If your parent suffers from persistent primary nocturnal enuresis, you may first see a primary care professional, such as a family practice physician or nurse practitioner. However, individuals with adult onset nocturnal enuresis usually need to be referred to a specialist, such as an urologist or sleep disorder specialist. While you may be embarrassed to address the issue with others, a medical professional is able to give you options to help treat bed wetting. In many cases, bed wetting can be cured.
Treatments
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Monitoring Fluid Intake: Limiting intake of fluids in the late afternoon and evening before bedtime causes a decreased amount of urine produced at night. This could be a helpful first step to reduce wet nights. Also, decreasing the amount of caffeinated and alcoholic beverages may help. However, this does not mean that you should reduce your overall fluid intake. Only change the time of fluid intake, as drinking adequate fluids is important for general health. Be sure to drink plenty of water.
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Bladder Volume Training: This technique is an effort to increase bladder capacity in those who have a small FBC. The training involves drinking large amounts of fluid during the daytime and refraining from voiding as long as possible, up to 2-3 hours. Through training, the functional bladder capacity is increased, making voids more infrequent. This method may be especially helpful to those with diagnosed detrusor overactivity, a condition in which the muscles of the bladder contract frequently and involuntarily. For men experiencing symptoms of enlarged prostate, consult a healthcare provider for behavioral therapy options, as bladder volume training can result in distending, or stretching, the bladder.
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Bed wetting Alarm System: A bed wetting alarm is a device that awakens an individual from sleep as soon as the accident begins. Multiple variations of the alarm exist, ranging from vibrating to sounding alarms and wet-detection devices that can be attached to the underwear or a pad on which the individual sleeps. Once awoken, the individual is able to stop the flow of urine, finish voiding in the bathroom, and return to bed. Eventually the body is conditioned to wake up with the urge to urinate before wetting the bed. This treatment option takes some weeks to work, requiring motivation and commitment. It is not as effective if the alarm goes off multiple times per night due to more than one bed wetting episode from decreased functional bladder capacity. Although, in many cases of bed wetting, this device helps the user overcome the condition.
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Waking: While this option does not treat the problem, it may be helpful in preventing a wet bed. It involves setting an alarm during the night at a random time in order to urinate. It is important to set the alarm at a random time so that your bladder does not grow accustomed to emptying at a scheduled time during the night regardless of whether or not you are awake.