Bed wetting and Deep Sleeping
The Underlying Connection Between Bedwetting and Deep Sleeping
Bedwetting is often considered as a condition affecting deep sleepers. While there is no proven study suggesting this, there are several factors that have led to the connection. A 1998 study conducted in Sweden was notable in having parents account their bed wetting children to be deep sleepers. These amounted to 65% of the parents interviewed.
Although one cannot completely link bed wetting and deep sleeping, it can be a crucial factor in understanding enuresis and treating it.
Understanding Bedwetting and Deep Sleeping
To understand the connection between sleep and bed wetting, it is essential to know how our brain recognises the need to visit the bathroom. The need to urinate is communicated by the body to the brain through the nervous system. Being deeply asleep delays this signal being sent by the bladder to the brain. Children, or adults in certain cases, who are deep sleepers are therefore unable to identify the need to wake up and visit the bathroom in time to avoid wetting the bed. The pelvic floor is also at a relaxed state when a child is asleep. Further, this neurological ability of sending signals to the brain is still developing in a growing child, making the signal to the brain weaker.
The brain also controls muscle contractions that help one relieve themselves when needed. When in deep sleep, a full bladder results in one wetting the bed since the brain is unable to receive the message to wake up. Often, children who are deep sleepers and are known to wet the bed can also sleep through bedwetting alarms, making parental support extremely vital in treating enuresis.
Bed Wetting Alarms and Pads for Deep Sleepers
Parents are often concerned about the effectiveness of bedwetting alarms for children who are deep sleepers. While it may be difficult for the child to wake up on their own in the beginning, we encourage parents or caretakers to be supportive and be a part of the treatment by helping the child wake up with the alarm during the first couple of weeks. The alarms are also loud enough to be able to wake both the child in question and the parents.
To have the child develop a habit of waking up with the alarm, parents or caregivers need to make it a point to wake the child up as soon as the alarm begins to ring. This may take a while and you will need to be supportive and not lose heart if your child hasnât woken up immediately. Over time, the routine will attune the childâs body to wake up at the first ring of the alarm.
Although it is difficult to prove for certain that deep sleep and bedwetting are linked, it is essential to seek professional consultation at the earliest.
Happy Dry Nights assists children and their parents in overcoming bedwetting through consultation and treatment, turning the embarrassment and frustration of bedwetting into peaceful nights. At the clinic, we do our best to help ease your concerns and provide effective results through treatment using bedwetting alarms and pads.
If your child has been wetting the bed, you can visit our clinic for professional help to find out the possible causes and how it can be treated. We not only help with a treatment plan but also ensure that a You can book an appointment for consultation with us at (03) 9731 1006 and also get advice from a specialised paediatrician.