Using a mattress bedwetting alarm
These alarms are available for hire from the Royal Children's Hospital (you need to see one of our paediatricians first).
The alarm consists of a rubber mat that is placed in the bed under where the child's bottom will be, and it is connected by a wire to a box with a battery powered alarm bell. The system operates at low voltage and there is no risk to your child.
- The mat should be placed in the bed, on top of the bottom sheet, and should be covered with a piece of thin material (eg an old sheet cut up) just big enough to cover the mat and tuck in on either side of the bed.
- The wires should be plugged into the box, which should then be placed as far away from the bed as the wire will allow.
- When going to bed your child should switch on the alarm and get into bed. It is best if he or she only wears a pyjama jacket and underpants. Not pyjama trousers or a long nightdress.
- When your child wets the bed, a loud alarm will ring. He or she should get out of bed as quickly as possible and turn off the alarm, go to the toilet to finish emptying his/her bladder. Then dry the mat using the piece of material, put a new piece of material over the mat, turn the alarm back on and get back into bed. You may have to help your child with some of this, at least for the first few nights.
Within a week or two your child should start to have some dry nights. This may happen because he or she wakes up and goes to the toilet before wetting the bed, or because he or she learns to hold on all night.
If your child has 7 dry nights in a row, try giving some extra fluid to drink in the evening. This is called "overlearning".
If your child has 14 dry nights in a row, try leaving the mat on the bed but without the alarm switched on and see what happens. If dry nights continue, try leaving the mat off the bed all together.