Bedwetting, also known as nocturnal enuresis, is just a part of growing up for some children. But this isn't the case for every child. For some kids, bedwetting can be a very negative experience. Unfortunately, bedwetting is often misunderstood, leading to common misconceptions about the condition.
The most common misunderstanding is that the child can control what is happening. Bedwetting is involuntary. Children don't purposely wet the bed, and it's not the child's fault.
Reasons why bedwetting occurs include the following:
- deep sleep: Deep sleepers don't respond to nerve signals from the bladder that tells them it's time to wake up and urinate.
- small bladder: Urine that is produced during the night may not be held by a child's small, developing bladder.
- chemical messenger imbalance: Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) levels work as chemical messengers in the body, and ADH levels increase at night to tell the kidneys to produce less urine. Some children don't produce enough of this chemical messenger.
- medical conditions: Bedwetting may be a sign of medical conditions such as diabetes, sleep apnea, and urinary tract infections.
There are many possible causes for bedwetting. It's important to understand that bedwetting is not the child's fault. If bedwetting is a concern, your child's doctor can help you figure out what's causing it and suggest treatment options.
See our section on bedwetting and its effects on your child so that you may better understand what your child is going through.
All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2023. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/The-Impact-of-Bedwetting-on-Your-Child