A child with bedwetting disorder (enuresis) has no control over urination at night. Even when awake, the child may not realize that his or her bladder is full of urine and may not be able to control urination as he or she does during the day. Bedwetting disorder is also called nocturnal enuresis, while bedwetting that occurs during the day is called diurnal enuresis, which are two different conditions. Bedwetting is common in young children, ranging from 1 in 10 children under the age of 5 to 2 in 100 children under the age of 15. Unconscious nighttime urination is a normal part of a child’s development and is not the result of a failure in bowel training. Each child does not grow and learn bladder control at the same rate, and few children do not wet the bed by age 3. Until bedwetting disappears, you should be patient and understanding, help your child, and encourage him or her. Causes In most cases, bedwetting is simply because the child is asleep and cannot wake up when the bladder is full of urine. Often, bedwetting disorders are inherited. If you have been a bedwetter, your child is more likely to have bedwetting disorder. In rare cases, type 1 diabetes or congenital defects of the urinary tract may cause bedwetting disorders. They can lead not only to nocturnal enuresis but also to diurnal enuresis. If there is no diurnal enuresis, then you can rest assured that your child is most likely very healthy. Emotional and behavioral problems, such as agitation and not adjusting to a new house or a new sibling, are not the cause of bedwetting disorder. But if bedwetting is seen as a “problem,” your child may become agitated and lose self-confidence. In reality, bedwetting is often just a matter of doing laundry. When is it time to see a doctor? If your child is wetting during the day and continues to do so after the age of 6 or older, you need to take your child to a doctor. If the bedwetting has disappeared completely for more than 6 months and then suddenly returns, you need to take your child to a doctor. Treatment and medications If your child is found to have a physical cause for daytime bedwetting, your child’s doctor will prescribe antibiotics and other medications to treat the urinary tract infection. For children with bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis), the doctor may prescribe a hormone called desmopressin (DDAVO), but this medication is limited to overnight stays and camping trips. How to help a child with enuresis The child may need your comfort and understanding. Encouragement and positive teaching (such as praising for not wetting the bed) are no longer advocated because it is difficult to convince a child that there is no shame in wetting the bed at night when we praise for not wetting the bed. You can gently remind your child to go pee before they go to bed, but waking a sleeping child to go pee can be cost-prohibitive. Most children will stop wetting the bed without treatment. Control your emotions and reassure your child The constant washing of your child’s sheets is likely to frustrate you. Instead of punishing or shaming your child, reassure him or her that it’s not his or her fault and that the bedwetting will go away after a while.