Causes of bed-wetting
In most cases, bed-wetting occurs because your child is simply a deep sleeper and does not wake up when their bladder is full.
Often, the tendency to wet the bed can run in families. If you were a bed-wetter, your child is more likely to do the same.
In very rare cases, bed-wetting can be caused by type 1 diabetes or a congenital (from birth) defect of the urinary tract. However, these conditions also cause daytime symptoms too. If your child does not experience daytime wetting, you can rest assured that they are likely to be completely healthy.
Some children can start to wet the bed when they had previously been dry at night as a response to changes in their lives. These changes may include moving to a new home, the birth of a brother or sister or new child-care arrangements. If your child has suddenly started to wet the bed after an extended dry period, talk to them about what is bothering them and try to help them cope with the change.
How common is bed-wetting?
Bed-wetting is common in young children. It is found in about 20 per cent of five-year-olds but falls to about two per cent of fifteen-year-olds.
Very few children have dry nights before they are three years old. Most children start to stay dry at night between ages three and eight. Until your child achieves this milestone, they will benefit from your patience and understanding.
Unintentional and unconscious urination at night is a normal stage in your child's development. Most children will be toilet trained for the daytime long before they are able to be toilet trained for night time. Do not look at bed-wetting as failed toilet training. Each child matures and develops good bladder control at a different pace.