How can a doctor help you solve the problem? The doctor will conduct tests and come up with a diagnosis regarding your child’s condition. He will start by asking several questions about your child’s medical history, bed-wetting patterns, and toilet habits.

It pays to know what to expect when you visit the doctor. Particularly, it would be better to know beforehand the questions the doctor may ask so that you can provide accurate answers. Some of the doctor’s questions may include the following:

Schedule a doctor visit to discuss child's bedwetting

-  Does the condition run in your family?

-  How long has your child been wetting the bed? When did it start?

-  How often does he wet the bed? Does it wake him up?

-  Have your child had dry nights before?

-  How often does he urinate at daytime? Does he have problems with controlling urination?

-  Are there particular foods, drinks, or activities that seem to cause your child’s condition? Does the child drink beverages that contain caffeine or alcohol?

-  Is your kid going through any kind of stressful event or life changes in the family? Does the urination occur more frequently when he is stressed?

- Does the child feel pain and other symptoms when he urinates?

- Does he have a history of urinary tract infection?

- Is there a history of diabetes in your family?

- What other symptoms are present (e.g., pain in the back and abdomen, fever, etc.)?

- What medications does your child take?

- How are things going on at home and at school for your child?

- Do other family members know the problem? How is your child’s condition treated within your family?

- Do you punish the child for wetting the bed?

Next, the doctor will conduct a physical exam on your child. Also, urine tests such as urinalysis, urodynamic studies, and urine culture will be done to check if your child has diabetes or infection. Your child will be checked as well for bladder and urinary tract problems. If the doctor thinks there is something wrong with your child’s body, he may recommend that your child have an X-ray so that the bladder and kidneys can be checked for abnormalities. Your child’s abdomen, urinary opening, and rectum will be checked as well.

Finally, the doctor will make a diagnosis related to bed wetting and discuss your options when it comes to treatment. Take heed of your doctor’s advice so that your child can stop wetting the bed soon.

Bed wetting, also known as nocturnal enuresis or simply enuresis, is a condition wherein bedwetter – children and even some adults have the inability to control urination while in their sleep. The result is that bedwetters end up wetting their bed and only realize that it has happened after they wake up in the morning. It is actually a common problem among children three years old and below.

Enuresis - common problem among children

After that time, kids develop the ability to control their urination and sometime even wake up in the middle of the night every time they feel like urinating. But unfortunately, there are other kids who may not be as lucky. They may still experience the inability to control or even feel that they are urinating during their sleep. Around 15 percent of kids may still experience bed wetting after the age of three.

Studies have shown that boys are more likely to wet their beds than girls. Enuresis has also been found to run in the family. Bedwetters who have parents with a previous history of bed wetting when they were young are more likely to also develop the problem. Bed wetting usually stops by the time children reach the age of puberty.

In kids, bed wetting rarely is associated with a kidney or bladder problem. The usual case is that some kids may develop bladder control at a slower pace than normal. But there might be possibilities that some cases may be caused by certain infections. That is why it may also be a good suggestion to consult with a doctor to determine the actual cause of bed wetting in kids just to make sure.

Some doctors also believe that certain cases of bed wetting may be rooted in certain emotional or psychological issues. A kid suddenly experiencing bed wetting after a certain period of dryness mat be a reflection of certain new fears and insecurities that the child may have. Certain situations such as moving into a new home, the parents undergoing divorce, or losing a loved one may sometimes affect children in such a way as to cause them to wet their beds at night.

It is also important to note that making children feel embarrassed or shameful with their bed wetting experience would not be an effective way to help them stop the habit. What it may do is developing certain insecurities as well as makes kids feel bad about themselves for bed wetting. Bear in mind that children do not wet their beds on purpose.

Instead of making their children feel ashamed and embarrassed, parents should try to encourage and express confidence in their children that they will eventually out grow this condition. Positive reinforcement would usually work better in trying to stop bed wetting in children.