What I need to know about My Child's Bedwetting

Why does my child wet the bed?

Many children wet the bed until they are 5 years old, or even older. In most cases, the cause is physical and not the child's fault. The child's bladder might be too small. Or the amount of urine produced overnight is too much for the bladder to hold. As a result, the bladder fills up before the night is over. Some children sleep too deeply or take longer to learn bladder control. Children don't wet the bed on purpose. Bedwetting is a medical problem, not a behavior problem. Scolding and punishment will not help a child stay dry.

Bedwetting may run in the family. If both parents wet the bed as children, their child is likely to have the same problem. If only one parent has a history of bedwetting, the child has about a fifty-fifty chance of having the problem. Some children wet the bed even if neither parent ever did.

Bedwetting may be caused by an infection or a nerve disease. Children with nerve disease often also have daytime wetting.

A child who has been dry for several months or even years may return to wetting the bed. The cause might be emotional stress, such as loss of a loved one, problems at school, a new sibling, or even training too early.

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