Self-awakening for bed-wetting
Self-awakening training for bed-wetting involves having the child practice getting out of bed to go to the bathroom. This type of training works well for children older than 6 years of age.
Self-awakening training usually involves one of three techniques:
Method 1
- Tell the child to lie in bed with eyes closed.
- Have the child pretend that it's the middle of the night and his or her bladder is full and is starting to hurt.
- The child can then pretend that the bladder is trying to wake him or her up. It's saying, "Get up before it's too late."
- Tell the child to get up and run to the bathroom to urinate.
- Encourage the child to practice reminding himself or herself to get up like this during the night.
Method 2
- At bedtime, have the child lie down and count to 50.
- Have the child go to the bathroom and try to urinate.
- Have the child repeat the steps 10 to 20 times each night.
Method 3
- Set an alarm clock to go off about 3 to 4 hours after the child goes to bed.
- Place the alarm clock where the child has to get out of bed to turn it off.
Many children with bed-wetting develop complete bladder control using self-awakening training. Self-awakening training works best when both the child and the parents understand the process and are motivated to succeed.
| Author: | Debby Golonka, MPH | Last Updated: November 12, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Thomas Emmett Francoeur, MDCM, CSPQ, FRCPC - Pediatrics | |
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