What Causes Bedwetting?

Most of the time, despite medical intervention, parents discover no known cause outside of genetics for their child’s bedwetting. Having said that, here are some of the reasons that have been found to lead to bedwetting.

• Small Bladder – Some people are born with small bladders that cannot hold as much urine as others. This often shows up in older kids pre-puberty. If your child is dry at night and starts having issues after age eight or nine, a doctor can determine if this is the issue.
• UTI – A urinary tract infection can lead to bedwetting in kids because they tend to hold their urine to avoid pain until they’re deep in sleep.
• Emotional Disturbances – While stress, fear, and anxiety don’t actually cause bedwetting, they can lead to having an issue with bedwetting due to the change in habits. Eating more, not sleeping well, and so forth can lead to issues that cause bedwetting.
• Health Issues – Diabetes can cause overproduction of urine, which can lead to bedwetting. If your child was fully dry at night and then six months later or more starts bedwetting again, it can be a sign of diabetes.
• Sleep Apnea – While this problem happens more in adults, it does happen in kids, especially if they have abnormally large adenoids. If your child snores while sleeping and wets the bed, take them to be checked out by a sleep specialist or an ear, nose, and throat expert.
• Hormonal Imbalance – Some people, it turns out, don’t produce enough of the ADH hormone that controls urine output. If this is the issue, a doctor can prescribe medication to help.
• Overactive Bladder Muscles – If your child has an overactive bladder, they may be triggered to urinate before the bladder is full. They may have issues during the day with frequent toilet use but low output.
• Medication – Some medication, especially if it leads to deep sleep, can increase the risk of night-time bedwetting.
• Constipation – This is often a very significant cause of children wetting the bed. If your child’s colon is full of waste, it will put pressure on their bladder and make them pee while they are sleeping. You can cure this problem by curing the constipation.
• Genetics – Science has shown that most of the bedwetting in older children is an inhered issue. In fact, more than three-quarters of bedwetters are related to a bedwetter. Genes that help you control your bladder may be in play if your child is wetting the bed.

If your child is wetting the bed at least two to three times a week at age seven, make an appointment with your child’s pediatrician to ensure that there are no medical issues that can be causing it.  

The main issue really is serious health concerns like diabetes or other neurological problems. Other than that, most bedwetting is not bad for you. It’s merely an inconvenience that you can deal with by using bedwetting tools like alarms, mattress pads, and waterproof underwear.