A video explaining why daytime and bedtime wetting happens and what you can do to help.
Primary Children's Hospital (USA).
Wetting the bed at night (nocturnal enuresis) is very common in young tamariki. It affects approximately:
Bedwetting occurs slightly more often in boys than girls.
Experts do not consider bedwetting a problem until tamariki are about 7 years of age. That is a good age to introduce treatment programmes if your child wants to do something about it.
Almost all tamariki grow out of bedwetting. About 1% of adults may still have occasional problems.
Some tamariki wet their pants during the day as well.
See the KidsHealth page on daytime wetting for more information [1]
There are 2 types of bedwetting.
Primary bedwetting (primary enuresis) is when a child has never been dry overnight for more than a few months
Secondary bedwetting (secondary enuresis) is when a child starts wetting the bed again after having more than 6 months of being completely dry overnight
There is no universal cause of bedwetting but we know that:
Be patient and understanding. Reassure your child that it is OK, especially if they are upset. Respond gently when your child wets the bed - even if you feel angry.
Praise and reward your child for getting up to use the toilet.
Prepare the bed and your child before they go to sleep. Use a heavy plastic mattress cover and protect the mattress with absorbent pads or towels. Wearing extra-thick underwear and pyjamas may help to stop your child flooding the bed. Encourage your child to wee before bedtime.
Give your child plenty of fluid during the day - this helps their bladder to get used to holding bigger amounts of wee . Avoid giving any drinks containing caffeine, such as tea, hot chocolate or fizzy drinks.
If you wake your child up to wee after they have been asleep for several hours, it is important to make sure they are fully awake.
Shower or bath your child in the morning before they go to school. Otherwise, the smell of wee might embarrass them and lead to teasing.
Take a look at this video with your child. 'A wee secret' is a story about Jet Johnson who has a secret. Find out how he bravely gets the help he needs (Continence NZ video).
Your child can’t control their bedwetting, so do not punish them. Don't use nappies or plastic pants if your child is over 4 years old if they are embarrassed.
If bedwetting is a problem, you can contact your school nurse or family doctor. Your family doctor will examine your child for any underlying cause of bedwetting and may refer you to an appropriate service.
Reasons for seeing a healthcare professional include:
In most cases, your child won't need any special tests for bedwetting.
If your child has daytime wetting, the doctor or nurse may ask your child to do a urine test and sometimes a blood test. Staff at the laboratory can test these samples. These tests can help rule out any medical conditions.
Your child shouldn't need any scans or x-rays.
There are several ways to treat bedwetting, and your child can help to decide what is best for them at this time.
Understandably, some tamariki get upset if there is teasing, bullying or punishment because of bedwetting.
If you have tried one of the treatments before (when your child was younger) and it did not work, it might be worthwhile trying it again.
Tamariki under 7 years old may not see the need to do anything. Many tamariki will grow out of bedwetting.
An alarm that awakens your sleeping child as soon as they wet the bed is a good long-term treatment. The alarm can train your child to wake up before they wee. Alarms have a 70% success rate. They are more likely to work if your child is keen and if you have professional support.
Your child's doctor may arrange medicine for your child to use for overnight stays and school camps.
If your child has constipation, treating the constipation may stop bedwetting in some tamariki.
Your child's doctor may suggest a behaviour modification program for your child.
Waking your child up during the night to go to the toilet might help, but your child could end up missing too much sleep.
Your family doctor may refer your child to a paediatrician (child health specialist) or urologist (a doctor specially trained in bladder and urinary system conditions).
If a psychological problem is present, your family doctor may refer your child for help. Psychological problems are very rarely the cause of bedwetting.
This page has been produced by the Paediatric Society of New Zealand in collaboration with the Enuresis Guideline Team, KEEA (Kiwi and Enuresis Encopresis Association) NZ and NZCA (The New Zealand Continence Association).
This page last reviewed 30 October 2023.
Email us [6] your feedback
Links
[1] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/daytime-wetting
[2] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/1860
[3] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/1691
[4] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/1861
[5] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/1862
[6] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/contact?from=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kidshealth.org.nz%2Fprint%2F17