Each one of us, at some points in our lives suffered from nocturnal enuresis also known as sleep enuresis or bedwetting. Nocturnal enuresis commonly affects younger children and most of the time, children suffering from nocturnal enuresis will most likely outgrow from the medical condition. However, there are some children who can’t outgrow their bedwetting and there are also cases wherein nocturnal enuresis starts to appear during adulthood. There are several different causes of nocturnal enuresis, and to correctly determine effective treatment modalities for the nocturnal enuresis, being able to determine exact causative factors will be very helpful.

Nocturnal Enuresis in Adults

There are 2 different types of nocturnal enuresis in terms of their onset and causes. Nocturnal enuresis in adults is usually referred to as adult onset secondary enuresis. This type of sleep enuresis is characterized by a certain period of time of nighttime dryness that can last for several years. And after long years of nighttime dryness, an onset of bedwetting or nocturnal enuresis will take place. The adult onset secondary enuresis will only begin during adulthood.

Behavioral Therapy for Nocturnal Enuresis

Behavioral therapy is an approach to psychotherapy that focuses on a set of methods that will be done to reinforce or eliminated unwanted behaviors. In behavioral therapy for nocturnal enuresis, there are ways on how to eliminate bedwetting by following these various behavioral therapies:

• Monitoring Fluid Intake – During late afternoons and evening, limiting intake of oral fluids can help in decreasing the amount of urine production during sleep. Doing such can be beneficial as a first step in reducing wet nights. Aside from limiting oral fluids during the night, avoiding or decreasing the amount of caffeinated and alcoholic beverages consumption can also help. This type of behavioral therapy does not mean that you should reduce overall fluid intake. You will just have to change or drink fluids earlier during the day and make sure that you can still reach the 8 glasses of water per day or even more.
• Bladder Volume Training – This behavioral therapy is done to help in increasing bladder capacity. To do this, the patient will be asked to drink large amounts of water during the day and as much as possible, refrain from voiding for at least 2 to 3 hours. During the training, the patient’s functional bladder capacity will increase, making the patient void less frequently than usual.
• Waking Up at Random Times – setting an alarm at a random time every night just to void in the bathroom. It is important not to set the alarm at the same time every night, for your bladder not to get accustomed to emptying during that specific time. This type of technique or approach will not treat the problem, but it can be helpful in preventing wet nights.