Why is my child wetting the bed? August 04 2016 2 Comments
We all start off wetting the bed. The process of becoming dry is a learned one but, for some children, this subconscious skill takes longer to learn than others. Once a child is 5 years or older, bedwetting is classed as “monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis” and there’s lots of evidence to suggest that treating bedwetting as soon as possible (once as child is 5 years old) is beneficial for a wide range of reasons.
Why is it happening?
The fundamental issue in the majority of children that wet the bed is that they have not yet developed the subconscious link that forms between their brain and their bladder. This developmental link alerts the brain when the bladder is full, so that when we are asleep we wake to use the bathroom.
Two other factors are often quoted as potentially contributing to nocturnal enuresis. The first factor is that certain children may produce too much urine overnight, hence their bladder becomes full, which may contribute to the problem. The other factor that has been postulated is that some children’s bladders contract in the night and they have an “overactive” bladder.
However, if the link between the bladder and the brain was fully functional, both of these factors would result in the child waking up to use the bathroom. As this does not occur, the prime factor that needs to be initially addressed is forming and strengthening the link between the brain and the bladder.
How can it be cured?
The bedwetting alarm works by helping a child to develop the fundamental link between the brain and the bladder. The importance of this link, over any other factor, is illustrated in the fact that bedwetting alarms have consistently been shown to be the most successful long-term treatment for nocturnal enuresis in ensuring long-term cures.
Other treatments, such as a synthetic anti-diuretic hormone (desmopressin), may temporarily reduce the amount of urine production but is often associated with a high rate of recurrence once the drug is stopped. This is due to the fact that the fundamental link between the brain and the bladder has not been addressed.
Conclusion
So, the prime issue in the vast majority of bedwetting children is the delayed development of the link between their brain and bladder. The common cause for nocturnal enuresis is the lack of appropriate awakening on needing to use the bathroom, whatever the underlying reason. The target of the bedwetting alarm is to address this link and this is the reason why bedwetting alarms are the first line treatment in guidelines around the world.
Comments
The Bedwetting Doctor on September 06 2018 at 05:10PM
Hi Vicky,
We recommend that parents help to wake their children up on the first few nights wearing the alarm. It’s surprising the number of children that sleep through such a loud sound, even if is wakes the rest of the house up! It may even help to sleep in the same room as your daughter initially, so that you can wake her as soon as wetting occurs.
Have you tried a recordable alarm? Studies have shown that children are more likely to wake up to the sound of a voice. Or a vibrating alarm? Additional sensory stimuli can be helpful as another way to help to wake her. The Malem Deluxe alarm (MO24) combines an alarm sound, recorded message and vibration so it is particularly good for deep sleepers.
Also make sure your daughter is motivated with the alarm treatment and that she is aware that waking up to the alarm will help her become dry at night in the long-term.
You might find these blog posts useful:
My child is a deep sleeper
https://thebedwettingdoctor.com/blogs/bedwetting-tips-advice-blog/my-child-is-a-deep-sleeper
Do children wake up to standard alarm sounds?
https://thebedwettingdoctor.com/blogs/bedwetting-tips-advice-blog/do-children-not-wake-up
I hope this helps.
- The Bedwetting Doctor
Vicky on September 06 2018 at 05:01PM
My daughter is 10 and still wetting at night, we have tried the bed alarm and the medication, and even waking her up at night at certain intervals to try and get her to acknowledge that it’s time to go to the toilet, but all attempts have failed.
I truly believe in our case it’s because she is a VERY heavy sleeper. The bed alarm was extremely loud and that didn’t even wake her.
She is at the age now where residential trips are happening at school and this is a worry for her. She is desperate to attend these trips but does due to the wetting.
Any help and advice you can give would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks Vicky