The most common question parents have is “why do kids wet the bed?” It may seem like a simple answer, but there are many factors that can contribute to this. The best way to know what’s going on with your child is by asking them how they feel about their bedwetting and if they are having any physical or emotional changes. To help you out, I am going to give you some tips on how you can stop this for good!
As a parent of two children who were both diagnosed with enuresis (bedwetting), I know the frustration of not being able to sleep because your child has just woken up again from another night where he woke up soaked in urine.
Kids will do the darnedest things. For some kids, this includes wetting the bed. This is a common issue for children, and it’s important to address it quickly before it becomes a habit that the child never breaks. If your kid has just started wetting their bed or if he has been doing so for a while now, read on to find out how you can help them stop.
In the starting, work with your child to get them on a schedule for sleeping and waking up. The more they sleep, the less likely they’ll wet their bed. Try not to let your kid drink anything right before bedtime; this will make sure they don’t have to go through bed wetting in the middle of the night.
In This Article
What causes bedwetting?
If your child is still young, then they’re not quite ready to handle their bladder yet. In this case, you’ll need to hold off on potty training until the problem has been fixed.
In some cases, children may have a physical issue that causes them to wet the bed. Many conditions can lead a person to urinate more frequently than usual or even at night while sleeping. If your kid seems otherwise healthy but keeps having accidents in their sleep, then make sure they see a doctor as soon as possible.
Kids will also start wetting themselves if they engage in an activity called ‘bedwetting’. This just means that he/she wets his/her bed just by laying there. For some kids, this can be a result of their having an overactive bladder.
However, don’t punish or scold your kid for wetting the bed. All kids do it sometimes; this is a natural part of growing up. Instead, provide comfort and understanding to your child, and encourage them to stop this behavior right away.
7 Common Reasons Why kids Wet the bed
Wetting the bed can happen to anyone at any age, whether it’s a child or an adult!
Below are the seven reasons that might cause why do kids wet the bed.
1. Genetics issue
Some kids just have a genetic tendency to wet the bed. This means in your family, grandparents, aunt or uncle, would have been wetting their bed until a quite late age. This can even be due to having an overactive bladder.
If this is the case, then there’s nothing you can do about it! Just stay patient with your child and help them find ways of coping.
2. Physical condition which leads to high urination frequency
Some physical conditions might lead your child to excrete more often than usual- even while they’re asleep. If your kid has been going frequently during their sleep, make sure he/she sees a doctor as soon as possible so that this issue may be properly assessed.
3. Being slow at developing mature bladders
Another reason for bedwetting can be the slow development of bladders. Some kids have developmental problems in the starting that hinder their required organ progression. If you feel that can be the reason for your kid’s bedwetting habits, then do consult the doctor for the time being.
4. Extra-involvement in the day-to-day activities
Kids, being at their developing stage, engage in the day-to-day activities quite extra. This makes their attention shift from one place to another, causing them to be dry for a long period. So, when they move to the bed, it makes them go through bedwetting to complete the previous process.
5. Time
Every child takes their own time of outgrowing the bedwetting. They don’t need to stop bedwetting at a similar age as other kids.
The best way you can deal with this is by keeping your patience and find different ways of helping them grow out of it! Do keep track of what’s happening at night so that possible problems are not missed, but don’t push or force them into stopping it either; otherwise, they’ll feel stressed.
6. Less sleep time
Kids wet the bed not because they want to, but sometimes simply because they haven’t slept properly. So, make sure to provide a proper sleeping time to your child if he or she is wetting the bed frequently.
7. Medical issue
If your child has been diagnosed as having a physical condition that causes him/her to be involved with high urination frequency like diabetes, then make sure he/she gets proper medication for same. This will help control his frequent urge to go through urine now and then during day and night.
At what age should the child stop wetting the bed?
Most children stop wetting the bed when they are 7 years old. Studies show that kids in between the age of 5-7, becomes toilet trained. However, sometimes due to less mature social skills and slow mental development, children do not succeed in outgrowing this problem.
If your child is facing the same kind of situation, then prefer to go to the doctor. In case of any serious medical factor involved, the doctor will provide your kid the necessary medication.
When should I be concerned about bedwetting?
It’s sometimes hard to tell when a child should be worried about bedwetting. Basically, if after one year of age the child is still wetting the bed for three months out of every four or five but not during daytime hours or overnight, it could be a sign that they need help from a doctor.
If your kid is going through wetting the bed habit for more than a month, then it’s time to be concerned. You should take your child to see a doctor as soon as possible!
Moreover, if your kid is more than 7 years old and still going through bedwetting issues, then you might help them in the process of outgrowing it.
Bedwetting is usually outgrown by people with typical development. If it persists after five years of age, there may be an underlying medical or emotional condition that needs evaluation by a doctor.
The most common factors that delay the patterning of bladder control are inadequate toilet training and bedtime routines. Children who wet themselves must learn to wake themselves up when they’ve had enough liquid either during the day or at night-time sleep periods so they can go to the toilet before their bladder releases urine involuntarily, also called nighttime enuresis. Once this skill has been learned, usually over an extended period of time (more than six months), approximately one half of these children will no longer experience nighttime wetting episodes.
How do you cure bedwetting problems in kids?
Bedwetting is a common problem that most kids face. It’s not something to be worried about, but it can cause stress and embarrassment for both the child as well as their parents!
If you want your kid to stop this habit of wetting himself/herself while sleeping, then follow the below steps-
- Make sure the kids commit themselves towards the outgrowing process by taking proper steps. You must help him/ her feel comfortable so that he/she would readily seek out urination during sleep time.
- Provide a lot of fluids during the day and less at night.
- Encourage your kid to play outside or engage in physical activity, so that they’re not feeling urination often.
- Take your kids to see a doctor for proper medication if required because certain medications can help to relax the kids’ bladder muscles.
- Don’t forget to be patient with your child and help them get through their growing phase smoothly!
How can my family doctor help?
If your child is facing this kind of situation then you must seek professional help from a doctor.
- The family doctor can help your child with making an emotional connection.
- He or she can train your child on how to use the toilet.
- Make it a habit for him/her and encourage him/her by rewarding him with candies or stickers every time he uses the bathroom instead of wetting his underwear!
- The doctor does some reward charts and trains your kids accordingly. He or she will help them in outgrowing this issue and make them confident as well.
- The doctor will also make sure that your kid does not get any allergies or infections due to the ongoing medication.
You can also help your kid by going to the bathroom at night with them. You can even place a bottle or standing lamp in their room. The light will be turned on once they wake up and you’ll get alerted too, that way it will give them time to reach out for the toilet before wetting themselves again.
One can even use bedwetting alarm products to help the kids deal with the bedwetting problem.
What are bedwetting alarm products?
Bed Wetter Alarms- these alarms start ringing when moisture is detected which helps kids realize that they need to urinate so that they could empty their bladder. It’s very useful because training kids without any technical support isn’t very easy.
Bedwetting alarm products are designed to help children (ages 4-11) learn how to manage their sleep, voiding and arousal patterns independently.
A bedwetting alarm is a wearable sensor that would be maintained on the child at all times during waking hours, but removed during sleep. The device collects patient information on daily volumes of fluid (in milliliters) voided by the child on each activation of the apparatus. In turn, the recorded data logs show either daytime renormalisation or habitual voiding without need for an alarm sequence – signalling that to be well established over 3 months duration has been achieved.
Is it normal for a 7-year-old to wet the bed?
Yes. Many children will occasionally wet the bed at age 7, just as they may have done at age 3 or 5. Bedwetting after parents put their child on a toilet doesn’t always mean there’s anything wrong with the child or with the parenting techniques, and it’s likely that most episodes of bedwetting are “alarm” episodes where your child drinks before he feels sleepy and is coming out of deep sleep to urinate when he still has some urine left in his bladder.
What do you do if your child wets the bed?
You need to encourage him/ her about going toilet on time so as not to have any accidents during sleep. Children should always drink plenty of fluids during the day and less at night before sleeping for effective results. You need to train children gradually, providing rewards every time.
What does bedwetting mean psychologically?
Bedwetting means that the person has internal control over his urinary sphincter muscles which fails during sleep hours causing wetting while sleeping. It’s also known as primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) and mostly occurs due to slow development in children. It usually resolves without treatment but if required then the doctor might provide medication as well.
Is bedwetting a symptom of ADHD?
ADHD is a diagnosis that means a person has symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity, but not all kids who have ADHD still bedwet. Bedwetting is a symptom that may go with another condition these children have called “enuresis.”
There are different types of enuresis, from typical to primary nocturnal, depending on the age when the child begins wetting. It’s typical for younger children under seven years old to wet at night if they also bed wet during the day. With nocturnal enureis (“bed-wetting”), it may be caused by constipation or other health issues such as diabetes or urinary tract infection which need medical attention.
Should I wake my child if they have wet the bed?
You can wake up your child if he or she has wet the bed. You can make them change their underwear and be patient with them because you’re dealing with their growing phase, so don’t force them too much.
Bottom line!
It’s normal for kids to wet the bed during their growing age, but if not treated properly then it can lead to problems in the future.
One must make sure that child is drinking lots of fluids throughout the day so as they do not get dehydrated while sleeping at night. If this problem continues for a long time then parents or family doctor might give prescription medicines after proper diagnosis. Support them on how to use the bathroom at night instead of going back to sleep by keeping light on in their room. Slowly with time, the kids will learn to use the toilet and will leave the bedwetting habit.
