Bed-wetting is urination during sleep. Children learn bladder control at different ages. Children younger than 4 often wet their beds or clothes, because they can’t yet control their bladder. But by age 5 or 6 most children can stay dry through the night.
Bed-wetting is defined as a child age 5 or older wetting the bed at least 1 or 2 times a week over at least 3 months. In some cases, the child has been wetting the bed all along. But bed-wetting can also start after a child has been dry at night for a long time.
Wetting the bed can be upsetting, especially for an older child. Your child may feel bad and be embarrassed. You can help by being loving and supportive. Try not to get upset or punish your child for wetting the bed.
What causes bed-wetting?
Children don’t wet the bed on purpose. Most likely, a child wets the bed for one or more reasons, such as:
- Delayed growth. Children whose nervous system is still forming may not be able to know when their bladder is full.
- A small bladder. Some children may have a bladder that gets full quickly.