How to Stop Teen Bedwetting

Bedwetting can continue in 1-2% of teens.  This does not sound like a lot, but if you are in this 1-2%, it’s a big deal.  While 15% of bedwetting children spontaneously stop each year, puberty does not “cure” bedwetting. Missing out on fun overnight outings with friends and daily laundry can stress even the well-adjusted teen.  Moving away from home to go to college is in the future.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Simple strategies

Most families have tried these strategies but they bear repeating to make sure they are in place.

• Regular routine and bedtime, try to get at least 8-9 hours of sleep each night.
• Double voiding 30 minutes before bed and again immediately before falling asleep.
• Drink throughout the entire day. This may mean taking a water bottle to school.  Drink enough so that the bathroom needs to be used at least once, if not twice while at school.
• Insure regular, daily bowel movements. If not, work with your pediatrician to manage constipation.  An x-ray of the abdomen is an easy way for health care providers to determine if there is retained stool that could be contributing to the bedwetting.

Solving the problem

If you have already tried these things, the best permanent solution for bedwetting is using a bedwetting alarm.  Alarms are perfect for sound sleeping teens who have no idea when wetting happens.  It is hard to make a change when you have no idea when it occurs.

Moisture sensing bedwetting alarms sound when urine is detected.  Your teen is alerted so he or she can begin to make the brain-bladder connection.  They may sleep through the loud alarm initially.  That is how most users begin so do not be discouraged! The parent’s job is to go to the teen’s room, wake them up, remind them to turn off the alarm and walk to the bathroom.  Over time, the teen begins to learn what a full bladder feels like and that he or she must be in the bathroom before the urine is released.  Eventually, your teen will get up before wetting or hold it until morning.  Dryness is most often achieved by doing both of these things.

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.

Recommended alarm for Teens

The Rodger wireless alarm is my recommendation for teens. The sensor underwear fit just like regular underwear and is easy to put on, no matter how tired your teen is.  The special underwear come in larger sizes, up to Adult XL, which work for older kids.

A positive feature of wireless alarms is that you must get out of bed to turn off the alarm. Since the receiver is located across the room, it will continue to sound from that location until it is turned off.

If the parent’s room is on a different floor from the teen’s, you can get an additional receiver so that both rooms sound at the same time.

This alarm also features a Record Keeping App.  It reminds the user to record the previous night's results on the App calendar.  Keeping records helps with motivation and lets you know when to move to the next step.

Guidance

Even if you have used some type of alarm in the past, it is worth retrying this method with a good product.  My book, Seven Steps to Nighttime Dryness, outlines what to expect along the way and has a section devoted to teens. The alarm should be worn each night while in your own home, until 14 consecutive nights of dryness are achieved.  Finish by using the alarm every other night until an additional 14 dry nights are achieved. Patience and persistence are important but research demonstrates that bedwetting alarms are the most effective cure.