Bedwetting – banish the wee horror
Bedwetting or nocturnal enuresis is the unintentional passing of urine while asleep after an age where normal bladder control would be expected.
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While it doesn't necessarily mean that anything is wrong, it can be embarrassing and many parents and children find it hard to deal with. Below we have the answers to common concerns parents might have. Log onto the coffeehouse to chat about any toileting issues that you have with other parents.
ERIC is a national children's charity dedicated to supporting children, young people and their families with practical ideas, information and resources to help manage or overcome the difficulties associated with bedwetting. The Banish the Wee Horror campaign aims to raise awareness of the issue and encourage people to contact ERIC, The Children's Bowel & Bladder Charity, for support.
For an introduction to bedwetting and a look at the common causes see the ERIC bedwetting information page or visit www.eric.org.uk.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many other children are affected by bedwetting?
Bedwetting is a lot more common than most people realise and in the UK, up to half a million children and teenagers struggle with the issue every night. Studies have shown that 1 in 6 five year olds, 1 in 7 seven year olds, 1 in 11 nine year olds and 1 in 50-100 teenagers are affected and the problem is more common in boys than girls, especially in the younger age groups.
What is your number one top tip to tackle bedwetting?
There are many things that can be done to help children manage or overcome bedwetting. Firstly, I would encourage parents to call our free confidential Helpline on 0808 169 9949 open Monday - Friday 10am - 4pm. Where they can talk to an expert about the continence issues affecting their child and receive practical information and ideas relating specifically to the problem.
It's also important to stay patient and calm so your child does not become anxious. Remember, bedwetting is never the child's fault as children have no conscious control over the bladder when they are asleep. A positive approach will help to reassure your child they will succeed in becoming dry at night.
My eight year old daughter has been dry for 18 months but a recent urine infection has set off the bedwetting again. It's every night at the moment, what can I do?
Your daughter has what is called secondary nocturnal enuresis. This is when bedwetting returns after a period of at least six months being dry and is less common than primary enuresis (bedwetting for the first time). Secondary enuresis is often triggered by a stressful event such as a new baby in the family, starting school or in your daughter's case, this was a urinary tract infection. Parents can talk through the effect of a current family situation or life events in order to reduce anxiety and enable the child to feel more confident in overcoming problems. It will also help to reassure your daughter that she is not alone and that the problem will be resolved. The treatment for secondary enuresis is the same as for primary enuresis. For information on available treatments see the ERIC bedwetting information page on Netmums.
My daughter is seeing the school nurse about bedwetting and has been told she should drink more. Can you tell me why as it seems she should drink less if she is to stop the accidents?
Cutting back on fluids does not help as the bladder tends to ‘adjust' to less fluid and hold less before feelings of fullness occurs. Encourage your daughter to drink between 6-8 water-based drinks spread throughout the day. If she is not drinking enough at the moment, gradually increase her fluid intake by an extra drink a day, as a sudden large increase in fluid may be difficult to tolerate. Be aware that some drinks such tea, coffee and fizzy drinks can stimulate the kidneys to produce more than average amounts of urine.
I would like to get my four year old out of night time pull-ups. She has been dry through the day for over a year however, trying to get her dry through the night is proving to be quite tricky
Four is a little young to be concerned about nighttime wetting. Most children will become spontaneously dry without any intervention. It's important to encourage her to drink six to eight water-based drinks throughout the day as this will help her to develop a good bladder capacity. If the child is continually wetting and there is no sign of improvement then you may choose to keep your child in nappies or pull-ups and try again at a later stage.
The bedwetting alarm I have for my eight year old has not worked. What else can I do?
It would be helpful to know why you think the alarm failed. The most common reason that parents tell us is the children don't wake to the alarm but the whole household does! Sometimes if the alarm is given to a child when they are not really ready or motivated to take responsibility for it then it is quite likely to be unsuccessful. In order for an alarm to be successful the child should be motivated to become dry and really want the alarm. The child knows it is their alarm and their responsibility (with your support) and must be prepared for the hard work and waking needed for success. We know the alarm has an overall success rate of 72% when the child has been correctly selected for this treatment. It is probably not the right time for your son to use the alarm, keep it somewhere safe and perhaps discuss it again with your son in a few months.
My son has been toilet trained successfully and he remains dry at night in pull-ups but when taken away he immediately wets the bed.
For some reason your son finds the security of wearing pull-ups gives him the confidence to remain dry at night. When you are feeling really strong you could try taking the pull ups away or better still encourage him to make that decision for himself when he is ready.
To avoid the hassle of wet sheets I have been lifting my child before I go to bed in the evenings. Is this likely to help or hinder the bedwetting?
Some parents find that waking their child to go to the toilet when they themselves go to bed at night helps prevent wet beds but there can be problems with this strategy. Young children are still learning to respond to signals from their bladder and the overnight period is usually the longest time when the bladder isn't emptied. A normal bladder will increase its storage capacity and stretch to a certain point, then sends a signal to the brain that it's full and a child wakes up realising it's time to go to the toilet. Lifting at night means a child won't get used to the signal and sensation of a full bladder. If you continue to lift at the same time each night your child's bladder will also get into a routine of emptying at the same time.
If your child is not fully awake when you lift the process reinforces the 'wee whilst you're asleep' message to the brain and this cannot help in the child learning to be dry at night. Lifting can however, reduce the amount of wet beds and ultimately, it is entirely up to you whether you chose to lift or not. If you do chose to lift at night make sure your child is fully awake, vary the time each night and even if they are already wet, your child should still use the toilet.
