Bed-wetting — also called nighttime incontinence or nocturnal enuresis — is involuntary urination while asleep.
Soggy sheets and pajamas — and an embarrassed child — are a familiar scene in many homes. It's often just a normal part of a child's development.
Generally, bed-wetting before age 7 isn't a concern.
Symptoms
Most kids are fully toilet trained by age 5, but there's really no target date for developing complete bladder control.
Between the ages of 5 and 7, bed-wetting remains a problem for some children. After 7 years of age, a small number of children still wet the bed.
When to see a doctor
Consult your child's doctor if:
- Your child still wets the bed after age 7
- Your child starts to wet the bed after a few months of being dry at night
- Bed-wetting is accompanied by painful urination, unusual thirst, pink or red urine, hard stools, or snoring
Causes
No one knows for sure what causes bed-wetting, but various factors may play a role:
- A small bladder.
- Inability to recognize a full bladder.
- A hormone imbalance.
- Urinary tract infection.
- Sleep apnea.
- Diabetes.
- Chronic constipation.
- A structural problem in the urinary tract or nervous system.
Lifestyle and home remedies
As already mentioned, in some cases it is necessary to consult a pediatrician, who on the basis of appropriate diagnosis will examine whether involuntary urination is a symptom of any latent disease - a course of treatment is prescribed according to the diagnosis.
Here are changes you can make at home that may help:
- Limit fluids in the evening.
- Avoid beverages and foods with caffeine.
- Encourage double voiding before bed.
- Encourage regular toilet use throughout the day. During the day and evening, suggest that your child urinate every two hours or so, or at least often enough to avoid a feeling of urgency.
- With your help the little one should follow personal hygiene;
- Try to understand a small person and do not get angry for wetting the sheet. Often the little ones are laughed at by the cousins, which further increase the risk of anxiety;
- If possible, it would be good to "help" the child to change the wet linen or clothes. For example, ask to make up the bed with you.
Source:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bed-wetting/symptoms-causes/syc-20366685
