Why Do Kids Wet the Bed After Being Potty Trained?

Even after your child is dry during the day, and is capable of using the potty when they need to, they can still experience bedwetting at night. Bedwetting (also called nocturnal enuresis) is a medical condition that can be treated after the age of 5. According to the children's bowel and bladder charity, Eric, about 15% of 7-year-olds wet the bed regularly. Before the age of 5, your child might not yet have the bladder control to avoid urinating at night, even if they can hold it during the day.

Key Reasons for Bedwetting After Potty Training

There are several main reasons your child might not have bladder control at night. Bedwetting is a physical condition that could have one or more causes behind it. One option is that the child's bladder doesn't stretch enough, or they could produce too much urine at night. They might also fail to wake up when their bladder signals when it's full. During the day, they might easily get to the toilet when their bladder is full, but wet the bed at night.

Bedwetting can have underlying causes too. Both these underlying causes and primary causes of bedwetting are treatable. Determining the cause of bedwetting allows the right treatment to be found.

Underlying causes can include constipation, a urinary tract infection (UTI), or type 1 diabetes. If your child also has bladder problems during the day, this also needs to be investigated.

Causes of Secondary Bedwetting

When a child starts to wet the bed after at least six months of being dry, it's known as secondary bedwetting or sudden onset bedwetting. This could have further potential causes. It could again be related to an underlying condition such as a UTI or type 1 diabetes. Additionally, some children may begin to wet the bed during a period of stress or change in their life. When a child is worried or anxious, it can suppress the hormone vasopressin, which controls how much urine is produced at night. This means that when a child is worried, bedwetting can occur.

How To Stop Bedwetting

Bedwetting can be stressful to deal with, but it's important to remember that it's not your child's fault. You should never blame them or tell them off for it. Finding out the cause of bedwetting is important to allow you to find the right way to address it.

You should see your doctor to talk about bedwetting. NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidelines recommend that children over 5 who are still bedwetting can have a bladder and bowel assessment. Booking an appointment with your GP may be your first port of call. They might also have someone specialising in bedwetting or they might be able to refer you to a clinic.

Before you book an appointment with the doctors ERIC have some key advice that GPs will often refer you to so it's useful to have a look here first before booking an appointment as there are things you could start doing at home first Advice for children with night time wetting - ERIC. 

There are also several things you can monitor and check to help discover the cause of bedwetting. Make sure they are drinking plenty of water during the day, which can help to prevent UTIs and constipation. If you think they're constipated, keep a diary of when they go to the toilet to understand when and how often they're going. A nighttime diary can also help you record wet and dry nights for a better understanding of why it's happening. Try to limit how much your child drinks before bedtime and ensure they go to the toilet before bed too.

Tips for Managing Bedwetting

In addition to getting medical help for bedwetting, there are several things you can do to manage the problem if needed after assessment.

• Use a bedwetting alarm – This is designed to wake your child up to wee in the night if they have trouble waking to empty their bladder. It can take several weeks for this method to work because your child will need time to adjust. But once they are used to responding to the alarm and getting up, it can be effective.
• Bedwetting medication – Medication for bedwetting can be an option, especially if a bedwetting alarm isn't helpful. Desmopressin is a medication that can be used to increase the levels of the hormone vasopressin, which helps to reduce the amount of urine produced.

Protecting the Bed

Of course, even if you find out what's causing bedwetting, it won't necessarily be solved right away. While you're dealing with bedwetting, you want to make the cleanup as easy as possible and reduce stress for everyone. Our mattress protectors help keep kids' beds clean and dry so you don't have to worry so much. Hygge Sheets® Bed Pads for Bed Wetting also come in a range of fun designs, so your kids will love them too. They're waterproof and washable, featuring four layers of protection and a soft quilted fabric for comfort.