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This article is from the WebMD Feature Archive

Bedwetting: What causes it?

It's a myth that laziness causes bedwetting. Many thousands of children wet the bed, but why? And how can you help?

By Matthew Hoffman, MD
WebMD Feature

Medically Reviewed by Dr Gillian (Gil) Margaret Jenkins

Waking in the middle of the night to change your child's sheets after a bedwetting episode is practically a rite of passage for parents, and it's more common than you think.

"I call it the hidden problem of childhood", says Dr Howard Bennett, a paediatrician and author of Waking Up Dry: A Guide to Help Children Overcome Bedwetting. "Unlike asthma or allergies, it's just not talked about outside the house".

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Bedwetting: the secret problem

Secrecy about bedwetting makes the situation more difficult for both children and parents. "Ninety percent of kids think they're the only ones who wet the bed, which makes them feel even worse", says Dr Bennett.

Yet bedwetting children are not alone. Although children acquire bladder control at night naturally, they do so at different ages. UK statistics show approximately one in seven children aged five, and one in 20 children aged 10, wet the bed. Twice as many boys as girls are bedwetters.

Wet beds leave bad feelings all round. Frustrated parents sometimes decide a child is wetting the bed out of laziness. Children worry there's something wrong with them, especially when teasing siblings join in. Fear of wetting the bed at a friend's house can create social awkwardness.

For some, bedwetting may be an inevitable part of growing up, but it doesn't have to be traumatic. Understanding bedwetting's causes is the first step to dealing with this common childhood problem.

The bedwetting gene

There's no single cause of bedwetting, but if you want an easy explanation, look no further than your own DNA.

"The majority of bedwetting is inherited", says Dr Bennett. "For three out of four kids, either a parent or a first-degree relative also wet the bed in childhood".

Scientists have even located some of the specific genes that lead to delayed night-time bladder control (on chromosome 13, 12, and eight).

"Most parents who had the same problem communicate it to their kids, which is good", suggests Bennett. "It helps a kid understand, I'm not alone, it's not my fault".

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