Bed-Wetting

Passing urine during sleep is called “bed-wetting” when it occurs after age 5 or 6. Children are usually expected to have nighttime bladder control by this age. Bed-wetting is a very common problem. In the U.S., about 5 million children have it.

Enuresis is a medical term for bed-wetting.

{Note: Bed-wetting can damage a child’s self-image. Explain that bed-wetting is not their fault and that it will get better in time.}

Causes

Children don’t wet the bed on purpose. These are some causes of bed-wetting:

• A full bladder does not wake the child up due to miscommunication between the brain and the bladder.
• A child’s small bladder does not hold urine for an entire night.
• Other conditions, such as a urinary tract infection and diabetes. (Daytime wetting and other symptoms occur with these conditions.)
• For children who have been dry at night for 6 or more months, sometimes, emotional upsets and major changes can cause bed-wetting. An example is having a new baby in the house.
• Children are more likely to wet the bed if both parents did when they were children.
• Sleep apnea, when a child’s breathing gets interrupted when they sleep.

Treatment

Most of the time, children outgrow bed-wetting. Until then, self-care measures help with the problem. Medication can be prescribed when no other treatment works.

Self-Care

• Be patient and give your child lots of support. Children who wet the bed can’t help it. Do not blame or punish your child for wetting the bed.
• Limit fluids in the evening, especially 2 hours before bedtime. Ask your child’s doctor how much your child should drink. Don’t give drinks with caffeine.
• Have your child urinate in the toilet right before getting into bed.
• See that your child can easily get to the toilet during the night. Keep the path clear. Use night lights, etc. If needed, put a portable potty close to your child’s bed.
• Tell other members of the household that “teasing” about bed-wetting is not allowed. Respect your child’s privacy and feelings.
• You may want your child to use pull-up (training) pants when sleeping away from home, camps, etc. On a regular basis, encourage your child to wake up to use the toilet.