What is bedwetting? What are the causes and how to avoid?

Bedwetting is common among children. Children below 3 years of age urinate in between the sleep. It is true that bedwetting is usually the result of some underlying condition but among the kids bedwetting is without any reason. Nothing can explain the reason behind bedwetting among kids. However, this continues for initial 2-3 years. Only 1% of kids wetting the beds suffer from underlying health condition. Kids can’t control the act of bedwetting as it is the result of some developmental issue. Here you will learn the causes of bedwetting and how to control it.

Bedwetting is of two kinds, namely, primary and secondary. When the child is bedwetting from the time of birth, it is known as primary bedwetting. But, if the kid has been dry for quite some time and suddenly starts to wet the bed after a period of 6 months, it is termed as secondary bedwetting.

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The reasons for Primary bedwetting

There may be either one reason behind bedwetting or multiple reasons behind it. The following are the top reasons:

• The child cant hold the urine
• The child fails to wake up when the bladder is full
• The kid has the tendency to produce urine in large quantity during the evening and nighttime.
• Poor daytime urination habit whereby the kids don’t urinate when they feel the urge. Some kids have the unhealthy habit of holding the urine for a long time

Secondary bedwetting and the reasons

It may happen that the child has given up bedwetting but starts to wet the bed after the period of 6 months or 1 year. This may result from a medical condition. Following may be the probable reasons:

• Frequent urination and bedwetting may be caused due to an infection in urinary tract. The concerned person feels a sort of pain in the urinary tract and a greater urge to urinate at uncanny hours
• People who suffer from diabetes can’t control their bladder. They frequently urinate. To get rid of sugar from the body, the body has the urge to urinate again and again. This may at times lead to bedwetting.
• Structural abnormality of the organs or muscles involved in urination can also cause bedwetting. This can lead to urinary problems and incontinence.
• Nervous system disease or any injury to nervous system may also lead to bedwetting
• If the homely environment is too much stressful, kids have the tendency to wet the bed. Apart from this, kids who are subjected to sexual abuse also have tendency to wet the bed

Genetic factors can also lead to bedwetting

Genetic factors plays crucial role in bedwetting. If you have family history of bedwetting, you may have the tendency to do the same. If the parent of the child suffered bedwetting, then it is likely that the kid will have the same problem. The child will have 75% chance of having this problem.

If there issue in the bladder when you fail to control the bladder, there will be frequent episodes of bedwetting. There may be some problem in the bladder muscles or muscles holding the urine to cause bedwetting.

How can you help the child?

The following are the steps you may adopt:

• Don’t blame your child for wetting the bed. It is more important to target the problem rather than blaming the child
• Don’t create an issue of bedwetting. The more you support the child, the easier it will be to stop bedwetting. Give examples of people who had the same problems and how they gave up
• Don’t allow any of your family members to tease the child for bedwetting
• Discuss out the importance of being dry and maintaining personal hygiene.
• Use waterproof bed sheet or absorbent sheets, room deodorizer to promote hygiene.

Tips to stopping bedwetting

• Ask your child to use the bathroom prior to bed
• Don’t allow him to intake fluid for at least 2 hours before bed
• Ask your child to move to the washroom in between the sleep. Let the child wake up and move to the washroom
• The toilet must be in close reach
• If the child has constipation, it needs to be dealt first

Bedwetting may damage the image of the child or ruin his self confidence and self esteem. Being supportive rather than being angry can help your child to give up bedwetting.