Nocturnal Enuresis (Bedwetting)

One of the most common sleep disorders among children is Nocturnal Enuresis or bedwetting. It may come as a surprise to hear it described as a sleep disorder, but that is what it is. Studies have shown that nearly 19% of Australian children have some nocturnal enuresis episodes at some point in their lives. Of those, around 5% have episodes at least once a week for some period during childhood.

Understanding the causes of sleep disorders is always crucial in finding therapies, and bedwetting treatments are no different. If your child is showing symptoms, understanding the problem and how to deal with it can help.

What is Nocturnal Enuresis?

Nocturnal enuresis is a sleeping disorder for children aged five or older that results in them emptying their bladder during sleep. If your child is suffering from this, it can be upsetting for them and challenging to manage for you.

Bedwetting can be a nightly problem or appear once or twice a week. It can also happen on rare occasions in some children, often with months between incidents. As a parent, it is difficult to see your child upset, so understanding more about it and what causes it can help. However, it is important to remember that this is a common issue; children usually grow out of it with no lasting problems.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Because your child may feel ashamed and embarrassed by nocturnal enuresis, it is vital to deal with it correctly. It is very common among children, and providing the support and encouragement they need can make a real difference to your child. By wetting the bed, your child is not deliberately being bad, nor is laziness the cause. It is a sleep disorder that means they don’t wake up when they need to.

As with many sleep disorders, the exact causes of bedwetting are not fully understood, but as it is one of the more common ones, there is more information than for others. Knowing that you support your child and that this is not the end of the world for them is the best support they can have.

What are some of the symptoms and causes of Bedwetting?

The most evident symptom of bedwetting is the obvious one: your child will empty their bladder while asleep at night. Nocturnal enuresis doesn’t have to mean every night; it could be a few times a week or much longer. Your child may go through phases too, where they have bedwetting every night, then stop. After some months, it may start up again and repeat the cycle.

Monosymptomatic Enuresis is the name given to bedwetting when there are no other issues with the urinary tract and is the most likely version your child suffers from. In this case, the reasons behind Nocturnal Enuresis can be a combination of a few things:

• Overactive kidneys that produce a lot of urine during the night
• Small bladder capacity
• Your child is unable to wake when required
• Constipation
• Genetics – if you or your partner wet the bed, your child is more likely to do the same

However, Nocturnal Enuresis can appear in tandem with other conditions, although this is much rarer. Stress and emotional trauma can bring on episodes of nocturnal enuresis, as can some urinary tract infections (UTIs). Finally, diabetes can lead to bedwetting too, while more general incontinence can result in similar symptoms.

If you have concerns about your child, talk to your GP. They will help you understand the causes and identify whether it is Monosymptomatic Enuresis or some other underlying issue that needs treatment.

Are there any treatments for Bedwetting?

If no underlying medical problems are causing the problem, children will usually outgrow bedwetting. However, while there are no specific cures for nocturnal enuresis, you can do things to help your child through the process.

A bedwetting alarm can be the best option, and it will go off when it detects moisture. If you do use one, it is essential that you also get up when you hear it to wake them up if required. Don’t be tempted to carry them to the toilet. Wake them up, and it will help them learn to stay dry. Also, make sure you help them change into dry clothes to give them a fresh start for the rest of the night. This can be calming for your child and help them deal with the problem more quickly, and it can even help avoid further issues that night.

In addition to alarms, some lifestyle changes can help your child overcome the problem. Always remind them to go to the toilet just before bedtime so they get into the habit. You can also reduce a child’s caffeine intake, which can help. That means no cola drinks and less chocolate. Avoiding both for a few hours before your child’s bedtime can make a difference.

Hydration can also impact, so make sure your child drinks plenty of water during the day. To encourage toilet use, keep a night light on for them, too. These may seem like minor changes, but they can have an impact.

Sometimes, your doctor may prescribe medication to limit urine production overnight. The most common of these is Minirin, which effectively alleviates symptoms.

Will my child grow out of wetting the bed?

In most cases, your child will grow out of Nocturnal Enuresis. With your encouragement and the measures already mentioned, this can be a relatively fast process. However, some children take a little longer, so patience is key.

If your child is still suffering from Nocturnal Enuresis after age 7, they may need medical help. In this case, your doctor will look for other medical issues triggering the bedwetting and offer suitable treatments to deal with them.

In most cases, though, your child will become dry over time and have no negative consequences from nocturnal enuresis.

Featured photo by cottonbro studio