Choosing your bedwetting alarm

Is a bedwetting alarm right for my child?

  • Alarms are recommended as a first line treatment in the NICE Guidelines on Bedwetting in Under 19s
  • If your child is still regularly wetting the bed at age 5, we recommend you make an appointment with a GP or nurse for a bladder & bowel assessment to find out if alarm treatment is suitable for your child.
  • The reasons for bedwetting are complex and there can be underlying causes such as constipation, which should be addressed before starting alarm treatment.
  • Alarms can be an effective way of helping train children to become dry at night. But, they work best when children are feeling motivated to get dry and families are prepared for some hard work at first.

 How do bedwetting alarms work?

  • Many children wet the bed because they don’t wake up when their bladder is trying to tell them it’s full
  • Alarms help children to recognise the message being sent from their bladder to their brain, so they learn to wake up and go to the toilet.
  • A bedwetting alarm has a sensor attached to an alarm. If the sensor gets wet, it sets the alarm off and wakes your child up.
  • Using an alarm reduces bedwetting in about two thirds of children during treatment, and about half the children remain dry after stopping using the alarm

 

Illustration of the different bedwetting alarms we sell, details below.

The different alarms that we sell

We sell three types of alarm – body-worn, wireless and bed-mat.

Body-worn alarms

  • The alarm is clipped to your child’s pyjama top and connected by wire to a sensor attached to their underwear.

Wireless Alarms

  • The alarm is placed near your child’s bed and communicates wirelessly with a sensor attached to their underwear

Bed-mat alarms

  • A sensor mat is placed on your child’s mattress underneath their bedsheet and is connected by a wire to the alarm box which is placed on a bedside table

Buying an alarm from ERIC

Buying an alarm is a big commitment both financially and for your child. We want to make sure that an alarm is the right bedwetting treatment option and that you get the model that best suits your child’s preferences.

Our Helpline advisors are here to talk you through the practicalities of starting alarm treatment and if it is the right approach for your child.

Our sales advisor Jayne is on hand to talk to you over the phone about which model is best for your child and can also advise about any other complementary products such as mattress protectors and pads.

Tips for using a bedwetting alarm

Our Family Services Manager talks through some tips for getting the most out of a bedwetting alarm in this short video.


Shop for bedwetting alarms