Enuresis Alarm / Enuresis Bed Alarm

What is an Enuresis Alarm?

An enuresis alarm is a device that is used for what’s known as alarm therapy. This alarm is used to train individuals to wake up on their own in the middle of the night when they need the bathroom, and take care of their needs. Bedwetting incidents most often cease to occur following steady and proper use of an enuresis alarm. 

An enuresis alarm typically comes with two interrelated components; the moisture sensor and the alarm. As soon as the moisture sensor picks up on the slightest hint of moisture, it sends a signal to the alarm, which rings in response. When the alarm sounds, either the person will wake up from the noise and head to the bathroom, or a caregiver or parent will wake up the person and have him go to the bathroom. 

What are Nocturnal Enuresis Alarms?

Nocturnal enuresis alarms are really the same exact thing as enuresis alarms. Enuresis is defined as involuntary urination, and nocturnal enuresis means, in other words, involuntary urination that occurs at night, while the person is sleeping. Nocturnal enuresis alarms are basically the more proper term for bedwetting alarms, which are used during nighttime hours or while the person is asleep. 

Who Can Use an Enuresis Alarm?

Using a nocturnal enuresis alarm is often the first (and usually last) method used to teach a child to wake up independently and use the bathroom. Most children stop wetting the bed by the time they are four or five years old, but bedwetting isn’t considered to be an issue until the child is six or seven. According to research published by Mayo Clinic, enuresis alarm therapy is most likely to be successful for children who are above seven years of age. Enuresis alarms are not meant for children who have bedwetting incidents just once or twice a week¹; actually, they’re intended for individuals who wet the bed multiple times each week. 

Which Types of Enuresis Will An Alarm be Helpful for?

There are four types of enuresis: Nighttime (nocturnal) enuresis, daytime enuresis, secondary enuresis (the individual learns to stay dry at night, but then, at a later period, the bedwetting recurs), and primary enuresis (the child isn’t yet fully toilet trained). A bedwetting alarm is intended for use by those with nocturnal enuresis. Parents will sometimes utilize a bedwetting alarm for children with primary enuresis, but anyone who is contemplating this idea should bear in mind a crucial point: that motivation is a key factor, and it is uncommon to find such a young child who possesses the necessary motivation that will enable him to succeed in staying dry at night. 

Nocturnal Enuresis: Stats and Facts to Know

Here are some fascinating facts we’ll bet you were unaware of, that you're sure to find interesting (and sometimes surprising). 

• Up to a quarter of 4 year olds have nocturnal enuresis.
• Up to one out of every ten eight year olds have nocturnal enuresis.
• The most common cause of nocturnal enuresis in children of age 5 through 10 is deep sleep.
• If left untreated, enuresis can remain with a person until adulthood and beyond.
• An enuresis bed alarm is designed to help children who are deep sleepers wake up when needed so that they can go use the bathroom (rather than those who are producing more urine at night).
• Enuresis usually clears up entirely by the time a child is 4 or 5.
• The position of the sensor is different for girls than it would be for boys: For boys, it should be attached to the inside flap of their underwear, and for girls, it should be inserted on the crotch area.
• Regression is common when a babysitter comes over for the night, or when the child sleeps in a different bed.
• Children with ADHD often experience nocturnal enuresis past age 4 or 5.
• A nocturnal enuresis alarm is typically used for a period of several months.
• Enuresis can sometimes be due to a medical problem, although such is very unusual.

Tips for Dealing With a Loved One Who Has Enuresis

If your child has enuresis and is not yet mature enough to use a bedwetting alarm for children, there are things you can do to deal with the situation. Truthfully, even once he begins to use the enuresis alarm, you can still implement this advice for a while, since it usually takes several months until the child is fully weaned off the alarm and able to get up on his own and get to the bathroom entirely independently. 

Tip #1: Don’t allow the child to be teased by other family members.

Tip #2: Use a waterproof plastic cover sheet to prevent the mattress from becoming soiled, odorous or ruined.

Tip #3: Make sure the child uses the bathroom before bed.

Tip #4: Reward your child for the nights he stays dry.

Tip #5: Reassure your child that bedwetting is normal; it happens to other children too.

Tip #6: Try to have the child avoid caffeine and other bladder irritants as much as possible.

Tip #7: Limit fluids before bedtime.

Tip #8: Never blame the child, or embarrass him about the issue.

TIp #9: Be willing to do what it takes to stop the bedwetting (even if it means sleeping in the child’s room the first few weeks so you can hear the enuresis alarm & wake him up).

Tip #10: Commitment is the key to success!

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1. National Clinical Guideline Centre (2010). Nocturnal enuresis: The management of bedwetting in children and young people. London, UK: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). http://www.guidelines.gov/content.aspx?id=25680