school as well as in conquering bedwetting.

When some people ask about a bed wetting mat, they are inquiring about a moisture sensing alarm mat that their child sleeps on. This type of bedwetting mat is plastic or vinyl with a moisture sensor that sounds an alarm when it gets wet. Your daughter probably doesn’t need this type of mat alarm yet. If she is still wetting in a year, using a moisture sensing alarm is a good way to help her achieve complete dryness.

This is a common question this time of year. I am re-posting some suggestions that I wrote last year about this time. Parents wonder what to do??

First, if your child is currently using an alarm, we would not expect him or her to take it to camp with them. They can interrupt usage and restart when they come home.

Secondly, a back up plan should be in place, even for kids who wet intermittently. There are a few choices:

• 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 male guards or women’s incontinence pads can be secured to regular underwear to catch a small amount of urine. Disposable underpads that lie on a sheet or in a sleeping bag have tape strips to hold them in place.

• 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.

• 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.

• Make arrangements with the camp counselor to have toileting twice before bedtime and 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.)

• Medication, such as desmopressin, can be used temporarily to decrease the amount of urine produced that night. The correct dosage should be determined a week or two before camp begins. Only a small amount of liquid (2-4 ounces) should be ingested once this medication is used. It is best dosed shortly before actually going to sleep.

Lastly, make sure that your child knows that they are not alone and most camps are very helpful in discreetly handling any wetting episodes. Fluid of choice after dinner is water. Double voiding before going to sleep is helpful. Staying well hydrated during the day is helpful so the kids are not so thirsty later in the day.

Secondly, the alarms are all designed to be used to detect a small amount of wetness from cloth. Most of you know how quickly disposable pants wick moisture away from the skin. Alarms sense the moisture more quickly and your daughter will become more aware of the feeling of wetting if disposables are not used in conjunction with the alarm.

In special situations, such as lack of laundry facilities or working with a special needs child, using a disposable pull-up with the alarm may be the only option. The Malem alarm company does make a Standard Sensor that can sense moisture from a disposable product. A small slit is cut in the pull-up and the flat sensor is slid into the pull-up at the spot where you expect the first drop of moisture. This sensor can be purchased as an accessory with any of the Malem alarms. Another option is to use a pull-up over the Rodger underwear that come with the Rodger wireless alarm. The pull-up should not cover the transmitter that is attached on the waistband. The underwear would still need to be laundered once it becomes wet.

We are happy to have some product suggestions for you. These products are not commonly found in stores but are available from us on-line. The extended size selection-youth, extra-small and small- is great for older or larger children. These products are not marketed specifically for youth or children but can provide some beneficial alternatives for keeping kids dry.

General guidelines:
• Products designed for youth have sizes measured in pounds (child’s weight)
• Products designed for small adults/older children have sizes measured in inches (measure waist size)
• Adult sizes are generally cut with a longer rise, but shorter persons can fold the elasticized upper portion inward to customize the fit

Alternative Pull-on Products for Older or Larger Children

Attends Underwear Super Plus Small 22 – 36 in.

Prevail Underwear Youth/Small 20 – 34 in.
Small 22 – 36 in.

Tena Extra Underwear Small 25 – 35 in.

Tranquility Overnight Disposable Underwear Extra Small 17 – 28 in.
Small 22 – 36 in.

Alternative Tape-on Products for Older or Larger Children

Tranquility Slimline Briefs Junior 28 – 42 lb.
Extra Small 18 – 26 in.
Small 24 – 32 in.
Medium 32 – 44 in.

Tena Briefs Youth 17 – 22 in.
Small 22 – 36 in.
Medium 34 – 47 in.

First of all, stock up on protective undergarments. Because they don’t require washing and drying, disposables are ideal for travel. It’s a good idea to buy more than you think your child will need, just in case. In addition to what you can find in the grocery stores, we carry several styles of pull-ups are available in sizes to fit larger or older kids. For example, the Tranquility Overnight Disposable Underwear, are available in an XS Adult (17-28” waist) and S Adult (22-36” waist) and absorb more a quart of urine, about a cup more than GoodNites.

Disposable underpads are also a great product to have when traveling. They have an absorbent layer and a waterproof layer and can be placed right on top of the fitted sheet. The most popular ones are the underpads with the adhesive strips on the back. These pads stay in place, even if your child is a restless sleeper. They can also be used with moisture-sensing alarms, so they’re a good option if you intend to use your alarm through the vacation. Again, it’s a good idea to pack more than you think you need, especially since these aren’t available in most stores.

If your child is mostly dry, but you want to ensure that your host or hotel’s bedding stays as clean as when you found it, take along a precautionary waterproof overlay. This can be discreetly placed on top of the sheet at bedtime and removed when the bed is made up the next day.

We receive many questions about temporarily stopping the use of the bedwetting alarm during travel. Taking a break for a few nights when your family is not at home is okay. Have a back-up plan using disposables or medication, and resume using the alarm when you return home.

NS, we get this question very frequently so I do have information about some great products to help with your cleaning. These products also work as pet urine stain removers. 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. Cleansers without this feature simply mask the odor but do not permanently remove it.

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 amount of product that you use should roughly be the same as the amount of urine that caused the stain. The gallon size container can be used to large jobs, such as carpets or floors that pets have urinated on. This size comes with a small black light so that you can see precisely where the stain is located.

Odorzyme is another nice enzyme based cleaner. This cleaner can simply be sprayed on the spot to saturate it and be allowed to dry. This product 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, incontinence pads, etc of urine stains and odor.

Once you get your mattress cleaned, I recommend that you buy a thin breathable Premium Mattress cover for all the mattresses at your house. This comfortable cover will protect all your mattresses from further wetting episodes as will as bed bugs and dust mites. If it becomes soiled, it’s simple to remove it and machine wash and dry

The wireless bedwetting alarms are a great choice for larger or taller kids. Because there is no sensor cord connecting the alarm unit to the moisture sensor, wireless alarms are comfortable and can fit any size of user. A nice option is the Rodger Wireless alarm. This alarm comes with two pair of specialized briefs that sense the moisture. The briefs are available in sizes up to Adult XL. Measuring your son’s waist, and not going by his weight only, is the best way to select the best size for him. This alarm consists of a small transmitter that snaps on the waistband and a receiver that plugs into the wall.

The new Malem wireless would also be a good choice for your son. The small sensor fastens to the outside of his own underwear. With this alarm, once it senses the moisture, it transmits wirelessly to a sound unit that can be placed on a bedside table. He should have to get out of bed to turn it off. Once you hear the alarm, remind him what action he has to take–get out of bed and walk to the bathroom. Over time, he will develop the ability to do this more independently.

Remember to use mattress overlay pads over the sheets when beginning to use a bedwetting alarm. They are available in 3 sizes, up to 72 inches, so will protect even a queen size bed from wetness. Making middle-of-the-night clean up easier is more pleasant for everyone.

I am frequently asked this question, especially by parents who have more than one child in Good nites or other disposable underwear. Keeping children dry and sheets clean can be frustrating for parents so using disposable pull ups and plastic pants can certainly help with this. Until a child and their family are ready to move to the next step, this can be a huge time saver. Wearing Good Nites and other waterproof protection is certainly important in situations where laundry facilities are not handy or sleepover/ camp situations where being discreet is of utmost importance. It’s a great advantage to have these products available.

If you begin to notice that your child is waking up with a dry pull-up more often, trying a challenge of a couple of weeks without protection is recommended. During this time, using a mattress overlay, which is a waterproof pad that lies on top of the sheet, is prudent. Overlays are a fabulous product for decreasing laundry load and keeping children comfortable. If wetting occurs, you simply remove the overlay, replace it with a clean one, and have your child go back to a dry bed.

When your family is ready to take the next step toward dryness, a great time to transition to cloth underwear is when you begin using a bedwetting alarm. The bedwetting alarm senses the moisture from the underwear, alerting parents and child that wetting is occurring. A bedwetting alarm is an effective tool to help your child’s body make a change in the way it responds to a full bladder. If your son persists in having nightly wetting with the pull ups over the next few months or year, he is a great candidate for using a bedwetting alarm to help him get to dryness.

It is important to use waterproof (plastic, vinyl or polyurethane) mattress covers to protect your bed. Not only do these products protect your bed from urine, but other fluid spills, dust mites and bed bugs. Vinyl seems to have replaced rubber as a lightweight, inexpensive, effective mattress protection. Our vinyl mattress covers come in 2 different thicknesses, 3 Gauge and 6 Gauge. The larger number represents a thicker, more durable vinyl product. So if durability is important, I would recommend choosing the 6 Gauge products. The disadvantage of using a rubber or vinyl cover is that it doesn’t allow the body heat to dissipate so some users report that they sweat more in the nighttime unless another absorbent mattress pad is used on top. Vinyl mattress covers are simply wiped clean in the morning. The waterproof mattress pads that incorporate a vinyl waterproof barrier can be machine washed.

The other product that has been developed over the years is a waterproof, but breathable, mattress cover. These mattress covers use polyurethane as the waterproof barrier, which comfortably lets heat through. The premium mattress covers also have a terry cloth like top layer and are comfortable to use with just a sheet on top. If this type of cover becomes soiled, it can be machine washed and dried. These premium mattress covers carry a 10 year warranty so are made to last.