What's the best bedwetting alarm for my child?

At first nocturnal enuresis (best known as bedwetting) sounds like a disease, but it’s not. Even so, in some children it can cause serious embarrassment and poor self-esteem.

What is Nocturnal Enuresis?

Nocturnal enuresis, in layman’s terms, is bedwetting. If you have a child over the age of six who is wetting the bed, you may have tried everything and now you are wondering if there is any help. There is, and it’s called a bedwetting alarm.

How does a bedwetting alarm work?

One of the main causes of bed wetting in children is a combination of deep sleeping patterns and over production of urine.

Making use of the best bedwetting alarms can help teach a child’s body to better respond to a full bladder, as well as help break the deep sleep cycles that are typical of this behaviour.

An electronic bedwetting alarm sounds an alert as soon as a child begins to urinate. Bedwetting alarms are designed to assist bedwetters in training their brains to react to their full bladders by awakening and using the toilet.

A bedwetting alarm “senses” moisture as the first drops of urine are released, and sounds a shrill alarm, waking the child.

A feeling of bladder fullness will eventually replace the sound of the bedwetting alarm as the signal to the sleeper’s brain that it’s time to get up and visit the toilet. Bedwetting alarm therapy is actually a type of behavioral conditioning.

Bedwetting alarms are 100% safe and commonly prescribed by Continence Nurses as a way to stop bedwetting.

There are different types of alarms which works in slightly different ways to suit your specific needs. Here's our ranking of the best bedwetting alarms we stock:

Best Bedwetting Alarms

#1 Rodger Wireless Bedwetting Alarm

Rodger is our top recommended bedwetting alarm, and the most advanced option we stock. Moisture sensors are sewn directly into the underwear, with no cords or clips to come loose overnight, and detection is instant, the alarm sounds the moment wetness is sensed rather than waiting for it to soak through.

The wireless design means the base unit can sit anywhere in the room, or in a parent's room via a second base unit, and an optional bed shaker can be added for children who sleep through sound alone. It's the option we recommend first for most families, particularly deep sleepers.

#2 Oopsie Heroes Bedwetting Alarm

Our second pick, Oopsie Heroes, is also wireless and also detects moisture instantly, with a small sensor that talks to a companion app. It has the added option of waking your child with a recording of your own voice instead of just an alarm tone, which some younger children respond to better.

#3 Wearable Bedwetting Alarms (with cord)

With a wearable alarm, the sleeper places the moisture sensing device in his or her pyjama bottoms or underwear (in the line of fire!).

A wearable bedwetting alarm reacts to the urine almost immediately.

This type of bedwetting alarm is a design in which the child wears the moisture sensor, which is connected to the alarm device by means of a cord, in or on their underwear or pajamas. The cord usually runs from the sensor under the pyjama top and attaches to the collar of the child's pyjama top.

WetStop3 is a reliable, cost-effective wearable option, a good starting point if you're not yet sure alarm therapy is the right fit.

#4 Bed-and-Pad Bedwetting Alarms

In an alarm-and-pad bedwetting alarm, the moisture sensor is in the form of a pad placed beneath the sleeper. The sewn-in sensors in the pad detect moisture and the alarm sounds.

The sensor pad which comes with the Wet Detective from Potty MD has the added advantage of being waterproof, which means you don’t need an extra waterproof pad on the bed (as well as the sensor pad). The pad is also industrial quality so it withstands wash after wash. This is a good option for those children who don’t want to wear an alarm. They are also good for adults, the elderly and those with special needs.

Bed wetting therapy experts have estimated that, with consistent and proper use, the best bedwetting alarms will train children to wake before wetting in around 4 to 10 weeks. Some train much quicker, within days, others take longer. Bedwetting alarms are successful in around eighty percent of young bedwetters.

Which type is right for your situation?

Rather than starting with a brand, start with what your child actually needs. Here's how the options stack up against the situations parents ask us about most:

• Deep sleeper who doesn't wake to noise alone – A wireless alarm with an optional bed shaker or vibration add-on gives a stronger wake-up cue than sound alone. Worth prioritising over cost here, since a missed wake-up most nights slows the whole process down.
• Child who pulls off cords or clips during the night – A sewn-in sensor design removes the thing that usually comes loose. If your child is a restless sleeper, this is often the difference between an alarm that works and one that gets abandoned after a week.
• Just starting out and want to keep costs down – A wearable, clip-on alarm is the most budget-friendly entry point and still has a long, proven track record. It's a sensible place to start if you're not sure alarm therapy is the right fit yet.
• Child who doesn't want to wear anything at all – A bed-and-pad style alarm needs nothing worn on the body, which suits children who resist wearables, and works well for adults, older children, or those with additional sensory needs.
• Sharing a room, or a parent wants to hear it too – Look for a wireless option with a second base unit, so the parent's room gets an alert without waking siblings sharing the same space.
• Sensitive skin or irritation from wearables – A pad-based alarm avoids anything touching the skin overnight, which can be the more comfortable option for children prone to irritation.

On cost, as a rough guide: wearable clip-on alarms tend to sit at the budget end, bed-and-pad alarms in the middle, and wireless sewn-in sensor alarms at the premium end, reflecting the extra comfort and technology. All of the alarms above are NDIS eligible, so funding can offset the difference if that applies to your family.

Rodger and Oopsie Heroes are our top two picks overall for their instant detection and cordless design. The right choice for your family still comes down to which obstacle is actually standing between your child and a dry night.

Bedwetting Alarm Best Practice

• Choose the right time. Choose times when routines are not interrupted too much.
• Talk to your child about how the alarm works and help him get prepared each night (spare pyjamas, night light, change of underpants/bed pad).
• Make setting the alarm part of your everyday bedtime routine.
• Do not skip nights.
• Be POSITIVE! Give plenty of encouragement and stay confident and positive along the way.
• When the alarm sounds, make sure they wake up completely, get out of bed and switch the alarm off (by themselves) and visit the toilet.
• Work on daytime toilet habits too. It is important for your child to drink plenty of water during the day and visit the toilet at regular times. To help you do this use a vibrating reminder watch.
• Avoid using nappies or pull-ups—your child should feel the wetness.
• For some children it takes time before they wake to the sound of the alarm. Be patient & assist your child with waking when the alarm sounds. With time they will wake by themselves.
• Remain PATIENT throughout the process. Some children become dry within days, others take weeks.

As you continue to use the alarm every night the number of dry nights will begin to outnumber the wet ones. However, during the training process, expect the occasional accident to occur. This is normal as your child’s body develops.

Before starting on your journey to dry nights, we would recommend you read the Wake-up Dry e-Book.