If you've ever been woken up in the dead of night to the sound of "I've wet the bed", you are not alone. Approximately 40 per cent of parents of three-year-olds, seven per cent with seven-year-olds and three per cent of 14-year-old adolescents are living through the ordeal of changing bedding in the small hours of the morning. What causes this nightmare? What can you do about it?
Nocturnal enuresis, commonly known as bedwetting, falls into two categories. Primary enuretics are children who have not been dry at night for at least six months, while secondary enuretics are those who start wetting the bed after having been previously dry at night.
The causes of primary enuresis are something of a mystery even to medical professionals but a genetic predisposition, small bladder or an imbalance of the bladder muscles could all be contributing factors. Paediatricians are, however, unanimous about one crucial fact - it is not the child's fault.
It is advisable for parents to seek medical advice if a child is still wetting the bed at five and ideally before the child is seven to rule out a possible organic cause, something that only affects about two per cent of children. Most children will grow out of the condition in their own time.
If a child who has been dry for at least six months starts wetting the bed, parents should seek medical advice to try to establish the cause.
Secondary enuresis is often caused by psychological trauma and while some causes can be obvious, such as a change in family circumstances, sometimes the cause is never established.
Children's perception of life varies considerably to that of adults and the smallest thing may be causing a child great distress. A tiff with a close friend could cause your child immense distress and you may need to prod very gently to get to the root of the problem. If the situation fails to improve, psychotherapy may be recommended.
Physical problems such as diabetes or urinary tract infections could also lead to secondary enuresis. The doctor will examine your child to establish the existence of such a condition and advise you accordingly.
The type of enuresis does not affect the nuisance caused to both parents and child. As the child grows older, the condition may cause low self-esteem as the fear of being "found out" excludes activities such as camping holidays, school trips or sleepovers. Unmanaged, enuresis can make life a vicious circle of stress and incontinence.
A few practical tips can help ease the burden while nature takes its course:
Limit drinks two hours before bedtime. Avoid caffeinated drinks (tea, coffee, soft drinks) as they are diuretics and can exacerbate the problem. However do not restrict fluid intake during the day as doing so could cause dehydration.
Develop a bathroom routine. Encourage your child to use the bathroom often before bedtime (e.g. after dinner, before and after her bath and last thing before turning in). Leave a light on to encourage midnight visits to the bathroom.
Your child is neither ill nor naughty. Children can take on responsibility for causing their parents "problems". Be pragmatic when dealing with the consequences of enuresis and praise dry nights. Explain that no one knows exactly what causes the condition and reassure your child that he will grow out of it.
Send your child back to her own bed once it has been changed - a waterproof mattress protector will ensure that the mattress can still be used that night.
Bedwetting alarms work by sounding an alarm on sensing moisture. The alarm should wake the child who then goes to the bathroom. In practice, enuretic children often sleep too soundly to hear the alarm so parents must wake up when they hear the alarm and help the child to the bathroom. Success can take a few weeks or several months and requires determination and perseverance by all concerned. As older children are generally eager to solve the problem, they are more likely to benefit from the use of alarms.
"Nappy pants" may be something of a Pandora's Box. Although some children are stressed and upset at the thought of using them, others are happy to do so, comforted by the thought that they are helping their parents. In some cases, youngsters will lose their motivation to train themselves to stay dry and accept the status quo.
Encourage your child to "own" the problem. Older children and teenagers can take responsibility for the consequences of the condition and help with the laundry and changing the bedding.
Enuresis can be genetic. A child whose parent wet the bed is more prone to do so. If this is the case, share your experiences with your child. Besides helping him feel less alone, it will prove that he will outgrow the problem in time.
Adopt an earlier bedtime. Some experts believe that insufficient sleep can contribute to enuresis. Examine your child's sleeping habits; half an hour's extra sleep may go a long way to solving the problem.
Speak to your doctor about using medication to manage the problem. Medication does not cure the condition but goes a long way to decreasing its effects and can be especially helpful for short-term use (for use on holiday or sleepovers) but must only be used under medical advice.
Which treatment would best suit your child? The answer probably lies in a combination of the above and depends on your child's character. Helping with the laundry could be viewed as a punishment by one child and a sign of trust by another. Even the very young will have an opinion so take their opinion into consideration when making your decision.
One child's bed might remain soggy longer than another's but a dry bed is not impossible for any child to attain. As in any sphere of parenting, a calm understanding approach goes a long way to help your child reach his goal.
Nocturnal enuresis, commonly known as bedwetting, falls into two categories. Primary enuretics are children who have not been dry at night for at least six months, while secondary enuretics are those who start wetting the bed after having been previously dry at night.
The causes of primary enuresis are something of a mystery even to medical professionals but a genetic predisposition, small bladder or an imbalance of the bladder muscles could all be contributing factors. Paediatricians are, however, unanimous about one crucial fact - it is not the child's fault.
It is advisable for parents to seek medical advice if a child is still wetting the bed at five and ideally before the child is seven to rule out a possible organic cause, something that only affects about two per cent of children. Most children will grow out of the condition in their own time.
If a child who has been dry for at least six months starts wetting the bed, parents should seek medical advice to try to establish the cause.
Secondary enuresis is often caused by psychological trauma and while some causes can be obvious, such as a change in family circumstances, sometimes the cause is never established.
Children's perception of life varies considerably to that of adults and the smallest thing may be causing a child great distress. A tiff with a close friend could cause your child immense distress and you may need to prod very gently to get to the root of the problem. If the situation fails to improve, psychotherapy may be recommended.
Physical problems such as diabetes or urinary tract infections could also lead to secondary enuresis. The doctor will examine your child to establish the existence of such a condition and advise you accordingly.
The type of enuresis does not affect the nuisance caused to both parents and child. As the child grows older, the condition may cause low self-esteem as the fear of being "found out" excludes activities such as camping holidays, school trips or sleepovers. Unmanaged, enuresis can make life a vicious circle of stress and incontinence.
A few practical tips can help ease the burden while nature takes its course:
Limit drinks two hours before bedtime. Avoid caffeinated drinks (tea, coffee, soft drinks) as they are diuretics and can exacerbate the problem. However do not restrict fluid intake during the day as doing so could cause dehydration.
Develop a bathroom routine. Encourage your child to use the bathroom often before bedtime (e.g. after dinner, before and after her bath and last thing before turning in). Leave a light on to encourage midnight visits to the bathroom.
Your child is neither ill nor naughty. Children can take on responsibility for causing their parents "problems". Be pragmatic when dealing with the consequences of enuresis and praise dry nights. Explain that no one knows exactly what causes the condition and reassure your child that he will grow out of it.
Send your child back to her own bed once it has been changed - a waterproof mattress protector will ensure that the mattress can still be used that night.
Bedwetting alarms work by sounding an alarm on sensing moisture. The alarm should wake the child who then goes to the bathroom. In practice, enuretic children often sleep too soundly to hear the alarm so parents must wake up when they hear the alarm and help the child to the bathroom. Success can take a few weeks or several months and requires determination and perseverance by all concerned. As older children are generally eager to solve the problem, they are more likely to benefit from the use of alarms.
"Nappy pants" may be something of a Pandora's Box. Although some children are stressed and upset at the thought of using them, others are happy to do so, comforted by the thought that they are helping their parents. In some cases, youngsters will lose their motivation to train themselves to stay dry and accept the status quo.
Encourage your child to "own" the problem. Older children and teenagers can take responsibility for the consequences of the condition and help with the laundry and changing the bedding.
Enuresis can be genetic. A child whose parent wet the bed is more prone to do so. If this is the case, share your experiences with your child. Besides helping him feel less alone, it will prove that he will outgrow the problem in time.
Adopt an earlier bedtime. Some experts believe that insufficient sleep can contribute to enuresis. Examine your child's sleeping habits; half an hour's extra sleep may go a long way to solving the problem.
Speak to your doctor about using medication to manage the problem. Medication does not cure the condition but goes a long way to decreasing its effects and can be especially helpful for short-term use (for use on holiday or sleepovers) but must only be used under medical advice.
Which treatment would best suit your child? The answer probably lies in a combination of the above and depends on your child's character. Helping with the laundry could be viewed as a punishment by one child and a sign of trust by another. Even the very young will have an opinion so take their opinion into consideration when making your decision.
One child's bed might remain soggy longer than another's but a dry bed is not impossible for any child to attain. As in any sphere of parenting, a calm understanding approach goes a long way to help your child reach his goal.