Waking up with wet pajamas or sheets from pee or (urination) is the main symptom of bedwetting. You likely won’t know that you wet the bed until it’s too late. (Most likely the child won’t know that they are wet until it’s too late)
While it’s a physical condition, bedwetting can take an extreme emotional toll on anyonewho experiences it and can be accompanied with shame and embarrassment.
People affected may try to hide their wet clothes or sheets from others, or skip on social interactions at night like sleepovers to avoid accidents that can happen around others.
These distressing symptoms go away after bedwetting resolves, but they can seriously affect children when they happen.
Waking up with wet pajamas or sheets from pee or (urination) is the main symptom of bedwetting. You likely won’t know that you wet the bed until it’s too late. (Most likely the child won’t know that they are wet until it’s too late)
While it’s a physical condition, bedwetting can take an extreme emotional toll on anyonewho experiences it and can be accompanied with shame and embarrassment.
People affected may try to hide their wet clothes or sheets from others, or skip on social interactions at night like sleepovers to avoid accidents that can happen around others.
These distressing symptoms go away after bedwetting resolves, but they can seriously affect children when they happen.
Bedwetting can be inherited. The “bedwetting gene” is strong among families. Half of all children who have this problem had a parent who also struggled with bedwetting. This percent goes up to 75% if both parents had enuresis. Close relatives (aunts, uncles, and grandparents) may also share this gene, though you may not know it. A child without a family connection has only a 15% chance of bedwetting.
Your child’s kidneys may make too much urine at night and the bladder may not be able to hold it all. Normally, the brain produces a hormone called vasopressin or antidiuretic hormone (ADH) which slows the kidney’s urine production. It helps make less urine at night. When the brain does not make enough ADH or when the kidney stops responding to it, more urine is produced. The child will either have to wake up several times during the night to pass urine or wet the bed. Excessive drinking caffeinated and carbonated drinks may also cause the kidneys to produce more urine.
Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus or “sugar diabetes” is caused by a lack of the hormone insulin. This hormone helps manage the sugar we get through food and drink. In untreated patients with type 1 diabetes, sugar is lost in the urine. This leads to a great loss of water. Some children with type 1 diabetes may have bedwetting as a symptom at the start of their illness.
Children who wet their beds are often described as “deep sleepers.” These children don’t wake up to the bladder’s signal to void, caused by a sleep arousal (wake up) disturbance. Instead of waking up to use the toilet, the child’s pelvic floor muscles relax and empty while the child sleeps. This brain-bladder control will develop naturally over time or speed up with treatment.
Some children who have enuresis have bladders that can only hold a small amount of urine. This condition does not allow the child to sleep through the night without wetting the bed. These children often struggle with daytime issues too, including urinary frequency, urgency and daytime wetting.
Some children have sleep disorders such as sleepwalking or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). With OSA, less oxygen from poor breathing will cause the heart to produce “atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP).” This substance will cause the kidneys to produce extra urine at night.
The rectum lies behind the bladder. If constipation causes stool to store in the rectum, it will push on the bladder. This limits the way the bladder can hold urine and may cause day and nighttime wetting.
Any form of stress can lead to bedwetting. If the stress from bedwetting itself affects your child or your family, it can make things worse. Children who wet the bed often fear being discovered and teased by their friends or siblings. Emotionally, a child can become withdrawn and nervous. Children with learning disorders or attention problems generally feel more stressed. These children commonly have bedwetting issues. Be aware of social stresses that can affect bedwetting, such as:
Bedwetting can be inherited. The “bedwetting gene” is strong among families. Half of all children who have this problem had a parent who also struggled with bedwetting. This percent goes up to 75% if both parents had enuresis. Close relatives (aunts, uncles, and grandparents) may also share this gene, though you may not know it. A child without a family connection has only a 15% chance of bedwetting.
Your child’s kidneys may make too much urine at night and the bladder may not be able to hold it all. Normally, the brain produces a hormone called vasopressin or antidiuretic hormone (ADH) which slows the kidney’s urine production. It helps make less urine at night. When the brain does not make enough ADH or when the kidney stops responding to it, more urine is produced. The child will either have to wake up several times during the night to pass urine or wet the bed. Excessive drinking caffeinated and carbonated drinks may also cause the kidneys to produce more urine.
Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus or “sugar diabetes” is caused by a lack of the hormone insulin. This hormone helps manage the sugar we get through food and drink. In untreated patients with type 1 diabetes, sugar is lost in the urine. This leads to a great loss of water. Some children with type 1 diabetes may have bedwetting as a symptom at the start of their illness.
Children who wet their beds are often described as “deep sleepers.” These children don’t wake up to the bladder’s signal to void, caused by a sleep arousal (wake up) disturbance. Instead of waking up to use the toilet, the child’s pelvic floor muscles relax and empty while the child sleeps. This brain-bladder control will develop naturally over time or speed up with treatment.
Some children who have enuresis have bladders that can only hold a small amount of urine. This condition does not allow the child to sleep through the night without wetting the bed. These children often struggle with daytime issues too, including urinary frequency, urgency and daytime wetting.
Some children have sleep disorders such as sleepwalking or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). With OSA, less oxygen from poor breathing will cause the heart to produce “atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP).” This substance will cause the kidneys to produce extra urine at night.
The rectum lies behind the bladder. If constipation causes stool to store in the rectum, it will push on the bladder. This limits the way the bladder can hold urine and may cause day and nighttime wetting.
Any form of stress can lead to bedwetting. If the stress from bedwetting itself affects your child or your family, it can make things worse. Children who wet the bed often fear being discovered and teased by their friends or siblings. Emotionally, a child can become withdrawn and nervous. Children with learning disorders or attention problems generally feel more stressed. These children commonly have bedwetting issues. Be aware of social stresses that can affect bedwetting, such as:
Congratulations you have successfully achieved dry nights in a row !
