Bedwetting
Bedwetting is common in young children. It gets less common as children get older. Most children respond well to treatment, although they may still wet the bed from time to time.
Bedwetting treatments you can try at home
It's best to try a few measures yourself first, such as:
- not giving your child anything to drink in the hour before bedtime
- making sure they have a wee before going to sleep
See some more self-help tips for bedwetting.
Reassure your child. It's important for them to know they haven't done anything wrong, and it will get better.
Don't tell them off for wetting the bed. This won't help and could make the problem worse.
When to see your GP
Bedwetting is only really a problem if it begins to bother you or your child. It's not usually considered a problem in children under five.
It's a good idea to speak to your GP if:
- your child has any other symptoms along with bedwetting, such as pain when weeing, fever or constipation
- your child has suddenly started wetting the bed after they've been dry at night for a while
Lots of families first get medical help when the bedwetting affects a child's social life – for example, if they don't want to do sleepovers in case they wet the bed.
Bedwetting treatments from your GP
Your doctor may recommend a bedwetting alarm. These are moisture-sensitive pads your child wears on their night clothes. An alarm sounds if they start to wee.
Bedwetting alarms aren't available on the health service and can’t be prescribed; but you may be able to borrow one. If your GP decides it might help your child, they can tell you more on how to get one.
If an alarm doesn't work or isn't suitable, medicines for bedwetting may help. Medical treatments aren't usually recommended for children under five.
Causes of bedwetting
There's usually no obvious reason why children wet the bed, but it could be because your child:
- produces more wee than their bladder can cope with
- has an overactive bladder, meaning it can only hold a small amount of wee
- is a very deep sleeper, so they don't react to the signals telling their brain their bladder is full
Bedwetting often runs in families.
Constipation is often linked with bedwetting. Sometimes treating constipation is all that's needed to treat bedwetting.
If bedwetting starts after being dry for a while, or if there are symptoms in the daytime, your GP may test for a urine infection.
Occasionally, bedwetting is triggered by emotional distress, such as being bullied or moving to a new school.
In rare cases, bedwetting may be a symptom of an underlying health condition, such as type 1 diabetes.
More useful links
The information on this page has been adapted from original content from the NHS website.
For further information see terms and conditions.