It may be an inconvenience for parents, but bed-wetting is a common problem in children.
Some children struggle to stay dry throughout the night from the day they are born and others are able to stay dry for several months, or years, and begin wetting the bed again.
Bed-wetting happens when a child pees during sleep without knowing it. Many children will use the toilet well during the day long before they are dry through the night.
Most children, but not all, stop bed-wetting between the ages of 5 and 6 years old. If bed-wetting continues, often it is a sign of a psychological disorder.
That was the case for this 5 year-old girl from Singapore. Her bed-wetting episodes were linked to something far more sinister.
Bed-wetting can be a sign of something sinister
The little girl was found to be wetting her bed excessively after being sexually assaulted by her piano teacher in Singapore. The 19 year old part-time piano teacher was charged in Singapore for molesting the girl in November 2016.
He slipped his hands inside her panties and touched her private parts and told her to squeeze her thighs. He claimed that he wanted to correct her posture.
The 5 year-old girl did not object as he was the teacher but told him to stop when she felt pain. The teacher apologised but he did not remove his hand.
She then went home with her grandfather but did not say anything because he was a “boy”.
At home, her mother went to check on her after noticing that she has been spending quite some time in the toilet. She found her crying as she felt pain while trying to urinate. She then told her mother what had happened and what her teacher did.
The girl's father then made a police report and the teacher was arrested. After this incident, the girl decided to stop playing the piano altogether and experienced several episodes of bed-wetting.
Other reasons for bed-wetting
Of course, bed-wetting can be a sign for any number of problems linked to psychological stress. Children wet the bed for numerous reasons and here are a few of the most common ones.
1. Time
Some children need extra time to develop control of their bladder as the muscles that control the bladder are still weak
2. Sleep conditions
Children whose sleep is disturbed by snoring, television or pets, as well as children who are deep sleepers are more likely to wet the bed.
3. Emotional problems
A stressful home life, Going through big changes like moving or a new sibling, starting school or other stressors, can lead to children wetting the bed after being dry for a long period.
4. Medical
Medical reasons such as having a urinary tract infection (UTI), constipation, or differences in the way the body is built or functions – like a small bladder or making too much urine.
5. Genetics
Bed-wetting does tend to run in families. Many children who wet the bed have a parent who did too. Most of these children stop bed-wetting on their own at about the same age their parent did.
What can we do?
There is no treatment for bed-wetting but here are a few things parents can try to help reduce the episodes.
- Reduce drinks before bed and eliminate caffeinated drinks. Caffeine makes kids need to pee more often.
- Encourage children to use the bathroom 15 minutes before bed and again right before bed. Some children pee just enough so they no longer feel the urge, so they may not be emptying their bladder.
3. Make sure your child is getting enough sleep. Remove electronics and pets from your child’s room.
4. Waking children before you go to bed or in the middle of the night to use the restroom can be helpful.
5. Do not punish your child for accidents as this can increase stress, feelings of shame, and makes them want to hide their bed-wetting. Instead, have your child help with cleanup as much as they are able to.
Source: Channel News Asia
Read also: Tips to prevent bed wetting