Bedwetting: Why Does It Happen and When Can It Be a Problem?

Bedwetting: Why Does It Happen and When Can It Be a Problem?


The problem affects approximately 10% of children between the ages of 5 and 17; understand the main reasons for bedwetting

After their child is potty trained, many parents begin to worry about continued potty training episodes. wetting the bed. Many even wonder whether this is normal and at what age it can occur.




Bedwetting is considered a problem (called enuresis) only when the child is over 5 years old, the age at which they begin to have control of their sphincters. In essence, the problem affects about 10% of children between 5 and 17 years old and can also have negative consequences on the self-esteem of children.

“We speak of enuresis only when the patient presents involuntary urination during sleep at least twice a week,” explains Dr. Milena Blanco Messeder, pediatrician at Prontobaby Méier. The problem can also occur in children without comorbidities.

Reasons for Wetting the Bed

Bedwetting after age 5 can occur for a variety of reasons, one of which is a delay in the maturation of the child and his brain region called the locus coeruleus.

“Delay in neurological maturation responsible for bladder-sphincter control can occur, especially in boys, and is usually associated with other disorders, such as delay in speaking and walking. Normally the child is monitored by a pediatrician. If the delay exceeds what If you imagine your age, research is needed”, comments Dr. Milena.

There are also children who wet the bed because they are heavy sleepers and, therefore, do not wake up with the desire to go to the bathroom. If this situation occurs at home, Dr. Milena suggests increasing water consumption during the day and limiting it after dinner, urinating regularly during the day without holding urine for more than three hours, and emptying the bladder before going to bed.

“Scheduled nighttime urination is another suggestion that can be used. Typically, the difficulty in waking these children occurs mainly in the first third of sleep, so waking them after three hours to go to the bathroom is one strategy. Positive reinforcement is very important in all cases and the child should not be punished for running away,” she explains.

In general, bedwetting problems occur due to delays in maturity and usually improve over time. “The incidence of bedwetting in five-year-old children varies around 15%. While in a 15-year-old adolescent it is around 1%. As time goes by it becomes less present,” concludes the specialist.

Source: Terra

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