Bed-wetting is when a child over 5 years of age urinates during sleep.
Bed-wetting is common and not usually related to a health problem. Causes may be:
Rarely, a health problem may cause bed-wetting. Examples are:
Bed-wetting is more common in boys before the age of 9. Other things that may raise a child's risk of this problem are:
The child wakes up and finds the bed wet from urine.
You will be asked about your child's symptoms and health and family history. You will also be asked how often and how long your child has been wetting the bed. A physical exam will be done. Bed-wetting is often diagnosed in children over 5 years of age who wet the bed more than twice a week for three months or more.
Blood or urine tests may be done to find out whether an illness is causing this problem.
Images may be taken when the doctor suspects an abnormality may be the cause of the bed-wetting. This can be done with:
Any underlying health problems that cause bed-wetting will be treated. Bed-wetting that is not due to a health problem often goes away on its own. The goal of treatment is to limit the number of bed-wettings. This can be done with:
Bed-wetting is not done on purpose. Punishing a child will not limit the number of bed-wettings. Encouragement and support should be given instead. Limiting fluids and urinating before bedtime may also help. Caffeine should be avoided.
Urinating at regular intervals during day and before sleep may also help.
A behavioral device may also be advised. One example is a pad with a buzzer that sounds when wet. The pad is worn in the child's underwear. The alarm will wake the child to use the toilet.
Medicine may be given, such as:
There are no known ways to prevent bed-wetting in a child.
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Healthy Children—American Academy of Pediatrics
About Kids Health—The Hospital for Sick Children
Alberta Health and Wellness
Bedwetting. Healthy Children—American Academy of Pediatrics website. Available at: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/toddler/toilet-training/Pages/Bedwetting.aspx. Updated September 6, 2013. Accessed January 8, 2020.
Enuresis. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/enuresis. Updated October 26, 2017. Accessed January 8, 2020.
Facts for families: bed wetting. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry website. Available at: https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Bedwetting-018.aspx. Updated December 2014. Accessed January 8, 2020.
Sinha R, Raut S. Management of nocturnal enuresis - myths and facts. World J Nephrol. 2016 Jul 6;5(4):328-338.
Last reviewed September 2019 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Kari Kassir, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.