Your basket (0 items)
- ERIC's Bedwetting pages
- Info for Children
- Info for Teens
- Info for Parents
- Info for Professionals
- Leaflets on Bedwetting
- Message Boards
- ERIC film about bedwetting
- ERIC's Dry and Mighty Campaign
Info for Children
About Bedwetting
Bedwetting happens when you are asleep. You bladder fills up with wee and empties without you knowing it's happening.
There are lots of children who wet the bed at night – even if you think you are the only one that does, we know that it is a common problem. For every class of 30 children aged 7 there will be two in that class who wet at night.
It’s not known why children wet at night but we do know that children can’t help it. Some children wet because they have inherited it from someone in the family, just like you can inherit the colour of your hair or the colour of your eyes.
Diagram of your bladder
Why bedwetting happens
Some children wet at night because they don’t get the signal that tells them they need to wake up to go to the toilet. Others haven't yet started making a hormone called vasopressin which the body uses to make sure it doesn’t produce too much wee overnight.
And some children have problems with weeing in the day and have to get to the toilet really quickly because they get a very strong signal that they need a wee.
When you are ready to stop wetting at night, ask you mum or dad to make an appointment with your school nurse, doctor or clinic for help in stopping.
How to stop bedwetting
If you go to see your school nurse, doctor or clinic they will ask lots of questions about when the bedwetting happens and how much you drink and wee everyday. They will ask you to fill in some charts and when you go back the next time they will know what the best treatment for you is.
Bedwetting alarms
Some children will use a bedwetting alarm which will wake them up with a noise every time they wee in the night. This will help the message that they need to wake up to wee in the night get through.
Medicines
Some children will use medicine to help their bodies make less wee at night. And some children will use medicine to help their bodies not need to go to wee so urgently in the day.
Drinking
It’s really important if you wet the bed at night that you drink properly in the day. About 6-8 glasses of water everyday will help your bladder stay strong and healthy. If you can drink water it is best for your bladder but if you really don’t like water you can drink squashes or fruit juices with lots of water in them.
Bladders really don’t like fizzy drinks like coke and they don’t like drinks like tea or coffee or drinking chocolate. If you really can’t do without those drinks try to drink them in the morning rather than later in the day. These sorts of drinks can make you want to go to wee more often and don't help with bedwetting.
Click on a title to download
Dry Night Chart for bedwetting alarms
Nights Away leaflet
ERIC's children's poems
We have a range of leaflets and documentation about bedwetting - they are a free resource.
Related products to buy
 |
 |
 |
 |
 | ||||||
|
|
|
 
|
   | ||||||
