Bedwetting, also referred to as nocturnal enuresis, is a common issue in many New Zealand households, affecting children of all ages. These children lack night-time bladder control at an age when control is expected.

There is no universal cause of bedwetting, but some reasons are:

• It tends to run in families. If one parent was a bed wetter, there is a 44% chance of the child bedwetting, but this increases to 77% if both parents wet the bed.
• The most common cause is that the child has not learned to activate the appropriate reflex system during sleep, it is common that they are also very deep sleepers.  Usually, when a person sleeps and the pressure of the urine is built up inside the bladder, a signal is sent to the brain.  The subconscious reflex system then contracts the sphincter muscle (the circular muscle that keeps the bladder closed) to hold the urine in and people either wake up and go to the toilet or hold on.  With bedwetters, the signal is not recognised by the subconscious reflex system and instead of contracting the sphincter muscle, the child relaxes the muscle and urinates. The child has no conscious control over bedwetting.
• The bladder may be ‘overactive’ or not able to hold reasonable volumes of urine – which may also result in wet pants or urgency during the day.
• Very rarely there may be a physical problem such as a urinary tract infection.

If you add in other factors, such as starting school, separation from a parent, or fear of the dark, then the condition is compounded, and sometimes bedwetting will start up again in a child that has previously been dry.

Bedwetting is a common condition.  15% of all 5-year-olds, 5% of 10-year-olds and 2% of 15-year-olds wet the bed.

Left untreated approximately 15% of bedwetting children will grow out of the condition each year.  The problem is you have no way to knowing when this will happen for your child.  For some children it can become highly restrictive and last even into the teenage and even adult years.
A child not wanting to go on sleepovers or school camps because they may wet their bed can start to feel isolated and lacking in self-confidence.  They may be asking themselves:  What’s wrong with me?, Why does this happen only to me?, Why can’t I control my body?  29% of parents feel that their child is at a disadvantage socially as a result of their bedwetting.

Generally, parents start seeking assistance when their child is still wetting during sleep more than once a week and they are six or older.  Other reasons include:

• Your child is motivated to get dry
• Your child’s self-esteem is affected
• Your child’s social participation is affected (school camps and sleepovers)
• The issue is causing stress, conflict or frustration within the family
• The extra washing is difficult to manage
• The cost of night time nappies/pull-ups is prohibitive.  Both financially and environmentally.
• A younger sibling is becoming dry at night

Generally, parents start seeking assistance when their child is still wetting during sleep more than once a week and they are six or older.  Other reasons include:

• Your child is motivated to get dry
• Your child’s self-esteem is affected
• Your child’s social participation is affected (school camps and sleepovers)
• The issue is causing stress, conflict or frustration within the family
• The extra washing is difficult to manage
• The cost of night time nappies/pull-ups is prohibitive.  Both financially and environmentally.
• A younger sibling is becoming dry at night