Most children eagerly await their more relaxed summer schedule, with opportunities for overnight visits with friends and relatives and fun-filled weeks at camp. Children with bedwetting can also enjoy these activities, with some pre-planning and helpful products to make their lives easier.

Some things to keep in mind when making plans:

How comfortable are you are sharing information with the family your child will be spending the night with?

• Grandparents are typically accepting of disposable pants or walking your child to the bathroom when they are up
• Your child may or may not be comfortable having you discuss this sensitive subject with her/his friend’s parents; abide by their wishes

What will the sleeping arrangements be?

• Will your child be using a sleeping bag, have their own bed, or share a bed with another child?
• If your immediate family will be together in one area, could you continue to use an alarm if you are in the middle of treatment?

How many nights will your child be away?

• Some children can manage to stay dry for one night because they stay up very late and get up very early
• Many bedwetting children can only do this for one or two nights, however, before sleep deprivation sets in and they return to their normal sound sleep

Sleepover Options

Disposable pants, waterproof sleeping bag liners and pads, waterproof pants and medication are all options for sleepover situations. Having a back-up plan for extended stays is helpful.

Disposable pants

Until your child becomes reliably dry, disposable pants are an easy solution. Work out a plan of when and where your child should put on the pants and dispose of them in the morning. You can give your child a plastic bag to put them when he/she gets up in the morning. The bag can be placed in their overnight bag and be disposed of at home. Remind your son or daughter to double void in the evening and have water be the beverage of choice if they are thirsty after dinner.

Waterproof sleeping bag liners and underpads

Sleeping bag liners are discreetly placed inside the sleeping bag to create a waterproof barrier between the child and the sleeping bag. This prevents leakage to the outside of the bag and can simply be removed and replaced if wetting does occur. The sleeping bag liner is machine or hand washable and can be reused over and over. (An added benefit to using this liner is that it prevents ground moisture from reaching the user.) These are exclusively available from the Bedwetting Store.

Washable waterproof overlays, which are absorbent pads that lie on top of the bedding,are useful in preventing urine from reaching sheets and mattresses. These come in several sizes, and are available with tuck-in flaps that secure it to the mattress. Some campers use these pinned inside a sleeping bag or under their body when lying on a cot. Overlays offer additional protection when a child has almost achieved dryness, but has an occasional setback. Hotels, vacation properties, and even relatives appreciate you protecting their bedding from urine stains.

Disposable overlays also provide discreet bedding protection and can be easily disposed of if wetting does occur. The Sta-put pads with adhesive strips or tuck-in sides stay in place, even with a restless sleeper.

Medication, such as desmopressin, can also provide some dry nights. Taken immediately before bedtime, it works by decreasing the total of amount of urine produced that night, enabling many children to sleep through to morning without urinating. If your child plans to use this medication for sleepovers, try it for a few nights at home first. You can observe your child’s response and determine the dosage that is required to insure dryness. The maximum dosage is 3 tablets. If your child does not stay dry with this amount of medication, it is not effective and a back-up plan is necessary.

Relaxed summer schedules are ideal for using a bedwetting alarm

Many families wonder what the best time is to “tackle” their child’s bedwetting problem and begin using an alarm. If your summer schedule isn’t as hectic or stressful as other times of the year, you may find that this is the perfect time to begin using a bedwetting alarm. The alarms sense moisture, alerting you and your child that he or she should get up and walk to the bathroom. Over time, your child will begin to put together the feeling of a full bladder with the need to wake up and get to the toilet. Bedwetting alarms offer a permanent cure for bedwetting but must be used long enough for your child to internalize this new behavior.

Some families want to begin using an alarm, but are concerned that they will be traveling for a week or two during the summer. For a few nights, interruption of the use of the alarm is not problematic. On these nights, a disposable pant, waterproof sleeping bag liner, washable, waterproof pad or disposable sta-put underlay could be used. Your child can resume use of his alarm when you get back home until he has achieved the 14 consecutive dry nights.

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