Kiddipedia
Bedwetting (also called nocturnal enuresis) happens when the bladder empties without permission during sleep. Bedwetting is very common with approximately 1 in 5 children in Australia wetting the bed.
While bedwetting is common, it is a concern for many parents due to the embarrassment their child feels, sleep disruption and the additional laundry load involved.
What is developmentally normal?
Children typically develop daytime bladder control by the age of three years and night time control by school age. However, it’s important to remember that there is always a variation in normal development and some children will still experience occasional accidents until 7 – 8 years of age.
What causes bedwetting?
There are four main causes of bedwetting:
- deep sleep where the child doesn’t wake to a full bladder.
- when the kidneys produce large volumes of urine at night and the child doesn’t wake in time.
- when the bladder can not store the volume of urine produced at night due to a smaller than average storage capacity.
- in some children, bedwetting may be linked to a medical condition or illness (uncommon).
Bedwetting is accidental and is not caused by a choice to rebel or laziness.
When and where should I seek help?
It is important to seek help for bedwetting if:
your child who has been dry suddenly starts wetting at night
the wetting is frequent at 7 years of age
the bedwetting bothers or worries your child
You can seek help from your GP or a continence specialist.
Most children will stop bedwetting in their own time, however, if your child is over 7 years old, the problem may not get better by itself.
Contact the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66 to find a service provider in your area.
Could a bedwetting alarm help my child?
Bedwetting alarms teach your child to wake up when they start to wet the bed, before fully emptying their bladder. They help your child to recognise when their bladder is full so that they can learn to hold on, or wake up and go to the toilet.
When using a bedwetting alarm, it can be a good idea to sleep in your child’s room for the first week or so, so that you can help him/her get up quickly to the toilet.
It’s also a good idea to buy a waterproof mattress protector and/or bedwetting sheets to protect the mattress and make it faster and easier to change your child’s bedding in the night.
Oopsie Heroes is a fun and simple bedwetting alarm for kids. It combines an app with a tiny sensor that teaches children how to make it to the toilet on time at night. Goodbye Oopsie moments!
The tiny sensor tracks those Oopsie moments, finds the pattern and helps your child learn to wake up on time. The sensor is super simple to use and can be easily fastened to all undergarments and PJs. No special clothing is required.
After an Oopsie moment, the sensor will record and send this information to the Oopsie Heroes App. Instead of Bluetooth, the Oopsie sensor uses a simple sound to send the information to the app.
Oopsie Heroes will train your child’s brain to recognise the bladder signals so that they begin to wake up on their own.
Within 6-12 weeks of using Oopsie Heroes your child should be free from night time accidents.
AND the good news is that the product is also 100% reimbursed by NDIS insurance in Australia.
Once you have consulted your GP or a Continence specialist and it has been determined that an alarm would be appropriate for your child, head to the Oopsie Heroes website to get your alarm for dry nights and better days.
If you would like more information about Oopsie Heroes please visit their website or email hello@healthport.com.au
This post was sponsored by Oopsie Heroes.
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