Within the age of five years old, about 20% of children still wet their beds. For parents and children, it is important to know that this is a common problem and not just a problem with your child. Doctors and medical professionals would often stress on the fact that bed wetting is not intentional and your child is not to be blamed with the situation. Some parents or family members approach bed wetting as a big problem or issue which adds to the pressure and stress on the child.

Child’s self-esteem affected by bedwetting

As mentioned, bed wetting could have an impact on your child’s confidence and self-esteem. There are debates about this relation, however, there are also medical researches showing that bed wetting management was able to help in improving the child’s self-esteem. Children and adolescents acknowledge that bed wetting could be a stressful event in the family. Bed wetting closely follows divorce and parents fighting as a family problem according to children and adolescents.

Some children who suffer from bed wetting or nocturnal enuresis can get punished by parents, teased by siblings and other relatives, and tend to keep it as a secret from friends for the fear of getting embarrassed or ashamed. There are also studies showing that children tend to develop behavioural problems that are often associated with the stress and the low-self esteem of children with nocturnal enuresis. Children could feel guilty or withdrawn especially if they sensed that they have no control over the problem.

Behaviour problems could even manifest in the schools. There are studies showing that children suffering from bed wetting tend to be more aggressive and project a poor self-image. These children may also have problems paying attention in class, get lower grades and overall performance in school.

A child who wets the bed may consider this night time incident as a big time problem. As a parent and family members, it is important to downplay this problem. Stress caused by bed wetting may even worsen the incident. Constant assuring is important. Children may feel that they are the only ones who experience bed wetting in their age. Assure your kid that what he is experiencing is a common problem. It is just that children may be embarrassed to talk about it. You could even share a story of another family member who also had trouble with bed wetting but was able to get over it. Assure your child that you will be with him all the way.

There are studies showing that children who have problems with bed wetting often would say that the best thing about staying dry will be participating in sleepovers and camps. This may make your child feel isolated. And feeling isolated is never good for anyone.

There are several causes of bed wetting. Primary nocturnal enuresis or bed wetting since infancy can be attributed to two most common causes. It could be a neurological-developmental delay or these children are just delayed in developing their ability to stay dry and control their bladder. Meanwhile, there are also studies showing that bed wetting could also run in the family. If one of the parents is bed wetting until the age of five, there is about 45% that one of his kids will also experience that.

However, it is still not safe to rule out other causes. Genetic and developmental delay can be the most common causes but they cannot be identified immediately. There are different causes which can be detected by series of exams which is why, it is important for some parents to go to a doctor first.

Many causes of child bedwetting

Here are other causes of bed wetting:

Diseases and infections. About 5% of bed wetting is caused by infections and disease, urinary tract infection is the most common.

Physical abnormalities. There are some individuals who actually have a smaller bladder and lesser bladder capacity. Children’s bladder may not be developed enough.

Constipation. Too much pressure on the bladder like constipated bowels can cause urination.

ADHD. Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD have 2.7 times of higher possibility for bed wetting to happen.
Drinks. There are some drinks that causes more urine like caffeine and alcohol consumption.

Hormonal imbalance. There are some children who do not develop anti-diuretic hormone or ADH. This hormone slows down urine production.

Sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is an obstructive sleeping condition, the individual finds it difficult to breathe and is obstructed while sleeping. Bed wetting is not the only sign or symptom of sleep apnea, it could also include snoring, sore throat, and even daytime drowsiness.

Food allergies. Although, the link is not properly established and may require additional research, food allergies can also be cause of bed wetting.

Psychological causes. There are some incidents that may trigger bed wetting among children and even adults. For example, a traumatic experience like an accident, sexual abuse, death or bullying.

Stress. Bed wetting could be associated with returning or secondary enuresis. Stress from family issues or other social events like divorce, moving to a new place, a new member of the family or death could be a factor for bed wetting to return.

Understanding what causes bed wetting would help you understand how to manage or cure your child’s bed wetting incidents. However, before you get any kind of medication or undergo any therapy, it would be better to get medical help. Through series of tests, doctors would be able to identify what causes you child to wet the mattress and later on, define a therapy suited for your kid.

Indeed, enuresis has many unpleasant effects on both the child and the parents. But these effects can be minimized if parents do away with all the misconceptions and learn the truth about their children’s condition.  The following are the myths and facts about enuresis that every parent should know:

Myth 1: Bedwetters are too lazy to control their urination
This assumption is not only inaccurate, but also destructive because it only makes the child feel bad about himself. The truth is, bedwetters have no control over their condition.

Myth 2: Children who wet their bed have emotional or mental problems
This misconception may have stemmed from the fact that autistic children usually wet their bed. That is not the case in most bedwetters. Although enuresis results in psychological problems such as low self-esteem, these problems do not cause children to wet their bed. But stress and other emotional issues such as divorce of parents or death of a loved one can trigger enuresis in children who previously have had dry nights.

Myth 3: Wearing diapers at night will slow down the process of getting rid of the habit
Experts say that using diapers does not prevent a child from outgrowing enuresis on his own. In fact, diapers offer some benefits. For the bedwetters, diapers prevent them from getting wet and cold when they wake up. For parents, diapers spare them the burden of changing the bed covers or washing the mattresses frequently.

Myth 4: Fluid intake before bedtime causes enuresis
Yes, restricting the amount of fluid intake before your child goes to sleep can lessen the volume of urine released during nighttime. However, drinking liquids before bedtime does not cause the child to wet his bed.

Fact 1: Enuresis is hereditary.
If there is a history of enuresis in your family, your child is likely to become a bed wetter. Three out of four children who suffer from the condition have a family history of enuresis.

Fact 2: Some bedwetters have a functionally small (not anatomically small) bladder
This means these children quickly feel a full bladder, so the urge to urinate is frequent.

Fact 3: Bedwetters find it hard to rouse from sleep, which keeps them from responding to their body’s signal to urinate

Fact 4: Hormonal imbalance causes enuresis
Some children lack the amount of anti-diuretic hormone that signals the kidneys to produce less urine while they sleep. The result? More urine at nighttime.

Fact 5: Enuresis may be a symptom of underlying medical conditions
If your child suffers from bed wetting, it is likely that he may have one or two of the following diseases: diabetes, urinary tract infection, sleep apnea, spinal cord problems, and constipation.

Bedwetting could be a symptom of underlying medical conditions

It is recommended that you visit a doctor to have your child checked and to get advice on the possible treatment methods to stop enuresis.