Bedwetting
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What causes bedwetting?
Bedwetting can happen for many reasons like:
- Having a small bladder
- They don’t wake up when their bladder sends a signal that it’s too full
- Producing too much wee at night
- Drinking too much before going to bed
- Not drinking enough during the day
- Drinking things with caffeine in it. Caffeine can irritate the bladder lining and make bedwetting worse
- Medical issues like urinary tract infections, diabetes or constipation
It used to be thought that bedwetting was caused by stress or psychological problems. While these can contribute to bedwetting, the reverse is true for many children and young people – as bedwetting can actually cause stress and psychological problems.
It can be rare for children to wet the bed because of an underlying medical reason. If your child is still wetting the bed and they’re over the age of five, you should speak to your GP as they may need a bladder and bowel assessment.
Bedwetting can run in some families. If a close relative like a parent or sibling wets the bed, it’s more likely that the child will also wet the bed.
Sudden onset bedwetting
Sudden onset bedwetting (also known as secondary bedwetting) is when a child starts to wet the bed again after at least six months of being dry. This could be caused by:
- Anxious feelings – if children feel worried, they produce less vasopressin (the hormone that controls how much wee we produce)
- Periods of change or stress
- A urinary tract infection or constipation
- An underlying health condition like type one diabetes
If your child is unwell or if they start to wet the bed after being dry for some weeks or months, it’s important to speak to a GP.
Understanding the reason why you or your child are wetting the bed can help you find ways to manage and treat it. It’s important to know that children don’t wet the bed because they’re being naughty or feeling lazy. It’s important not to punish children for wetting the bed, this can make it worse.
Managing & preventing bedwetting
To help manage bedwetting...
- Make sure your child stays hydrated by drinking water regularly throughout the day
- Encourage your child to use the toilet frequently, including before bedtime
- Implement a reward system for using the toilet before bed
- Use waterproof covers on the mattress and duvet for added protection
- Ensure easy access to a toilet during the night
- Establish a bedtime routine with a consistent sleep schedule, limited screen time before bed, and a bathroom visit before sleep
Some things to avoid...
- Punishing your child – bedwetting isn’t their fault and punishment can make it worse
- Limit drinks with caffeine, such as tea or coffee, as they can increase urine production.
- Regularly waking or carrying your child to the toilet at night – this may help in the short term but isn’t effective in the long term
- Giving children salty or protein-rich foods and drinks close to bedtime, as they can increase urine production
Helping to prevent...
- Going to the bathroom regularly
- Drinking less before bed
- Keeping a consistent sleep schedule
- Having a relaxing bedtime routine
When managing and helping to prevent bedwetting, it’s important to be patient and supportive, as most children outgrow bedwetting.
Speak to a GP if bedwetting persists despite home remedies or if your child resumes bedwetting after six months of dryness
Treating bedwetting
There are different ways to treat bedwetting like medicines that can help to reduce urine production at night and behavioural therapies. Sometimes, treating any underlying medical issues can help.
For some children, an enuresis (bedwetting) alarm might work. This works by waking the child up as they begin to wet the bed. Alarms can be used with children from about seven years old, but some younger children and children with disabilities can also use them.
The alarm begins to make a noise when the bedwetting begins. Some children might need their parent or carer to wake them up for the first few nights using it, but then they usually learn how to respond to the alarm by themselves.
Medication that helps to reduce the amount of urine made at night may be suggested for some children. If this is appropriate for your child, their doctor or nurse will discuss this with you to help you decide.
Manage bedwetting with rewards
Reward systems involve you and your child agreeing on ways to manage bedwetting and rewards. Rewards should be used for agreed behaviour instead of dry nights. You can either try using reward systems alone or with other treatments for bedwetting.
You can try giving rewards for:
- Drinking enough fluids during the day
- Having a wee before going to bed
- Helping to change their sheets after bedwetting
- Taking medication (if needed)
You can keep a record of your child’s progress with a system like a calendar with stickers. Reward systems can help with gaining a sense of self-control. Some children learn to stay dry with this method.
The treatment you choose depends on your child and your family. This can be discussed with your child’s GP or nurse.
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Bedwetting in teens & adults
Teens
Bedwetting is a common problem in under 18s. It’s also common for older children to deny that they wet the bed and not want to speak about it. They might hide their wet sheets to help them cope with feeling embarrassed.
Although some children might ‘grow out’ of bedwetting, this can happen less often if it isn’t treated in those who wet the bed every or nearly every night, or those who are teenagers.
It’s important that if your teenager struggles with bedwetting, they and the rest of the family understand that bedwetting is a medical condition and isn’t their fault. It isn’t caused by anything they’ve done or haven’t done. It’s key to let them know that there are treatments available to help and they aren’t alone.
To support your teenager if they wet the bed, you can ask them to keep a diary of wet vs dry nights. This can help them to see if there’s a pattern in their bedwetting.
If any of the lifestyle changes aren’t working, you need to speak to your GP for advice and treatment. They might refer you to a specialist who can help with treating bedwetting.
Bedwetting in adults can be worrying and might be linked to medical issues or lifestyle factors. If you’re an adult who wets the bed, you should speak to your GP to help you find out the reasons why.
Most people don’t need to wee more than once during the night and if needed, they can wake up to do this. Not being able to wake up if you need the toilet can cause bedwetting.
Reasons that adults may wet the bed are the same as children’s, which is covered in the “What causes bedwetting?” section of the page. Drinking alcohol can also cause bedwetting as it encourages the kidneys to make more urine. It can also affect sleep which makes it more difficult for someone to wake up to their bladder signals.
In women, smoking, being overweight, not doing a lot of exercise and having high blood pressure can also lead to bedwetting.
For many adults, there might be more than one issue that is causing or contributing to bedwetting.
If you wet the bed as an adult, it’s important to speak to your GP. They can investigate it to make sure that an underlying health condition isn’t causing it.
Your GP might ask you questions about your bladder as well as questions about any conditions you have or medications you take.
They might also do a urine test to make sure you don’t have an infection or diabetes. In some cases, they might ask you to keep a bladder diary to record when you’re using the toilet and how often. If needed, they’ll refer you for further investigations.
Treating bedwetting in adults is very similar to treating bedwetting in children. It’s important to make sure that you’re:
- Drinking plenty of water-based drinks during the day, but avoiding drinking two hours before going to bed
- Avoiding caffeinated, fizzy and alcoholic drinks (especially in the evening) as they can irritate the bladder lining
- Discussing medications that you take with your GP. For example, if you take any medication to help you sleep, this can change the way you sleep and make it harder for you to wake up to bladder signals
- Trying to lose weight if you’re overweight. This can help to improve snoring or sleep apnoea, which is sometimes linked to bedwetting
If these options don’t help, medications which help to treat the underlying cause of bedwetting might help.
Frequently asked questions
Adult bedwetting can be caused by things like urinary tract infections, diabetes, sleep disorders and some medications. Adults who wet the bed should speak to their GP to find out the cause and get the right treatment.
There isn’t a ‘best’ way to stop bedwetting. Stopping depends on the person and why it’s happening. Common methods include bedwetting alarms, drinking less before bed and treating any underlying medical issues.
Many children under the age of five wet the bed. If your child is over five and is still bedwetting, make sure to speak to your GP, as it could be caused by an underlying condition.
Bedwetting doesn’t have a psychological cause. However, stress and psychological problems can contribute to people's bedwetting.
