Hi B.H., unfortunately there are no simple answers when it comes to understanding children’s bedwetting. The most common causes of bedwetting include a larger than normal production of urine overnight, difficulty in responding to a full bladder as well as a family history of bedwetting. Children usually become dry when their ADH hormones stabilize and they produce less urine overnight or they learn to wake in response to the signals sent from their bladder to their brain telling them to wake-up and go to the toilet. You can help your son by making sure he drinks plenty of water throughout the day. Good drinking patterns will help his bladder to learn to store more urine and reduce the risk of bedwetting. Do not restrict drinks in the evening and make sure he empties his bladder just before going to sleep. Don’t allow him to become overtired, as this will make it even more difficult to respond to a full bladder. Make sure that he feels comfortable getting up through the night – sometimes a nightlight adds to children’s comfort and confidence. It would also be worthwhile having him assessed by your doctor just to make sure there are no underlying medical issues.

Regards,
Dr Cathrine

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