Sleep Disorders: Bedwetting in Kids

Bed wetting, or nocturnal enuresis, occurs when a child urinates in his or her sleep. Bed wetting is fairly common; about 5 to 7 million children over the age of 6 regularly wet their bed. Most children do not need bed wetting treatment and outgrow it.

What Causes Bedwetting?

While a small number of bedwetting cases are due to medical conditions, such as a kidney infection or other urological problems, bedwetting is most often a developmental issue. Children who wet the bed simply don't "shut off" urine production at night. This ability normally occurs around the age of 5, when bedwetting will stop on it's own for 90% of kids, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

While babies produce urine around the clock, toddlers start to go to the bathroom on a daytime and nighttime schedule once their bodies start to produce a substance called 'anti-diuretic hormone' (ADH) that inhibits urine production. In addition, as kids mature they become more sensitive to the feeling (produced by stretching of the bladder walls) that they need to urinate.

Children who continue to wet the bed beyond the age of 6 may not be producing enough ADH hormone at appropriate times, or may not yet be attuned to their bodies' signals, or both.

When to Seek Treatment

While most children will simply outgrow bedwetting, for some it may become a problem. Parents should consider treatment for bedwetting if their child is still wetting the bed between the ages of 6 and 7, according to the National Enuresis Society -- or sooner if the child seems troubled by the bedwetting. In addition, no matter the age, if other symptoms are present, such as if your child has the urge to urinate more frequently or if urinating is accompanied by burning, seek medical care immediately.