When a child wets the bed many doubts and concerns may arise in this regard. It is an issue that, although very common in children up to 6 years of age, is still a handicap for many families. When toilet training comes, it is very common to think that the child will be able to leave the diaper completely and easily. However, daytime control has nothing to do with nighttime control.
A child who is able to control his bowel movements during the day and relieve himself in the bathroom may have difficulty doing the same while sleeping. Although doctors do not know how to determine the causes of why a child wet the bed, in the same way that it is not known how to stop doing it, believed to be just part of the child's developmental process.
Therefore, it is necessary to respect the time that each one needs, without comparing it with other children or with their siblings. Simply because most children end up overcoming this phase, although in different stages. Y in most cases, there is no medical or psychological cause that causes a child to wet the bed after a certain age and when he controls his urine for the day.
My child wets the bed, do I have to go to the doctor?
It is not the same as a child having some nocturnal urine leakage, from time to time and in isolation, to occur constantly and even think that it can be premeditated. If your child controls his urine throughout the day and one night he has a leak, it is likely that he has had too much water at dinner, that he has not discharged before going to sleep and may even have some sleep that makes him lose control of their sphincters while he sleeps.
All of these are normal situations that you should not worry about, since they tend to happen naturally over time. Very different is that your child wet the bed frequently, more than 2 times a week and that this situation lasts for several weeks, even months. Then, it may be a bed-wetting problem or urinary incontinence.
In which case, it is necessary to consult with the pediatrician to find the causes of the problem. Urinary incontinence in children can be caused by a myriad of reasons. Often, it is a sleep disorder problem, it can also be caused by emotional problems or a social situation that the child does not know how to control. Even if it can also be due to medical causes, such as a bladder or kidney problem, however, this occurs in isolated cases.
Common causes
If your child wet the bed occasionally, it could be for any of these causes:
- Drink excess fluids before going to sleep: If the child goes to bed right after dinner, it is likely that he will not be able to discharge in the bathroom and go to bed with an empty bladder.
- Slower development: Toilet training begins around age 3, but development can be slower in some cases.
- Emotional problems: A separation, problems in the family, an uncomfortable situation at school or in the closest environment. If the child suddenly wet the bed, when he did not do it before, you have to look for external causes that may be hurting the child emotionally.
- Family background: If the father or mother wet the bed when they were children, it is more likely to be repeated in children.
- Disturbed sleep: Children who do not have a good sleep routine, who come to the night too tired, have more difficulty waking up when they feel the urge to urinate. What's more, you may not be aware that you have such a need.
Although in principle it is something that is normal in children under 6 years of age, it is important to assess if it is something sudden, occasional or if it becomes routine. Consult with the pediatrician to be able to do a follow-up and an assessment of the situation.