Should I be worried that my child still wets the bed?
It’s normal to feel worried if your child wets the bed regularly. The topic of bedwetting is often not discussed publicly, which can lead to feelings of shame and concerns that there is something “wrong” with your child. This, in turn, can increase your child’s anxiety over their wetting, creating a negative cycle.
Developmental Stage
The first thing to realise is that bedwetting is completely normal. Learning to become dry at night is a developmental stage (just like learning to walk or talk). In this way, all children will learn to develop this behavioural skill at a different rate. Children become dry at night when their brain-bladder link is formed, allowing them to control their bladder whilst their sleep. Simply, this link takes longer to develop in some children than others.
Common
This means that bedwetting is very common. Around half a million children in the UK aged 5-16 wet the bed regularly. In fact, 1 in 5 children aged 5 are regular bedwetters. Although this number does decrease a bit with age, 8% of children age 9 and a half still wet the bed regularly. This means that you are not alone.
When To Take Action
NICE Guidelines state that when a child is 5 years old, action should be taken if they are wetting regularly, and must be taken if a child is 7 years or older. The great news is that, provided there is no underlying medical reason why your child might be wetting (make an appointment with your GP if you think there might be), bedwetting can easily be treated at home with an alarm.
