Bedwetting, medically known as enuresis, is unintentional urinating while asleep for children 5 years and above. It is very common for children below 7 to wet their bed even after they are potty-trained. Bed wetting is not a disease, nor an emotional issue or physical abnormality. Parents should be patient with their kids and not give them stress by punishing them and hurting their self-esteem as most kids will grow out of this problem by 10 years old.

Possible causes:

–          Small bladder

–          Deep sleeper

–          Development delay of bladder control at night

–          Hereditary. Bedwetting often runs in the family

–          Insufficient production of antidiuretic hormones (ADH) which enables kidney to hold on to more water.

–          Chronic constipation

–          Urinary tract infections

–          Stress

–          Sleep apnoea

–          Diabetes

Only a very small percentage of children who wet their bed have an underlying medical condition. Consult a doctor if your child still wets the bed after 7 years old.

Risk factors:

–          Boys

–          Family history

–          Children with ADHD

Treatment

–          Limit the amount of fluids 2 hours before bedtime, especially soft drinks and caffeine

–          Bladder training

–          Moisture alarms

–          Medication

–          Hypnotherapy

–          Lots of patience and encouragement from family members

We offer hospital-based and home-based sleep study for your convenience. Consult our senior specialist Dr YT Pang at CENTAS for an accurate diagnosis of your sleep problem. Treatment for sleep disorders results in improved physical and mental health and enhanced quality of life.