ERIC for Kids
ERIC is a U.K. charity that has lots of answers for kids, and their parents. Click on the logo above and explore!
__________________
What have you tried?
Bed wetting is always a secret issue, and lots of things have been tried to fix it. Many years ago in Africa, parents would tie a FROG to the child at night. The frog was supposed to wake him up when he got wet!
Lots of silly things happen when people are asleep; one of my favourite stories is about a little boy who told me that he wet his brother's bed: the problem was, he thought he was in the bathroom and tinkling in the toilet, but actually he was standing on the dresser and tinkling on his brother!
All About Bed Wetting
- What is bed wetting?
- At what age do most kids stop bedwetting?
- Why do I wet the bed at night if I don't want to?
- Why is it important to talk to my parents or someone I
trust about bed wetting?
- What are the chances that my bedwetting will not go
away?
- Can I still go to sleep-overs?
What is bed wetting?
The medical term for bed wetting is enuresis (EN-YOU-REE-SIS). It means that you pee (urinate) while you sleep.
Here's how your body works:
When you drink fluids, the water goes through your stomach and
into the kidneys, and then into the bladder. Your bladder is like a
water balloon, with a tap at the bottom. During the day you feel it when
your bladder is full, and you hold that tap tighly closed until you can
get to the bathroom. Sometimes at night, if you don't 'feel it',
because you are sleeping really deeply, then you might forget to hold
the 'tap' closed. For your body to work properly you need:
- a strong signal from your bladder
- a strong muscle to hold it closed
- and a clear signal to the brain, then the brain must either tell the tap to stay closed until morning, or tell you to wake up so that you can go to the bathroom
At what age do most kids stop bedwetting?
As far as we know, most kids stop wetting by age five or six, but they don't talk about it much, so no one knows. Maybe all your friends wet their beds too!
If you are older than six and are still bed wetting, you should talk to your parents or someone you trust. There is nothing to be embarrassed about, lots of adults wet their beds too.
Why do I wet the bed at night if I don't want to?
Bed-wetting is not your fault. Kids who wet the bed don't do it on purpose. Bed-wetting happens because you don't wake up when you need to use the bathroom. It may also be happening because:
- You sleep very deep, and need some special exercises to learn to 'feel it' at night. OR
- Your tap (sphincter muscle) needs exercises to get stronger OR
- Certain foods might make your bladder rather 'twitchy' at night OR
- Sometimes this runs in families. If your parents snore, sleepwalk, or grind their teeth, then you are likely to wet the bed later than some other kids.
Sometimes kids who wet the bed also have problems with wetting and/or pooping (bowel accidents) during the day. This might mean that there is a medical problem, so it is important to be checked out by your doctor.
Why is it important to talk to my parents or someone I trust about bedwetting?
Some kids feel bad about themselves because they wet the bed. If you feel this way, you can talk with your mom or dad or someone you trust. Many adults also wet the bed when they were children and they know what you are going through. Don't let anyone make you feel sad, bad or embarrassed about bed wetting. Remember, bedwetting is a problem that lots of kids have and is not your fault. Most kids grow out of it when they get older. If you want to stop bed-wetting, talk to someone about it, so you can try to do something to help you stop wetting the bed.
What are the chances that my bed wetting will not go away?
A DryKids Coach recently asked one boy that he'd helped, "What are the chances of a boy getting dry, if he does the DryKids Practice every night?" and his reply was simply, " 100%". That's right, every child can be dry. Some kids take longer than others before they stop wetting the bed. You know, only 1 or 2 kids out of every 100 kids are still wetting the bed when they turn 15 years old, but even those kids might have been dry at an earlier age if they knew how to stop. Reading a book like "Waking Up Dry" or asking DryKids for help, can speed it up.
Sometimes kids who never wet the bed, or who haven't wet the bed for a long time, start bedwetting because they are worried or upset about something else. Sometimes changes happen, like getting a new sister or brother, or starting at a different school, that can lead to bed-wetting. If this happens to you, you can get help to make you feel better.
It is important to talk about your worries about wetting the bed with your parents, or someone you trust, and your doctor. Your doctor can look for medical reasons for your wetting and can give you information, or suggest other ways to help you overcome this problem.
Can I still go to sleep-overs?
Of course you can!
Talk to your mom, dad or someone else you trust and your doctor. If you are going to camp, your parents may even want to talk privately with your camp counselor. Most camp counselors understand bed-wetting and want to help.
Don't try to stay awake all night. Not only is this very hard to do, but kids need their sleep every night. Be sure to avoid drinking cola on the night of a sleepover.
There are also sleeping bags that are made of a special material (like a sponge) that can help keep your sleeping bag from getting wet. Have your child bring disposable underpants along on overnight stays to help combat wetness. You can even keep extra clothes and underwear in a plastic bag at the bottom of the bag in case of you do wet yourself and need to change your clothes.