Hi Rochelle – Unfortunately when it comes to treating children’s bedwetting, what works for one does not necessarily work for others. How old was your son when you first tried the conditioning alarm and how long did you try it for? I ask this because we do find the success of conditioning alarm treatments is contingent upon how supported families are in using them, as well as the level of commitment on behalf of both the child and parents. Younger children in particular seem to experience difficulties in responding to an alarm. If you do decide to revisit this treatment I would strongly recommend that you tackle this with the help of a continence advisor. An alternative form of treatment that has met with some success is hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy can be used in combination with a conditioning alarm as it is designed to help your son learn to recognize and wake-up in response to the alarm. It’s great to hear that his bedwetting hasn’t impacted on the way he feels about himself, as this can be one of the many downsides of bedwetting. Continue to reassure him that this is in no way his fault and that with time it will stop. If he is interested in sleepovers you could try first by holding the sleepover at your house. You can help him to feel more self-assured by practicing getting ready for bed and finding ways to disguise his DryNites. On sleepover nights you could also take him to the toilet just before you go to sleep so as to avoid any leakage. You can also try and minimise the amount he wets by making sure he doesn’t drink or eat anything high in caffeine and avoids dairy or citrus as this has been known to increase urine production.

Regards,
Dr Cathrine

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