Eighty-five percent of children begin staying dry all night at the age of three years.  All children may have an occasional problem with bed-wetting, particularly when they are ill or suffer a trauma or stress.  However, bed-wetting (enuresis) is a common problem for five to seven million children between the ages of 6 and 12.  The medical term enuresis means the involuntary voiding of urine beyond the age of anticipated control.  More boys than girls have trouble staying dry at night.

Bed-wetting is usually not an emotional, learning or behavioral problem.  However, children who are punished for their inability to control their bladders may develop emotional and behavioral problems, as well as life long emotional scars.  In those cases where it is due to an emotional problem, relieving the stress and making the child feel secure are usually the only steps necessary to resolve the issue.

There are many reasons that children may suffer from bed-wetting.  Sometimes bed-wetting is a symptom of illness such as constipation, a bladder infection or diabetes.  According to medical studies, some children who wet the bed may have abnormal levels of a hormone called antidiuretic hormone (ADH).  This hormone helps the kidneys retain water and reduce the amount of urine filling the bladder.  Sometimes, bed-wetting may signal a sleep disorder or a child who is not getting enough sleep.  It may also be a side-effect of medication or too much caffeine in the diet.  Many times, it is just the natural rate of a child's development to take longer than three years to gain complete bladder control.  If both parents have a history of bed-wetting there is a 70% chance their children will also be affected by this condition.

The child may also suffer from physical imbalances that have affected his ability to either hold his urine or to recognize the signals in his body that tell him he must empty his bladder.  These torsions and restrictions could stem from the way he was positioned in the womb or his presentation at birth. 

Most children eventually outgrow the problem.  However, there is help for children before that happens.

Standard medical treatment for bed-wetting includes bladder control exercises, changing the child's eating and drinking habits, eliminating drinking after 6 PM, waking the child during the night, motivational therapy, behavior modification techniques including moisture alarm systems and medication such as anti-diuretic nasal spray or antidepressants.

Most of these methods are not very effective for most children.  Exercises to strengthen a bladder that is already tight and restricted will not help. Stretching exercises may also be ineffective if there are restrictions that inhibit the bladder.  Dietary changes will not prevent bed-wetting if the cause is a physical imbalance.  Motivational therapy and behavior modification also do not address this issue. Restriction of liquids at night often just leaves the child thirsty and unable to get a good night's sleep therefore making them more likely to sleep out of exhaustion and miss the body signals that tell them they must empty their bladder.    Medication is expensive and only effective for a small number of children. The side effects may increase the incidence of bed-wetting or be harder on the child than the bed-wetting is.

At Windsong Therapy and Wellness, the child is evaluated and we work to relieve restrictions and adhesions and balance the body.  We have extensive experience in a variety of therapeutic techniques that can help a child with not only the physical developmental conditions but also the emotional and behavioral issues that may be involved in bedwetting. This often leads to more and more dry nights.

This website last updated on 31 July 2010

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