Bedwetting is a common problem among children, especially at younger ages. And for children who wet the bed, it's a very embarrassing and frustrating experience. Here are the causes, possible solutions, and 10 tips you can try to help your child when it happens
What Is Bedwetting
Bedwetting is defined as urinating involuntarily while sleeping. It can happen at any age but usually starts during childhood. According to some research, more than half of all children who wet their beds also had daytime accidents by age 7; however, more than half stopped wetting the bed before they turned 14.
If your child wets his or her bed every night and you want to know what causes bedwetting so you can try to stop it from happening again in the future, read on!
How Common Is Bedwetting
Bedwetting is very common in children. It is estimated that up to 20% of 5-year-old children still wet the bed. However, this number decreases as children get older. By age 12, about 2% of children are still bedwetting.
Bedwetting may occur because of a medical condition or for other reasons. For example, some medications can cause bedwetting in some people. On the other hand, bedwetting may also be caused by emotional problems such as stress or anxiety.
If you suspect your child is wetting his or her bed, you should check with your child's doctor to determine if there is a medical reason for this behaviour. If there is no medical condition causing the problem, you should consult with a psychologist who specialises in treating childhood behaviour problems such as bedwetting.
Why Are Children Bedwetting
Children's bedwetting is a common problem for many parents. It can be frustrating, stressful and embarrassing for you and your child. Bedwetting is also known as nocturnal enuresis. It’s not just a problem for children, it also affects adults.
There are multiple reasons why children wet their beds at night, some of which can be addressed by parents and some that require medical care from a doctor or paediatrician.
Nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting) is when a child has an accident while sleeping at night. The most common cause of bedwetting in children is an overactive bladder, also known as non-neurogenic (meaning there is no nerve damage). In these cases, the child doesn’t have enough control over his/her bladder during sleep, so they urinate while asleep without realising it until they wake up wet with urine.
Other causes of nocturnal enuresis include physical abnormalities that affect the ability to hold urine, such as a large prostate gland in males or enlarged uterus in females; neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy; psychological problems such as depression; medications used by mothers during pregnancy (like antihistamines); health conditions such as diabetes or urinary tract infections.
Other causes include:
- Constipation
- Hormone changes during growth spurts
- Severe emotional stress or anxiety
Tips to Help Your Child Overcome Bedwetting
1. Tell your child that bedwetting is common for kids
It's very important to let your child know that bedwetting is common at their age. Tell them that many kids do it, but since it's a private topic, people don't talk about them in public. It's important to reassure your child that what they're going through happens to many other kids.
2. Share your own experiences
Sharing your experiences helps reassure your child and make them feel better about the whole situation. Tell them that it happens to many people, and given enough time, their bedwetting phase will pass.
3. Support your child
Always be patient and understanding. Bedwetting isn't something that your child has complete control over, so try not to scold them whenever they wet the bed.
4. Use night lights to help your child get to the toilet
Some kids wet the bed at night because they're scared to go to the bathroom since it's dark. You can set up some night lights to help them find their way to the bathroom. If you have to turn the lights on at night, you should.
5. No teasing!
Siblings have a habit of teasing each other for things such as bedwetting. If you have more than one child, it's best to talk to your other kids and tell them that they shouldn't teach their siblings to wet the bed. It's embarrassing for children to wet the bed, and teasing will not make them feel better about it.
6. Brainstorm solutions
Talk to your child about why they think they wet the bed. You can also think of ways to make your child feel comfortable at night, such as changing their bedtime routine or drinking fewer liquids before going to sleep; anything to help them cope with bed wetting.
7. Keep your cool
It can be very stressful for parents if their kid wets the bed, especially since it's an extra load of laundry, and in some cases, they might wake you up in the middle of the night. Try your best to understand and know that your kid isn't doing it on purpose. The best thing to do is to look for solutions for your child's bed wetting.
8. Prepare for overnights
If your kid wants to have a sleepover or has a camping trip, you should pack some bedwetting underwear discreetly. You can also give them a plastic bag where they can put their soiled underwear. Pack it discreetly; put it between their clothes or inside a sleeping bag. That way, your kid will feel confident and won't be stressed out when it's time to sleep.
9. Have a sleepover at your home
If your child is too embarrassed to go to a sleepover, you can bring the party to your house. Talk to some parents and organise a sleepover at your home. That way, your child won't be stressed out since they're at home and have you to help them if an accident happens.
10. Don't get discouraged
Getting over wetting the bed isn't a simple process for kids. It can sometimes last for years, so do your best to be patient and understanding. Always be positive and supportive, and keep it that way since it can impact your child's esteem and confidence.
Bedwetting Solutions
Bedwetting is a common problem for kids and can take years to correct.
If your child is still wetting the bed, there are some things you can do to help. Here are some tips for treating bedwetting in children:
1) Make sure your child has enough water during the day, especially if they're going through a growth spurt or have been exercising heavily.
2) Have them urinate before they go to bed at night. This can help decrease nighttime accidents.
3) Limit fluid intake after 6 pm, so they don't drink too much water before bedtime.
4) If you suspect that stress or anxiety may contribute to your child's wetting problems, consider speaking with their doctor about ways you can help them cope with these feelings healthily (this might include making changes at home or taking them out of certain activities).
Bedwetting Treatments
Bedwetting is a common problem in young children. It can be frustrating for parents and often hard for kids to understand why it's happening.
If your child wakes up frequently with a wet bed, it's time to discuss possible treatments. You should first know that there are three main ways to treat bedwetting — behavioural therapy, medication and urologic surgery — which we'll discuss below.
-
Behavioural Therapy
Behavioural therapy can help your child become more aware of their bladder function and learn to recognise when they need to urinate. Your doctor may recommend this approach if your child is old enough and has the cognitive capacity to understand what's happening with their body. Some doctors also believe behavioural therapy works best when combined with other treatments such as medication or surgery.
-
Medication
Medications are often prescribed for children at least six years old and still wet in the bed despite unsuccessful behavioural therapy. Medications work by blocking the signals from nerves in the brain that tell us when we need to go pee so that we don't feel like we have to go until it's too late! These medications can also help kids sleep better at night because they won't wake up often.
Updates from Pheona Ilagan
Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it's important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn't serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. theAsianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.