Causes Of Bedwetting

Causes of bedwetting vary and differ to a child's age. But the key thing to remember is that to stay dry your child's body has to be able to recognise the feeling of a full bladder and able to either wake up and make his way to the toilet, or for his body to be able to hold on until it is morning time. Toddler bed wetting is very common and understanding the causes of bed wetting might help you to deal with it positively for your child.

Being able to go to the toilet at night time requires a number of different bodily functions to work. The kidneys produce urine which is then stored in the bladder. When the bladder is full nerves in the wall of the bladder send a message to the brain telling it that it needs to be emptied. The brain "hears" the message and arouses your child from their sleep.

If something in this process does not happen then your child will wet the bed. However, usually toddler bed wetting usually means that he simply not yet developmentally able to stay dry during the night.

Below are general causes of bedwetting but do not be alarmed as some are more apt to older children. Treatment is not usually needed for children under the age of six as bed wetting usually resolves by itself before then.

Causes of bedwetting

• Immature bladder muscles: your child's bladder muscles simply are not yet strong enough to hold the urine throughout the night. As their muscles mature the bed wetting will stop.
• Immature nervous system: nerves are unable to sense when the bladder is full.
• Bladder infection: However, bladder infections affect less than 2% of children who wet their bed so this is unlikely. If you are worried however, watch out for cloudy urine, urine tinged with a little blood, or a weak or dribbling stream. Your child may also complain of pain or a burning sensation when they wee. If in doubt speak to your health professional.
• Constipation: this can lead to urine leaking.
• Hormones: some children may have a lower level of a hormone called the antidiuretic hormone which suppresses the rate of urine production. As there is less of this hormone more urine than normal is made during the night.
• Hereditary: Some studies show almost 70% of bed-wetters have a parent or a sibling with a similar problem.
• Medical reasons: Bed wetting can also be a sign of diabetes or other physiological problems.
• Small bladder: so the bladder will need to empty more often.
• Deep sleep: If your child sleeps very deeply it will be harder to wake up from his sleep in order to go to the toilet or potty.
• Stress: If your child has been dry through the night and then starts bed wetting again then it could be caused by stress. Triggers could be moving house, family changes such as separation or divorce, bereavement, a new sibling, starting school, or simply by changes in their normal routines.
  

  This could be even an eventful day that has been happy. Perhaps he has been with a friend or a relative for the day. Simply by being out of his normal homely routine can be stressful for a child and cause him to wet the bed the following night.

• Diet: Foods containing high levels of artificial colour and sweetener have been connected with bed wetting. Citrus drinks can irritate the urinary tract and caffeine drinks such as tea or chocolate can stimulate the kidneys to produce more fluid.

Bladder control is something that your child will eventually learn. If you are ever worried about your child's toilet habits then it's always best to check with a health professional.

Good luck!

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