Are alarm clocks for bedwetting actually useful?
I’m talking about actual clocks, not bedwetting alarms, which are completely different types of products.
Alarm Clocks vs Bedwetting Alarms
An alarm clock for enuresis or bedwetting sits on your bedside table or other spot just like any other clock. By comparison, bedwetting alarms are partially worn on the body because a sensor needs to be attached to detect urine so that the alarm can be activated.
This makes a bedwetting alarm an active device: it activates when it detects urination.
An alarm clock is a passive device. It has no way of knowing if your child or has urinated during the night. It’s simply a reminder device only.
So what’s the difference between a bedwetting alarm clock, and a regular everyday alarm clock?
Alarm clocks that are designed to be a bedwetting aid will have a vibration feature of some sort. Some are actually designed to “shake the bed” – but just how well it can do that and whether it will actually wake your child (or you) up is going to depend on how good the alarm clock is designed and how much of a deep sleeper the bedwetting sufferer is.
A bedwetting alarm should have some or (preferably) all of the following features:
– A very loud volume
– A vibration feature
Most normal alarm clock now come with these features. So you don’t actually need to go searching for a specific alarm clock for bedwetting.
It does have to be loud because the whole idea of bedwetting training is to WAKE UP during the night. Many children are deep sleepers and a soft alarm is not going to wake them. If you’re not yet ready to try a real bedwetting alarm system (although it is recommended), you’ll need your alarm clock to be consistently set each night at a certain time to wake your child to encourage them to go to the bathroom.
Although this is generally not the recommended strategy for dealing with nocturnal enuresis, it can be a starting point for mild cases and where you don’t feel ready to invest in a bedwetting alarm solution.