How a “Star Chart” Can Effectively Lower the Incidents of Bedwetting

Parents of children who wet the bed have been looking for ways to encourage their child to break the habit. You may have tried a number of times to get bedwetting to stop. Here’s how a “star chart” can effectively lower the incidents of bedwetting in your home.

As you know, bedwetting isn’t something that is done on purpose. It is entirely involuntary and something children can’t ‘control.’ Your child’s bladder is small which can make holding urine during sleep difficult. However, they can learn to recognize their need to use the restroom during the night. Choosing to get up and go rather than staying in bed is where a star chart can come in handy.

Using a star chart is one of the simplest encouragements for children to learn to stay dry during the night. One of the best things you can do, however, is to help your child realize that bedwetting is normal for children and that they will outgrow it. Making them feel bad about bedwetting may actually cause their bedwetting to become worse.

Is there a toy they’d like or something special they would like to do? This could be the perfect “reward” for them once they have mastered staying dry at night for a specific period of time. Of course, any night they remain dry should be celebrated, but this reward will be extra special.

Explain to your child that they will get a star on their chart. How large their chart is, how many days or weeks, is entirely up to you. Will you restart the chart when they’ve had an accident, or merely start on a new line? You may want to talk to their pediatrician about how long it generally takes for their bladder to become accustomed to training. Many pediatricians recommend using a star chart for at least three to six months before they will try another treatment method.

A star chart is simply a calendar that you place star stickers on for each night they wake up dry. You would place the calendar or chart in a prominent place and have a good amount of fanfare when your child stays dry. Let them place the star on their chart so they are taking ownership of their accomplishment.

You don’t want to make your child feel bad about wetting the bed at night; you want to encourage them to do otherwise. It serves your child better if you make each dry night a celebration rather than discouraging them about an accident.

We all want our children to grow up with a positive self-image, and star charts are a positive reinforcement that has been proven to be effective. Of course, star charts may not work with every child, but they are a step in the right direction and easy to attempt before going with more extreme measures such as bed alarms that sound whenever the bed becomes wet or prescription medicines. Remember to celebrate their accomplishments and you may find bedwetting a thing of the past.

One Response to “How a “Star Chart” Can Effectively Lower the Incidents of Bedwetting”

1. Lyle Danuloff, Ph. D. says:

   April 14, 2009 at 6:49 am

   We Never Recommend Star Charts For Bedwetters

   I read your article and felt inclined to respond.

   I work with the Enuresis Treatment Center, which deals only with bedwetting cases. We have treated thousands of children, teenagers, and adult bedwetters, tracking all related symptoms. Our extensive research validates bedwetting as a problem caused by abnormally deep sleep, which doesn?t allow for the bedwetter?s brain and bladder to connect so they can effectively respond to each other.

   In 99% of all bedwetting cases, (based upon our research of tens of thousands of documented cases) the root cause is sleeping so deeply. It is an inherited deep-sleep disorder that results in bedwetting and more importantly…a non-restorative, unhealthy sleep.

   This compromised sleep can also result in daytime symptoms; difficulty awakening, fatigue, memory difficulty, irritability, difficulty concentrating. These symptoms can increase as a bedwetter reaches adulthood.

   Star charts placed a great deal of pressure on a child regarding something they cannot control. There is no research supporting this as a technique to end bedwetting.

   There is No guaranteed that someone will outgrow bedwetting, in fact after the age of seven, it is less likely. 1 in 50 teenagers, as well as 3.2 million reported cases of adults still wet the bed. More importantly, if someone were to outgrow this problem, they are then left with a sleep disorder, along with possible challenging symptoms that can no longer be treated.

   Proper treatment is never simple. Self-treatment programs alone do not address the sleep disorder. Studies show a very high rate of bedwetting relapse with alarms, which gives another failed experience. Bladder capacity and proper muscle strength must also be included during the course of treatment, regardless of the age, to ensure all bedwetting/sleep disorder symptoms? are completely addressed.

   Psychological counseling has not been proven to end bedwetting. Neither has hypnosis, chiropractic care or homeopathic remedies.

   Many medical professionals misinform patients when they blame a small bladder as the cause of bedwetting. It is actually a RESULT of the bedwetting. Moreover, restricting fluids causes further underdevelopment of the bladder, as well as dehydration.

   If drugs are prescribed or considered to be at all effective, consider that once the drugs are discontinued, the bedwetting will likely resume. Drugs may serve as a temporary fix for a complicated problem, and drugs clearly produce side effects, some as yet unknown.

   For 34 years, the Enuresis Treatment Center has been ending bedwetting for children, teenagers, and adults who thought there was no hope. Our research and experience has validated that bedwetting can be treated without drugs or invasive surgery.

   The internet offers a great deal of information about bedwetting, unfortunately most of it is offered from sources that do not specialize in bedwetting treatment. When researching treatment programs, we suggest parents, or an adult seeking help, ask for references and check staff credentials. This will give better insight as to success and lasting results of a bedwetting treatment program.
   Sincerely,
   Lyle Danuloff, Ph.D.
   http://www.nobedwetting.com