Is your child wetting the bed at night? Here’s what to know
Is your child over the age of 5 and still wetting the bed at night? It's called Bedwetting, or Nocturnal Enuresis, and it happens to roughly 1 in 5 children. By ages 6-7, 1 in 10 kids still have accidents while they sleep. Don't worry; it's not a result of laziness or attention-seeking behavior. Bedwetting is a complex condition that can be distressing for both the child and family.
Let’s look at some eye-opening statistics to show how common nighttime bedwetting is, and so you and your child can both know you aren’t alone in suffering with this condition:
1 in 5 children still have nighttime bedwetting accidents at age 5
1 in 20 children still have nighttime bedwetting accidents at age 8
1 in 50 children still have nighttime bedwetting accidents at age 15
Common Reasons
There are four main causes of bedwetting:
Inability to wake up to a full bladder
Overactivity of the bladder at night
Increased amount of urine made at night by the kidneys
Constipation
These are not the reasons for bedwetting:
Immaturity
Laziness
Bad behaviour or being rebellious
When you should seek help
If your child was dry at night, but then suddenly starts wetting the bed again
Most children who are not dry by the age of 7 or 8 should receive treatment as the problem may not resolve by itself.
Bed-wetting in many instances is not something that the child is wanting to do or has control over (despite what many of our friends and relatives will tell us). If you have a child that is wetting the bed at night at any age, it may be worth it to think about getting some help with an experienced healthcare professional who is an expert in paediatric pelvic floor care. Give us a shout!
You can also book a 1:1 free consultation with us and discuss your symptoms through our convenient online booking system or by getting in touch with our team at the Harmony Physiotherapy. At Harmony Physiotherapy, we are experts in Pelvic Physiotherapy. We are here to get you on the path to a full and healthy recovery!