Bedwetting in Children

Most children who wet the bed will eventually outgrow the condition, but for some this condition might persist into adulthood.¹
Most children have developed control of their bladder by the age of 5 years.² However, boys do tend to develop proper bladder control and maintain dryness at night later than girls.²
Bedwetting at ages 6 – 7 years becomes problematic because the child is in school and
may experience social problems.^2,3

Bedwetting can be caused by one or a combination of the following:⁴
Difficulty to rouse from sleep:⁴
When the child is asleep, the brain doesn’t get the message that the full bladder needs to be emptied.
Overactive or twitchy bladder:⁴
If the bladder is overactive, the bladder muscle becomes “twitchy” and can only hold small amounts of urine. A “twitchy” bladder may spontaneously contract during sleep, which can result in wetting.
Overproduction of urine during the night:⁴
If the child has low levels of vasopressin (a naturally occurring substance) at night, they may produce more urine than the bladder can hold.

When a child is very young, bedwetting may not seem like a concern, but as they get older, persistent bedwetting can be a distressing experience for both the child and the family.^4,5
By leaving it untreated, the child or teenager can suffer an increased risk of:^1,4,5,6

• Low self esteem
• Strong feelings of shame and guilt
• Avoidance of social activities
• Underachieving at school
• A sense of difference from others
• Victimisation

Clinical research has shown that bedwetting can have a significant negative impact on a child’s emotional and social development.⁶

Each year about 14 % of children do grow out of wetting the bed. But bedwetting often doesn’t resolve by itself – for some children, the problem continues into adulthood. In fact, bedwetting occurs in 2 – 3 % of adults.¹

• Reassure your child that this is a common problem and is not his/her fault⁷
• Encourage your child to go to the toilet frequently during the day, especially just
  before bedtime and on awakening⁷
• Reduce the amount of fluid consumed in the evening⁷
• Encourage physical activity⁷

If your child is 6 years of age or older, still wets the bed and is unhappy and uncomfortable about it, you should contact your doctor for advice.^2,7