My husband wets the bed every night. Suggestions?

I wet the bed every night and being 80 my wife has me use diapers to keep the bed dry.

Try the NorthShore-Megamax briefs. They give 12 hour protection. Call or visit NorthShore. Com/1286. since I started using these no problems with leaks. They also have a range of very good products.

if doctor prescribes any new meds for this, check all side effects beforehand. My dad was doing home re-hab, and making good use of a walker around his condo for two weeks after hospital discharge for pneumonia. Visiting home nurse (Medicare paid) was concerned that his diuretic was causing him to get up to frequently at night. She relayed this to my dad’s doctor, who promptly ordered a drug (for bladder control?) that would let him sleep through the night. I didn’t check the listed side effects - the drug causes blood pressure to drop. After one dose the evening prior, my dad got up from the table after lunch to walk (with the walker) back to the den. As he went through the kitchen to get there, he suddenly let go of the walker and grabbed the kitchen counter. I was right there, reached & pulled a chair from the dining room, putting it under his fanny to prevent a fall. He felt like he was going to black out. I quickly got out the wheelchair, not realizing he was suffering a side effect from this new drug. . That night, he woke up complaining of severe chest pains, describing them as similar to when he suffered a heart attack. I called for an ambulance. ER doctor discovered an exceptionally low blood pressure and was mystified as to what was going on. (They had all his records from his recent hospital stay, nothing predicted this). I mentioned the only thing that was added to his regimen was the new drug (since forgotten it’s name). Checked the side effects and realized that was the culprit. My dad was in the ER three different times while I cared for him - each for side effects from meds his drug-happy doctor prescribed him. I finally switched him to a new doctor.
Lesson:
always check info that comes with newly prescribed drugs and ask questions before administering

There was a medication one of my children was given when they were young for bed wetting. I believe it was called Tofranil (Imipramine ). Perhaps you can ask the doctor about this.

1. Are there any "Essential Oils" or Glade scented products within the home? "Essential oils," + other "scented" products neurologically irritate many humans etc. which results in loss of bladder control.
Remove ALL "Essential oil" products from his home.

2. Also please evaluate for a UTI.

Imho, cut back on his intake of liquids much earlier than normal. Prayers sent.

Lealonnie (poster on this site) has suggested a certain type of zip suit that people wear in these situations. She was a receptionist at an assisted living facility and this was done there.

Good luck to you.

Try QuickChange incontinence wrap. You can order a sample to see if it works for him.

Do not dehydrate him ...I saw that suggestion. What you can do is put a large pad over the bed. They have some that are washable and work wonderful. The disposable ones are not that great! A large one that goes across the entire bed works best ...then it does not shift as they move at night.

When does he stop taking in fluids? Obviously he is drinking fluids too late in the day.

I dont have this problem but to insure I can sleep thru the night without having to get up I stop all fluilds at about 5:30

There are alarms you can get that will go off so hopefully he will wake up to go to the bathroom instead of sleeping thru it. Check your pharmacy

If you’ve ruled out any medical conditions (UTI) as the reason, you could try eliminating all liquids after 6 or 7pm. No fluids in....no fluids out. Works great for my 87 yr old mom.
Nana Val

I haven't yet seen suggestion to check for UTI. If this has been a gradual progression, definitely have him checked by a urologist. However, if this is something that recently started, do check for UTI.

My mother would have UTIs several times/year, but was able at that time to identify it and get tested/treated. After moving her to MC, her first UTI resulted in severe sun-downing. We had to use anti-anxiety meds along with antibiotic until it cleared.

When she moved there, she was still mobile and able to do most self care. It was mainly to ensure her safety and having better nutrition. It was a while before we switched to briefs (swapped out all underwear, no discussion!) Most of her "accidents" were due to being unable to get her clothes off/down fast enough so we were getting extra carpet cleaning charges. At about 2+ years, she started using a rollator, but was still okay.

The second UTI resulted in night time bed wetting! REALLY soaking the bed. She is also still pretty much "continent" during the day. She is now 97, and still will go if taken in time to the bathroom (she's now in a wheelchair, mainly due to lack of use she's no longer able/willing to stand or walk.) I believe she had a second one, which also resulted in bed-wetting. Once the UTIs were resolved, this subsided.

I would definitely check for UTI. It's easy enough, not expensive and can help avoid a lot of testing and other interventions! Anytime something changes suddenly, behavior, demeanor, eating, drinking, incontinence, i would recommend checking. UTIs show up oddly in elders and esp in those with dementia.

(NOTE: I was a HUGE skeptic when I first joined the forum and read all the comments suggesting UTIs. I am no longer a skeptic!!!)

Back when I was employed with a med school, I worked with a person whose young son had this problem (as he put it "A River STILL Runs Through It"--referring to his son's bed, referring obliquely to the movie being shown around that time). He happened to mention it to another man (about 45-50 y/o) who said he personally had this problem, but he had backaches that caused him to wake up so he took that opportunity to use the bathroom, which effectively alleviated the issue. Recalling this prompted me to suggest the following.

If the OP's husband has full mobility, it might be possible to set an alarm clock for specific times to get him awake so he can go to the bathroom. It might even be possible to do this is such a way that the OP herself isn't disturbed or awakened by this. Of course a medical checkup may result in a definite solution, but in any case preventing "accidents" is probably easier than cleaning up afterwards.

There are Wearever briefs that are padded and are washable. If the padding is not sufficient add a depends or similiar. Also there are bed pads that are washable on line from Amazon. There are also throw away pads, in various sizes. Look at Amazon for all these items

without knowing a lot more, limit his intake of water about 2 hours before bedtime.  at night our muscles relax more and its possible that he gets super relaxed.  did you speak with the doctor about this?  its possible that he is such a heavy sleeper that he doesn't awaken with the "feeling" to have to use the bathroom.  speak with a doctor.  wishing you luck.

As an RN, I would suggest a visit to his doctor first to identify the cause - which could be several things. Condom catheters, extra padding in depends and extra padding on the bed can all help. I like using pads on the bed that are plastic on one side (Chux) but find that puppy pads are cheaper.

You didn't mention if this is something that just started and if he's already seen a Dr about it..

Do Not drink any fluids after 7 PM and at night, use a thicker pad inside of his nighttime Adult Pull Ups.

My husband had similar issues. After seeing a urologist it was determined that he had “lazy bladder”. The elasticity of the bladder was gone so even though he urinated during the day it never emptied and always retained a substantial amount of urine. Overnight, when it wasn’t enough to wake him, he would urinate in his sleep. The solution was catherization during the day to empty the bladder. Please have him see a urologist, if for no other reason than to rule this out. We did the cloth, quilted, full length water proof pads, which helped greatly with clean up but it was ignoring the real problem. Also, this was extremely embarrassing for him which takes its toll in other ways. Pray this helps and you’re able to get some solid answers.

Buy reusable, Large incontinence bed pads for full absorption. They are heavy plastic on one side and heavy quilt on the other side. Washable. Google the term. Some elder focused health care catalogs sell them as does Amazon.

Try a catheter that works like a condom. Liberator Medical can send you some samples. You can then determine the right size. You might have to help him put it on. I find having my husband stand up and me putting it on works fine. We have no wet beds! No UTIs. BTW Medicare paid for the catheters and collection bags.

My husband is incontinent day and night. I cut back on his water at night and take him to the bathroom in the middle of the night when I know he will wet himself. It took time to find out the approx time when he usually wet himself. Once you have the pattern and routine figured out, there will be less mess. But it means you will have to be up early also to help him.

I am hoping that my husband will never have number 2 in bed every night. The stress of the cleaning up nightly would kill me.

Good luck.

See a urologist if he is continent during the day. Worth a try.

Waterproof mattress pad.
Absorbent under pad. Much more absorbent than a towel.
Make sure the pad you are putting in the incontinent brief is one that does not have a waterproof lining on the back And by using 2 incontinent briefs you are not getting the second one to absorb much since the one closest to him has a leakproof backing on it most of the fluid will leak around the second one and run out by the leg opening.
Have you tried getting him up a few hours after he goes to be do void again? If he goes to bed at 10 pm if you can get him up around midnight that might help. And getting him up early to go again.
A bedside urinal or commode will make it easier.
Cut back on fluids after about 7 or 8 pm.

I see several others have mentioned medications that may help, discuss these with his doctor.
A condom catheter might also work but only if he will leave it alone.

There are medications that can help with overactive bladder(bladder spasms), like Oxybutynin, Vesicare. Trospium, and more. You can check with his Dr. to see what might be best for him. Also make sure you have a waterproof mattress pad on his bed, along with waterproof pads underneath him as well. That will prevent any urine from getting on his mattress. You may also have to get him up every 2 hours overnight, so he can use either the toilet or urinal, which ever is easier for you. Good luck.

I also have a waterproof quilted bed pad I found at Amazon for extra protection.

RMS Ultra Soft 4-Layer Washable and Reusable Incontinence Bed Pad - Waterproof Bed Pads, 24"X36"

Try reducing his fluids after dinnertime.