Bed wetting alarms: do they work?

Do Bed Wetting Alarms work for Enuresis?

Nocturnal enuresis is a distressing social disorder. While it is commonly seen in children, a fair number of adults also have this problem. Peeing in bed may be considered as a fetish to some but troublesome to most individuals. The available treatments for this troublesome disorder are not satisfactory. Besides drugs, one of the first therapies developed for night bed wetting was the use of alarms. While it may not sound sophisticated, bed wetting alarms are probably the most effective way to stop peeing in bed at night. The idea behind the alarm is that noise awakens the individual when he/she starts to wets the bed. The overall success rate of bedwetting alarms is close to 75% and has low relapse rate.

The bedwetting alarms can be worn on the wrist like watch and the moisture detecting fasteners are attached to the underwear or pajama bottoms. Just a few drops of moisture and the alarm will sound before the bed gets wet.

The alarms works by changing behaviors or negative reinforcement. When the alarms go off during voiding, the individual gets up to go to the bathroom to complete the voiding process. Unlike drug therapy, the bed wetting alarms need to be used for at least 3-4 months to get the maximum effect. Unfortunately, use of the bed wetting alarm has a high drop out rate ranging anywhere from 10-25 percent. There are multiple reasons why the dropout rates are high and they are chiefly related to a turbulent family environment. Excessive anxiety in parents or total lack of concern on part of the parent, lesser parental education or high societal families are all predictors of poor result. Among adults, the most common reason for high drop rates is remembering the extensive emotional turmoil in the family as a child.

Today, bed wetting alarms have greatly improved. These devices are small, light portable, inconspicuous and do not wake up the whole house when they go off. The buzzer emits a low frequency sound which is fairly well tolerated.

A number of studies have shown that the use of a bed wetting alarm is more effective than any other treatment modality available today. There have some studies using bed wetting alarms and desmopressin, but this has not improved the performance over the use of alarms alone.

For those individuals who have enuresis, bed wetting alarms may be worth a try. They certainly are a lot cheaper than drugs and have lower relapse rates. However, the use of a bed wetting alarm does necessitate enthusiasm and commitment not only from the child but also the parent. Because children under 7 are not able to make such commitments, a bed wetting alarm is not recommended. Reassurance is often the lone treatment needed in this age group.