Bedwetting can be worrying and frustrating, but it’s very common for children to accidentally wet the bed during the night. The problem usually resolves in time. Bed wetting is common in young children but it gets less common as the child gets older.

In the UK, it’s estimated that about:

  • 1 in 12 children wet the bed regularly at four and a half years old (regularly is defined as at least twice a week.
  • 1 in 40 children wet the bed regularly at seven and a half years old.
  • 1 in 65 children wet the bed regularly at nine and a half years old.

Bedwetting is slightly more common in boys than in girls.

Bedwetting is only really a problem if it begins to bother the children or parents/carers. It is important to seek support when the bed wetting affects the child’s sleep pattern and social life (for example, preventing sleepovers). If your child is frequently wetting the bed and finds it upsetting, speak to your GP for advice.

Why do children wet the bed?

There is usually no obvious reason children wet the bed and it is not your child’s fault.

Bedwetting could be caused by your child:

  • Producing more urine than their bladder can cope with
  • Having an overactive bladder, meaning it can only hold a small amount of urine
  • Bring a very deep sleeper so they don’t react to the signals telling their brain their bladder is full
  • Drinking lots of fluids during the evening could cause your child to wet the bed during the night, particularly if they have a small bladder capacity
  • Child may wake up during the night with a full bladder and not go to the toilet. This may be because of childhood fears, such as being afraid of the dark.
  • A Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

Occasionally bedwetting can be triggered by emotional distress, such as moving to a new school, loss of a family member, being bullied or the arrival of a new baby in the family. All of these things can be very stressful for a young child.

In some rare cases, bedwetting may be an symptom of an underlying health condition, such as Type 1 Diabetes.

What can I do as a parent?

The recommended plan is usually to try a few tasks yourself first, such as:

  • Making sure the amount of liquid your child drinks in the evening is lessened
  • Making sure they go to the toilet before going to sleep
  • Lifting your child during the night for a short time to help minimise the bedwetting and establish a toilet routine if required

Alwaysreassure your child that everything is okay. Don’t tell them off or punish them for wetting the bed as this won’t help and could make the problem worse. It’s important for them to know they are not alone and it will get better.

If these measures alone don’t help, then you may need to seek support from your GP in case your child has an infection that needs treated or other medical issues.

Most children respond well if established routines are put into place to help them, although bedwetting can sometimes return temporarily so do not feel like your hard work and efforts have failed.