Bedwetting in Children and Related Issues: Causes and How to Treat it

In medicine, ‘Nocturnal Enuresis” is also known as bedwetting. Its roots are rather conspicuous since it is not limited to arms and legs. While it comes natural for children to experience bed wetting, some adults also have this problem. It can be a traumatic experience as it affects both the psychological aspect and social life. Most children will stop wetting the bed by the time they turn seven years old.

In other cases, however, some children will find this quite difficult. Learning the types of causes, treatments, and preventive measures can be helpful for parents and other individuals with this particular condition. In this guide we look into the reasons as to why children and adults may wet their beds and how it can be addressed.

What is Enuresis or Bedwetting?

Bedwetting, also known as nocturnal enuresis, is the involuntary urination while sleeping after the child is above the age of being reliably dry at night. This is often taken to happen between five and six years of age and under normal circumstances that is correct or the average age.

Further Sub-typing of Enuresis in Children

However, like most bodily processes, enuresis can be generalized into two main types and their respective etiology and treatment:

• Primary Bedwetting In Children: This is what occurs when a child has never in his index user experience been consistently dry at night head due to a deep sleep. This is the commonest form and is often associated with slow maturation of the bladder or sleeping more rapidly than normal.

• Secondary Bedwetting In Children: This type occurs after the bladder control has been mastered for at least 6 months. This usually happens when someone who has been dry for 6 months starts shedding the bedwetting again due to stress, certain medical factors or perhaps some events like a new sibling, moving house etc.

How Common is Bedwetting Among Children?

Wetting the bed is quite common especially with the younger children and those in the early stages of childhood development. This time 20 percent of 5-year-old children have the problem of bedwetting, and this figure decreases as the child progresses. By ten years old about five percent of children will have enuresis.

There is also a greater incidence of bedwetting among boys as boys make up about two-thirds of bedwetters. Even when common, a lot of households still suffer stigma or feel out of place with the condition. It is quite easy to bring down with parents as well as kids since it is only a matter of time before it goes by itself.

How is Normal Bedwetting Different in Every Age?

Bedwetting at varying ages can be normal, especially among the younger children who still have developing bladder control. For children below the age of 7, bed wetting a few times is often a normal process of growing up. However, if a child is above this age and still tends to bedwetting, especially at intervals, it may be good to see a pediatrician.

The focus becomes on how often a child wet the bed, how serious the episodes tend to be and whether development of the child’s emotional and social skills is being impacted. As both are important phases, so it is important to know when to be more persistent. And when to ask for described support.

Causes of Bedwetting in Children

Knowing the factors contributing to bedwetting makes it easy for the parents to address the problem. Most of the time, bedwetting has many, usually physical as well as psychological, causes

Psychological Causes of Bedwetting

Nevertheless, other factors such as stress and emotional change have proven to cause cases of bedwetting, especially, secondary enuresis. Relocations, transitions, and shifts – moving to a new home, joining a new school or having a new sibling can all exert stress giving rise to bedwetting which was previously not experienced by a child.

Stress at home, through bullying, educational challenges, or other means may also trigger instances of bedwetting. These psychological reasons explain why parents need to supervise their children when it comes to physical health and mental balance as well.

Medical Causes of Bedwetting

A number of health problems may also be responsible for the phenomenon including the following:

• Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs): Since a UTI can be an infectious condition if left untreated the bladder may ill and go through episodes of recurring urinary-tract infections.

• Constipation: Suffering from constipated particularly with a full rectum could have adverse effects on urinary holding capacities of a child.

• Diabetes: Making a lot of urine along with skin and mouth thirstiness might be one of the early signs of type 1 disease.

• Sleep Apnea: As different sleep patterns are present in patients with sleep apnea, it hinders the brain from being able to manage nocturnal enuresis effectively.

Sudden Bedwetting in Older Children (9-10 Years Old)

When a kid who has previously gone years without a wet bed suddenly reverts to bed wetting, it is usually a red flag for underlying problems. The sudden bedwetting in children aged 9-10 years who had previously not suffered the same up to this time might be as a result of stress or medical factors.

Hormonal factors, such as a lack of the antidiuretic hormone that has previously been normal may also cause the return of bedwetting. In these situations, it is important to consult a doctor to exclude the possibility of serious underlying illnesses and to help your child receive appropriate medication and care.

To What Extent Does Bedwetting Affect the Child’s Mental Status?

Upon constant consideration of bedwetting, a child’s mental condition can also be impaired, more so when the problem of wetting the bed remains unresolved. It is painful for a child to bear the emotional weight of having such recurrent accidents at night leading to unnecessary shame, anger, and even embarrassment.

The Psychosocial Effects on Kids

Children who tend to wet their beds at appropriate ages feel embarrassed about this situation and feel frustrated. If children this age are ridiculed by their siblings or schoolmates this frustration is heightened and in other instances, for instance, during school all, the children group at the corner and won’t engage in any activities. Most kids will rather not go for sleepovers or camps lest they risk wetting the bed.

The emotional cost in this case can result in low self-esteem and sometimes in serious cases isolation from friends. Parents should help their child handle all these emotions and many more by reassuring them, helping them and being patient with them.

The Effects of Bedwetting on a Child’s Self-esteem and Social Interactions

Bedwetting can have an adverse effect on children’s self-image and self-esteem, more so if the child perceives himself or herself as different from the rest. Living in the constant dread of having an accident followed by anxiety that other people may know about it can invite feelings of embarrassment and even lead to loneliness. Children may become hesitant to participate in sleepovers or school excursions, hence cut themselves off from their group mates.

There is a way that parents can ease this feeling and protect the self-esteem of the child. They can soothe the child and inform the child about the fact that a lot of children wet their bed and this problem is only temporary and also help in offering means.

Recognizing The Causes and Seeking the Help of a Professional

In case of wetting the bed far too frequently than the average age supported by the child or it develops unexpectedly in older children, then a visit to the doctor should not be postponed.

In Which Episodes Should a Doctor Be Consulted?

A parent needs to attend the doctor if the child is already 7 years or older and has a regular pattern of wetting the bed during the night or bedwetting occurred after being dry for a stretch. A sudden change in a child’s behavior even such as a sudden onset of bedwetting should be taken seriously.

In addition, symptoms such as painful urination, excessive thirst and loud snoring should all encourage one to seek a professional evaluation. Such could be as urinary tract infection, diabetes or even sleep apnea. Such issues could easily be ruled out by seeing a doctor and getting clear direction as to the best treatment.

Bedwetting Diagnosis: How is it Performed?

When it comes to diagnosing bedwetting, pediatricians often first conduct a physical exam and look into the child’s history. They might also require a urine sample in order to rule out any infections, diabetes and any other issues. Sometimes even further tests such as ultrasound or bladder function tests may be used to eliminate other problems.

One cannot be too imaginative in the description of the diagnosis. The entire process is so simple that children and parents do not find it tedious. It assures rapid treatment by establishing a confirmation needed to implement a satisfactory therapy management procedure.

Inquiries that Children’s Doctors Must Address

For the parents, it is essential to pose the correct amount of questions in order to comprehend the health status of the child after visiting a pediatrician:

• Should a parent worry that their child still wets the bed even after a certain age?

• Are there any other such conditions that can be hidden underneath this symptom?

• Which treatment method is appropriate and how successful is it?

• How long does it usually take to see some improvements after treatment?

• Are there other things I can do, perhaps changes in behavior or home remedies that would help in the meantime?

Treatment Options for Bedwetting

At their disposal, several treatment modalities can be utilized to manage bedwetting based on the child’s age, the severity of the problem, and its etiology.

How to Stop Bedwetting in 7 Days: Tips and Tricks

Sometimes bedwetting will require time and patience to completely eradicate, but in order to minimize the incidence of such a problem, there are many approaches that can be adopted by parents to ensure that their kinder gathers more control over it. Here are some solutions that would yield results within a week:

• Encourage your child to drink fluids, but throughout the day: Make sure to avoid night-time drinking encouraging your child to consume as much of their fluids as possible during the day.

• Get your child to try going to the toilet: Just before they go to bed and then try and maintain a consistent pattern of toileting throughout the day.

• Develop a reward system: Support structure can help your child to remain dry by encouraging them with warm rewards.

• You might want to consider a bedwetting alarm: This tool will alert the child when it senses moisture which eventually teaches the child to control the urge to urinate when it is excessive.

Behavioral Changes associated with treatment of Bedwetting

Such behavioral changes have been shown to play an important role in the reduction of incidences of bedwetting. For instance, one of the simplest things to do is an alteration in how children go to sleep that is to place a toilet visit at the end of this process. Parents should also ensure that their child is staying hydrated throughout the day but less in the evening.

Apart from this, children can similarly be rewarded for staying up dry at night which keeps them motivated through the use of a positive reward system. To conclude, these simple obvious but non medication based methods can help reduce the number of times a child wets the bed over time.

Medications for Night Wetting Problems

In cases when behavioral techniques aren’t adequate, medications can be offered by a pediatrician. Desmopressin is the most frequently used component of the medications for bedwetting because it helps lessen night-time production of urine. This can be especially helpful for the older child and on special occasions, such as sleep overs.

Although sanitary means of treating bedwetting are generally discouraged, medication usage remains beneficial in specific cases when treatment is needed but where other alternatives have failed. To alleviate this, she in brief cases like the longer duration that is typical of bed wetting medications.

Bedwetting Alarms and Their Effectiveness

For children who wet the bed at night, bed wetting alarms have consistently been proven to be one of the most effective approaches to the problem. These alarms work to wake the child when they are urinating through detection of moisture and alert. After the child is in possession of this feature, it assists in training the child to wake up when their bladder is full.

Though it may take anywhere from a few days to several weeks before significant improvement is elicited, where there is alarm use and the child has been compliant, many children will significantly reduce bedwetting episodes. It may take some time for the child to get used to doing away with alarms, but often there are results that make it worthwhile.

Tips on How You Can Help Improve Your Child’s Bedwetting Issue

Just like curing the condition of bedwetting in a child, support that parents give to their child is also significant. Children who have problems with bed wetting sometimes are anxious, irritated or shameful of their situation.

Advice Given to Parents on how to Encourage their Children During the Treatment

Parents themselves can assist in easy communication by having a positive attitude towards their children. Never let them feel as if they have caused the bedwetting so avoid showing anger. Control your child in a way such that they do not withdraw their emotions. For example, ask the child to help change sheets or even place a sticker on a calendar for every dry night they have.

It is also constructive to make use of covers for the mattress to restrict worries of having to clean after messes. Last but not least, there is some degree of tolerance needed, as some children take longer than others to outgrow such conditions.

Do Not Do When Your Child Gets a Bedwetting

When you come across a case of bedwetting, especially in children, parents need to pay attention on certain responses that they should avoid. It is a waste of effort to punish or scold a child for wetting the bed, to do that might discourage the child from using the potty. Also, making fun of this problem at home can be a cause of low self-esteem.

Parents should refrain from comparing their bedwetting child to other siblings or those friends who are growing in the society without this challenge. Every single child is unique and there is a need to refrain from all forms of negative emotions and feed on the positives reared rather.

Tips for Curbing Bedwetting Habit in Children

However, while it is important to note that bedwetting may not always be avoided, there are some precautionary measures that can be taken to prevent it. There are also practices which when encouraged, aid in more bladder control being possessed by children over time.

Bedwetting And Its Lifestyle Changes That May Help

To some extent, some alteration of lifestyle pattern can assist in controlling bedwetting. Suggestions such as:

• Control evening hydration: Let your child drink most of the fluids during the first part of the day and limit evening drinks after supper.

• Create a strict toilet regimen: Creating a certain schedule to relieve oneself during the day and especially towards the end of the day is very useful.

• Encourage bladder control exercises: Making these simple exercises can help strengthen the bladder allowing children to retain their urine for longer.

Fluid Management Before Bedtime

Managing fluid intake is a very simple but useful measure that helps to prevent bedwetting. It is appropriate to let your child drink sips of water, and encourage them to drink plenty of water during the day, but to cut down on evening drinks. Where possible people should try to limit using drinks such as caffeinated beverages or sodas which may make them produce more urine.

Similarly, before bedtime let your child use the toilet so as to expel as much urine as possible. The adequate and reasonable fluid management strategy can lower situations where the child may wet the bed and better the child’s skills in staying dry over time.

Future Perspective of Childhood Enuresis

In the long term, bedwetting is an issue that can be managed over time because generally most of the children usually grow out of the situation as they get better control of the bladder.

For how long can enuresis persist?

For all children, it is normal to wet the bed in the course of development but the greater number of children will achieve a dry night by the time they are aged 7. For those who do the above activity at an older age, it may go away during the teenage years. However, in very few individuals, this condition might carry on into adulthood.

The period of involuntary bedwetting is different in children and therefore it would be beneficial for parents to practice restraint and encourage their children. Help by a pediatrician can also be of assistance as it will provide answers whether to wait for the case to resolve itself or there is need for additional measures.

If Incontinence Is So Common, Is It Genetic?

Bedwetting has a definite genetic component, particularly if one or both parents had the same problem. Recent studies indicate that children that have relatives suffering from this problem are at risk of suffering it as well. If both parents were enuretic in their childhood, there’s 75% of a chance that the child will also come up with the condition.

Having understood this familial connection, parents can be more empathetic to the concerns and worries of their children, bearing in mind that this may well be an inherited condition as opposed to something that can be mastered.

Causes of Adult Bedwetting

Diabetes

In the case of diabetic people, they may have higher blood sugar levels hence they frequently urinate in most circumstances both during the day and night. One of the first symptoms of diabetes in adults which is often ignored by many is bedwetting.

Bladder Dysfunction

Some medical conditions like overactive bladder or small functional bladder volume may cause bedwetting during sleep. This may occur especially when an overactive bladder produces involuntary contractions even when the bladder is not full and that obstruction makes one to apply more force in attempting to urinate.

Sleep Disorders

Other disorders such as sleep apnea which interferes with normal sleep patterns might affect the brain’s ability to notify the bladder to retain urine overnight. Also, lack of deep and refreshed sleep can bring about some types of adults sneak in bed.

Hormonal Imbalances

Usually, an adult body makes a diuretic inhibitor hormone during night hours which prevents immense amounts of urine production. If production of such hormones is inadequate, one can produce too much urine which is beyond their control during sleep and as a result, enuresis follows.

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

Infected individuals will rush to the washroom even if they do not want to urinate as a consequence of an infection which may result such cases in bedwetting. Nocturnal enuresis in adults is more often than not caused by urinary tract infection and thus managed medically.

Neurological Disorders

Other conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, or spinal cord injuries will affect the nerve pathways between the bladder (and bowel) and brain making it hard to hold urine overnight.

Treatment for Adult Bedwetting

Addressing Underlying Medical Conditions

Identifying and treating the origin of the underlying reasons It’s also worth noting other associated conditions including diabetes, sleep apnea, bladder dysfunction is likely to be managed and bedwetting may subside or completely cease. Thus, other forms of treatment including medications or surgeries may be needed depending on the particular condition.

Medications

Desmopressin and similar drugs can be given for nighttime polyuria. Other medications such as the anticholinergics can be effective in inhibiting bladder overactivity.

Lifestyle Changes

Several techniques can be applied to control bed wetting among adults. For instance, limiting fluids before bed, staying away from alcohol and caffeine as well as going to bed with an empty bladder. Keeping a healthy body weight and exercising often helps in controlling the bladder.

Bed wetting Alarms

Just like those given to young children, bed wetting alarms can be used to stimulate the brain to wake up when the bladder is full in the case of adults. Internal devices are aimed at bringing the bell at bedwetting detection so that a person quits being passive of the urge to pee at night.

Pelvic Floor Exercises

Regular Kegel exercises may enhance a person’s control over his or her bladder for adults with bedwetting. Most of these exercises are performed more frequently in an attempt to discourage urine retention and involuntary passage of urine at night.

Absorbent Products

Even though this is not a form of treatment, absorbent pads for adults or adult diapers provides instant comfort and protection. These devices provide temporary solutions while focusing on the actual problem behind adult bedwetting.

Conclusion

Bedwetting is a problem experienced by most children as well as some adults. It is important to know the reasons, treatment and how to help your child avoid this problem in the future. Regardless of whether this problem is psychological, medical or developmental, bedwetting can be efficiently managed.

For adult patients that experience nocturnal enuresis, medical treatment should be sought to eliminate secondary etiology. In other words, the other treatment serves no purpose without dealing with the causes.

Russell F. Jones

Russell F. Jones, holding a Master in psychology from the University of Florida. He writes for Smart Parent Solutions, offering practical advice on parenting and child development. His engaging content helps parents navigate family life with confidence and ease. Russell enjoys sharing his knowledge and spending quality time with his family.