Should I Worry About My Child’s bedwetting?

Last Updated on March 17, 2024 by chummie

When your child is old enough to get up at night to go to the bathroom and empty their bladder but instead they wet the bed every night, it is worrisome. You’re wondering whether you should wait and see what happens or worry about what to do. Bed wetting is a common problem affecting some five million children in the United States — it’s more common in boys than girls and most parents have been woken up at night to change wet sheets at least a few times. Bed wetting can be stressful for both the child and parents, but it’s important to remember that it’s never the child’s nor the parent’s fault.

What causes bed wetting?

• You should know that that the causes for bed wetting can be family history. 75% of children who struggle with bed wetting have a parent or immediate family member who also wet the bed as a child.
• Bed wetting quite often is a result of Inadequate production of vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone) during sleep, which might allow your child to produce more urine than the bladder can hold. Bed wetting also happens when the child has delayed bladder maturity. Use a bedwetting alarm for your child to helps your child develop brain and bladder connection and make them get up before they wet the bed. To stop bedwetting permanently, use a bedwetting alarm (enuresis alarm). Keep a note that details your child’s daytime and night time accidents.
• Some kids are heavy sleepers and the urge to urinate is not enough to wake them so you should help your child wake up when you set an alarm. Don’t let your child drink anything within two hours from bedtime. Avoid drinks that might irritate the bladder, such as caffeine, carbonated and citrus drinks.
• Chronic constipation can also cause bed wetting. If a child has an overly full rectum, it can interfere with bladder size and it can cause irregular bladder contractions that may result in nighttime wetting.
• Urinary tract infection causes bed wetting (nocturnal enuresis) in children. Check for signs that may include frequent or painful urination, pink or cloudy urine, foul-smelling urine, or urinary accidents during the day.
• Bed-wetting in children may also be caused by sleep apnea. This can disrupt sleep patterns and disrupt hormones including anti-diuretic hormone.

Coping with bed wetting

• The problem of bedwetting can be made worse when parents don’t cope well or start punishing the child. You need to remember that bed wetting takes time to improve. Fix these problems and improve your child’s self-esteem.
• Avoid talking about your child’s bed wetting in front of relatives or friends. Don’t let siblings or others tease your child about their bedwetting.
• Get your child involved with bedwetting solutions. Encourage your child to take responsibility for changing a wet bed during the night. Keep a plastic bag or laundry basket in the room. This can hold dirty linen and pajamas if they have an accident.
• If your child goes to a sleepover or camping, hide a disposable diaper in the bottom of the sleeping bag. This can be slipped on under his or her pajamas. This will make him feel good and not ashamed.
• Put night lights in the bedroom, hallway, and bathroom. These may help your child feel safer walking to the bathroom.
• Use a waterproof bed pads to protect your child’s bed from dirty stains. If your child wets during the night, they can get up and change the sheets.