5 Things No One Tells You About Using a Bedwetting Alarm

1.  Your child may not respond at all in the beginning, no matter how loud the alarm is. 

The alarm needs to be loud enough for parents to hear it. The alarm is for YOU, in the beginning.  You must make sure that your child is getting up to go to the bathroom when the alarm sounds.  This may involve leaving your door open, using a baby monitor or getting a second receiver for your wireless bedwetting alarm, especially if you sleep on a different level.

2.  Even though the alarm can sense one drop of wetness, your child will rapidly release all their urine into their bed initially. 

They WILL have a “flood” so prepare their bed accordingly.  A washable, waterproof pad on TOP of their sheet can be easily removed and replaced with a clean one. 

3.  It’s harder on the parents than it is on the child. 

Your child will quickly go back to sleep after the alarm sounds.  You may not, however, depending on when in your sleep cycle the alarm sounds.  If you’re in deep sleep, you may be disoriented yourself and have difficulty getting back to sleep.  Alarms closer to morning are easier for parents.  Some families take alternate nights or the first half or the later half of the night.

4.  Your child may be wetting more than once a night. 

Many children wear disposable pants to bed and you have no idea when the wetting happens.  Parents often believe that their child wets close to morning, so they aren’t sleeping in wet pants for that many hours.  In reality, wetting can take place any time in the sleep cycle and varies from one night to the next.  In the beginning, reattach the alarm after the first wetting episode.  If your child wets a second time, the alarm will alert you again. Wetting more than once a night is usually limited to the first 2-3 weeks.

5.  It’s never too late to try a bedwetting alarm. 

Parents of middle or high school students who still struggle with bedwetting are convinced that nothing will help their deep sleeping child.  Or they might vaguely remember trying “some kind of alarm that their child slept through” for a short time many years ago.  Wireless alarms, such as the Rodger Wireless or Malem Wireless, are perfect for older kids and teens. No wires and boxes to attach to arms or shoulders! 

The other benefit is that your child HAS to get out of bed to turn off the alarm.  No switching it off and rolling over to go back to sleep like they can do with inexpensive body worn alarms.