If you respond to the host soon after you get the sleepover invitation, you can always decline without telling them why. Bedwetting can be linked with medical conditions that can affect people of all sorts. Just like some people can’t see without glasses, and some can’t get around without a wheelchair, some people have trouble with urinary control. A true friend will understand and accept that it’s an unintentional medical issue. Sometimes people may have sensitive bladders or even sleep really still and don’t wake up when their bladder tells them.
You’ll inevitably need some help learning the ropes with any of these, and your parent’s advice can be valuable. You may be hesitant to wear a protective garment like bedwetting diapers, but you may also find it comforting to know you won’t have a visible accident.
Make sure you have some back-up packs of diapers and/or bedwetting pads. You’ll want enough for emergencies and so that you can practice wearing them before the sleepover. Use nighttime-specific/bedwetting diapers (not training pants or similar lighter diapers) to make sure they can hold the result of an accident all night and that they fit you well when you wear them. Place a new disposable bed pad on the bed. You may want to purchase more than one pack for extra coverage. The most common bed mats sold for bedwetting are called Goodnites Bed Mats and are available at most supermarkets and online retailers. You may also need a waterproof mattress cover so any overflowing urine won’t make it onto the mattress. You can find these at various retailers, including Toys ‘R’ Us. If possible and practical, you may want to use a cover at your host’s house too, but the feasibility of this may depend on where you’re sleeping and what you’re willing to tell them about your bedwetting.
Have your parents check on your supplies every few days to make sure you don’t run out. It’s better to be prepared for an emergency than to run out. As long as you have some emergency and back-up supplies, you should be fine. Set up your changing routine so changes can be quick and easy. Open your disposable bedwetting diaper packages properly so that it’s easy to grab a fresh diaper quickly. Use a fresh diaper each night. Used diapers should be thrown away regardless of whether or not you had an accident in them.
Pack a bed mat or two on the bottom to cushion the backpack and clothes and keep things clean. Be sure to pack a few plastic grocery bags too, for used diapers and so you can bring home any wet clothes to wash and dry.
If the parents corner you and ask you about your bedwetting problem, talk to them privately over on the side when their kids aren’t in earshot range. The parents may need to be reassured that you can handle your problems yourself so that they may check in with you. Just explain that you have it under control. Don’t be shy or ashamed. Say as much or as little as you want to say about it. Determine if you can divulge your secrets to the host family’s kids. Don’t be shy or ashamed, but tell them what you want to tell them. It’s easy enough to be fairly discrete about your underwear and bathroom habits.
If your bedwetting is severe, you might want to choose to double-diaper yourself. However, for most bedwetters, double-diapering isn’t needed.
If you have time before the host family’s kid awakens, you might be able to slip into the bathroom and change yourself out of the diaper early. However, if the host family’s kids are awake and want to be discreet, you may prefer to delay your clothing change. If you don’t have enough time to change when you wake up, you may end up having to change your clothes once you are back at home. However, if you did have an accident, your diaper may smell, so changing right away is preferable.
