Bedwetting: Don’t wait for kids to outgrow it

A healthy living blog from Marshfield Clinic Health System

Aug 5, 2024

Many children and some adolescents experience bedwetting, or nocturnal enuresis, and have issues managing when and where they urinate.

parent talking to young girl laying in bed about bedwetting — While your child is likely to outgrow bedwetting, a treatment plan can be developed for your child to evaluate them and determine what is causing incontinence.

“It can be stressful and affect kids’ socialization and self-esteem,” said Brianna Czaikowski, pediatric urology nurse practitioner with Marshfield Children’s. “Kids miss social activities like sleepovers because they don’t want their friends to know they wet the bed. In addition, daytime wetting may affect their school performance.”

A medical professional can help improve involuntary wetting sooner than your child will outgrow it.

Bedwetting is a type of voiding dysfunction

Voiding dysfunction is an abnormal urination pattern for your child’s age, resulting in unhealthy urinary habits. Bedwetting is one of those habits. For many children it is a day and nighttime issue. It’s a common problem in kids, but most common in children under age 6.

Most children have daytime bladder control by age 5 and nighttime control by 6, but full bladder control can be as late as high school.

Signs of a voiding dysfunction may include:

Bedwetting or daytime wetting
Sudden urges to urinate
Frequent or infrequent urination
Incomplete bowel emptying/constipation
Bowel and bladder holding patterns
Damp/malodorous underwear

Consider making an appointment with your child’s pediatrician or a pediatric urologist if your child is having wetting accidents.

It’s especially important to check with your child’s provider if they:

Suddenly start wetting the bed after being consistently dry for at least 6 months
Begin to wet their pants during the day
Complain of a burning sensation when urinating
Are losing weight
Are older than age 7 and still wetting the bed

Bed wetting treatment and testing are available

While your child is likely to outgrow bedwetting, a treatment plan can be developed for your child to evaluate them and determine what is causing incontinence.

Several issues may play a role, including a small bladder, not being aware of a full bladder, a hormonal imbalance and diabetes. Several risk factors also are associated with bedwetting, including stress and anxiety, a family history of bedwetting and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

You may be asked to keep a voiding diary to gather details about your child’s bathroom habits and wetting accidents to help determine what the cause is.

Their provider also may complete a physical exam and check for constipation, urine stream abnormalities and whether they are completely emptying their bladders.

Common non-invasive, non-painful interventions that may improve incontinence will be recommended for your child. These include, but are not limited to:

Bed-wetting alarms that detect moisture.
Medication that may slow how much urine is produced at night or that helps calm the bladder.

Lifestyle changes also are encouraged, including:

Limiting fluids in the evening.
Avoiding drinks and food with caffeine, which stimulate the bladder.
Urinating frequently throughout the day.
Voiding schedule.
Using the bathroom multiple times before bed.
Increasing fiber in diet or use of stool softeners.

Coping with bedwetting

As a reminder, don’t:

Scold your child. Bedwetting is likely the result of a health concern or is hereditary. Blaming your child or expressing disappointment will not help and can hurt your child’s confidence.
Withhold liquids all day. Children need water daily to stay hydrated. It may help to limit liquids at night, but encourage drinking water throughout the day.
Compare children. Children can’t control how quickly the nerves in their bladder mature or their bladder size. It’s normal if they are developing at a different rate compared to their siblings or peers.
Expect instant results. It may not be a quick fix to resolve bedwetting.

Keep in mind that children’s brains are actively growing and need to rest. It’s common for them to sleep versus awaken to void at night. Sleep studies are not typically beneficial.

“Bedwetting may last for a while and can be embarrassing and uncomfortable for kids,” said Czaikowski. “It’s encouraged you are supportive, reassuring and patient. There are some strategies we can do to help and make them feel empowered and that they are not alone.”