What is the difference between SleepDoc and alarm devices?

The main difference is: alarms disturb sleep after urination has already occurred, while SleepDoc prevents enuresis before it starts. All alarm systems work on the same principle: wake up the bedwetter after sensing the urine. There are two major problems with alarms. One is the fact that loud noise wakes up the whole household but not the bedwetter. It happens because a bedwetter loses his hearing reflex in a deep sleep, as was discovered recently.

The second problem is that alarms and, after that, parents abruptly awake the child from a deep sleep which is not healthy. If you have been awakening from the deep sleep by a telephone call, you remember your confusion and heart pounding. Alarms “treat” the bed not the person. The SleepDoc is the only device on the market that does NOT wake up the child, does NOT disturb his/her sleep, and works BEFORE the child urinates, thus, trains more mature and healthy reflexes.

My child is a 5 year old and he wets every night. Is he a bedwetter? At what age do I need to start treating my child?

According to official standards, the child who wets the bed 2-3 times a week is diagnosed with bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis) at age 6. The age when the child should start treatment varies in the different cultures. In Russia and China where people live in large family groups, bedwetting became a recognized problem at age 3. There are three criteria doctors use to diagnose bedwetting as a disorder: 1. If bedwetting occurs too frequently for the child’s age (several times a night, or more than once a month for a teen); 2. If the symptom of bedwetting affects the child’s physical or mental wellbeing (say, makes him sleepy next day or upset); and 3. If bedwetting significantly disturbs other people (family members, roommates in camps). If one or all three criteria are met, the person needs a special medical attention at any age.

What will happen if I will not treat my child’s bedwetting at all?

Anything might happen. May be nothing bad, and you will be lucky enough to have bedwetting stop early. If bedwetting continue, the child might have serious psychological problems like loss of  self-esteem, emotional instability and social problems. Physiological and medical conditions, such as sleep and alertness disorders, difficulties breathing in sleep, over- or underweight were diagnosed followed by attention, learning and hyperactivity problems . “Do nothing” is a waiting for troubles approach.

Are daytime hyperactivity, low concentration, learning and Behavior problems associated with night bedwetting?

Yes, and these associations are very strong. As reported in almost all Studies, sleep enuresis, disorder of sleep, behavior and learning issues became so common that many doctors tight them together into “Enuretic Syndrome”.

Does the SleepDoc always help?

There is no such thing as a 100% remedy against bedwetting. The SleepDoc has a success rate of 85%.

Does medical insurance cover the SleepDoc?

The SleepDoc may be covered under your health insurance policy when prescribed by a physician. It would be considered a covered DME product. (Durable Medical Equipment). The Healthcare Common Procedure Code is: HCPCS #S8270.(Keep your receipt to file with your claim.)

Can the SleepDoc be returned if it doesn’t function properly?

In case of the SleepDoc device not functioning properly, it can be replaced with a new one. Because of health and safety concerns we can not accept returns of used devices.

Could adults have bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis)?

Yes. Episodes of urination in sleep could occur at any age in both, men and women. These episodes might be connected with alcohol intake, stress, medications. It might be a reoccurrence of childhood enuresis or some underlying medical or neurological problems. In any case, night bedwetting should be evaluated and treated. Don’t sleep on it.

Is bedwetting caused by anxiety or some damage of the urinary bladder?

Anxiety and stress might trigger bedwetting episodes, but the cause of it lies deeper in the physiology of sleep. Damages of the urinary bladder could possibly cause bedwetting. But in these cases urinary incontinence is usually observed at any time of the day and night, and urination occurs as dripping, not as a “spasm” like in sleep enuresis.

Is bedwetting a sleep disorder?

Yes - for the majority of patients, but not for all. There are five recognized forms of enuresis depending on the most probable cause. Three of them are related to sleep disorders. One form, called “primary” enuresis (since birth), is caused by the immaturity of sleep mechanisms in the brain. The other two forms of bedwetting in sleep are related to the mild dysfunctions of endocrine or central nervous system. The other two forms of urinary incontinence are caused by significant “organic” (structural) pathology in nervous system or in the urinary bladder (for example, genetic defects or infections). It is advisable to have a general medical examination to rule out organic causes of bedwetting.

Can the bedwetting disappear by itself?

Bedwetting may disappear by itself in about 70% of cases.
The questions are : When and Why? If the child stops wetting the bed at age 6 – great. If at age 16 – not so good. The longer the child has bedwetting, the more hidden physical, emotional and social problems will follow. Typically, the child stops to wet in sleep when his/her brain sleep mechanisms mature with the age or treatment. Often, however, in older children other sleep disorders and daytime problems may appear instead of bedwetting. The longer we wait the bigger the health “price” the bedwetter will pay.

The SleepDoc really helped my child. May I give this device to my neighbor’s son?

Not advisable. First, it is not good for hygiene reasons. Second, you do not know what form of bedwetting your neighbor’s son has. He might have a serious underlying medical condition which will be unrecognized and not treated.