The benefits of a good night’s sleep for your physical and mental health are significant; however, we don’t realise how important sleep is until it gets interrupted. 

Unfortunately, bedwetting can be a source of interrupted sleep for some seniors. You know how challenging and time-consuming regular linen changes can be if you’re caring for a loved one who is experiencing bedwetting, otherwise known as nocturnal enuresis. Zip Sheets are a popular option for seniors’ bedding, as they’re easy to wash and quick to dry, taking some of the stress out of the task. Zip Sheets are also very quick to remove and replace, making middle-of-the-night linen changes easier on everyone.

What causes bedwetting in seniors?

Your older loved one might experience bedwetting, especially if they have a medical condition such as:

• Multiple Sclerosis
• Dementia
• Parkinson’s
• Diabetes
• Prostate Cancer

There may be other causes, including urinary tract infection, an overactive bladder, or a side effect of a new medication. If you’re unsure why this is happening, we recommend contacting a medical professional to investigate the cause.

If you’re preparing for a medical consultation, here are some of the questions your medical professional might ask you:

• How frequently urination is occurring
• What time it is occurring
• Is the bladder completely voided
• Are there other symptoms during the night (such as night sweats etc.)
• Medical history

How can you support your loved one?

If you are a carer for a senior experiencing bedwetting, this is likely frustrating and embarrassing for them and might affect their self-esteem. It can also be isolating as someone who doesn’t feel entirely in control of their body may avoid spending the night somewhere other than home, or inviting people over. 

So, while treating the physical cause is important, it’s also essential to support their mental health, so they don’t feel ashamed of something that is medically out of their control.

Helpful tips and techniques

Regardless of the cause, there are some tips and techniques you might want to try to see if it reduces the frequency of bedwetting for your senior loved one.

Monitor fluid intake close to bedtime

Certain liquids can irritate the bladder, such as alcohol and caffeine; however, reducing fluids in the late afternoon and evening can reduce the need to urinate later in the evening. It’s still essential to maintain hydration for health, so drinking more fluids earlier in the day is better than reducing the overall amount of fluids.

Scheduled night-time voiding

This technique uses an alarm on a phone or alarm clock at various times during the night to wake up and go to the toilet, with the goal of waking to urinate before bedwetting occurs. The most important part of this technique is to set alarms at different times so the body doesn’t get accustomed to voiding the bladder at a particular time during the night, as the ultimate goal is to eliminate night-time urination.

Bedwetting alarms

A bedwetting alarm is a device that senses fluid in the bed and alerts via noise or vibration to wake up, allowing the person to cease urinating in the bed and make their way to the bathroom. The objective of this technique is that the body learns to recognise the urge to urinate and wake up before wetting the bed. This technique takes time and commitment but can be effective.

It’s important to remember these aren’t solutions to the underlying problem, simply some techniques to reduce the times you need to change the linen.

Zip Sheets benefits for seniors

Zip Sheets have proven to be effective in supporting seniors experiencing bedwetting, by reducing the time and difficulty of midnight linen changes. Plus, Zip Sheets are significantly quicker to wash and dry than heavy bedding. During cooler months we recommend a couple of lightweight blankets on top of your Zip Sheets, as these will be quicker to wash and dry than a heavy blanket or doona that you may need to take to the laundromat. A good tip is to keep more than one on hand in the linen cupboard.

There are many benefits of using Zip Sheets on seniors’ bedding including:

• Confidence that the sheets won’t get tangled during the night or fall off the bed, so your loved one will stay warm all night.
• The zipped-up sides help people feel less disoriented and remain in the centre of the bed, while providing gentle support to reduce injuries caused by falling out of the bed.
• The zippers on either side make it easier to make the bed and require less energy and strength than trying to tuck in bedsheets, resulting in a clean space in the bedroom.

Make night-time easier with Zip Sheets for seniors

Zip Sheet’s range of double-stitched bed sheets offers the comfort and warmth of a fitted sheet, with a built-in flat sheet that stays in place. Available in 100% cotton and flannelette in several striking colours, with sizing from single to king. Now’s the time to order Zip Sheets for your loved one now.