Preparing The Bed of a Bed Wetter
Summary: If you are the parent of a child who wets the bed often, I imagine that your laundry loads have multiplied and you are feeling all you do is wash sheets. There are things that you can do to minimize the extra loads of sheets that will need to be done.


Many parents limit beverages after dinner for a couple of hours before bed thinking this will lessen the chances of their child wetting the bed. This could work for some parents. Waking them to bring them to the bathroom can also help some children.

To protect the mattress you could purchase a vinyl cover that would go completely over the mattress and would prevent wetness from reaching it. Layering bedding is another way to  reduce wetness and help keep wetness from damaging the mattress.  

You would put the bottom sheet on as usual and a layer disposable pads or rubber sheeting. You would next put a draw sheet (short sheet that covers the middle of the bed from side to side). If  your child wets the bed two or three times a night you can put a couple of layers on the bed. It would then be necessary to only remove the top layer of sheet and pads. There are pillow protectors and special sleeping bag liners for camp outs. Duvet covers of different sizes are also available.

One option for children with severe enuresis is to use an enuresis alarm of which there are a number of different types. There are alarms that vibrate and shake the bed gently to waken your child and they get up and go.

There are sound alarms usually bells of some sort that are connected to the bed that can startle your child awake and they can go to the bathroom. There are also wireless alarms that greatly reduce the risk of your child getting tangled in the wires.

You can help your child become a part of the solution to their bedwetting. They can help to wash their wet clothing and sheets. They can also help to fold the items and they can even help you to make their beds.

When your child has a dry night let them know that it is good they staid dry. Punishment, teasing, embarrassing them will not work. If you’ve tried everything you can think and it hasn’t worked you might consider discussing this with your pediatrician to see what they recommend.