Bedwetting - What are the symptoms?

Most children who wet the bed at night don't have any other symptoms. But as children get older, bedwetting may make them distressed and anxious.

About 9 in 10 children who wet the bed only do so at night.[1] If your child is also wetting themselves during the day, there's probably a more serious medical reason for their bedwetting.

If your child is older and wets the bed, they may:

Feel anxious and embarrassed about joining in certain activities, such as sleepovers[2]
Get bullied or teased by their brothers and sisters
Feel bad about themselves.

The work and stress of caring for a child who wets the bed can also make parents anxious.

You can take your child to your doctor if they are bedwetting. Your doctor will:

Ask you some questions about your child's symptoms
Usually examine your child
Order a urine test to find out if there is another cause for your child's symptoms.

Sometimes your child may have more tests to check for rare bladder problems. Your child might have an ultrasound scan of their kidneys and urinary tract (the part of your body that carries the urine from your kidneys through your bladder and out of your body). But this is only done if your child is wetting themselves during the day or they haven't got better after trying different treatments.

References

Forsythe WI, Butler R. 50 years of enuretic alarms; a review of the literature. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 1991; 64: 879-885.
Glazener CM, Evans JH, Peto RE. Complex behavioural and educational interventions for nocturnal enuresis in children (Cochrane review). In: The Cochrane Library: Issue 1, 2007. Wiley, Chichester, UK.

Glossary

kidney: Your kidneys are organs that filter your blood to make urine. You have two kidneys, on either side of your body. They are underneath your ribcage, near your back.
bladder: Your bladder is the hollow organ at the top of your pelvis that stores urine. It is similar to a balloon, only with stronger walls. It fills up with urine until you go to the toilet.
ultrasound: Ultrasound is a tool doctors use to create images of the inside of your body. An ultrasound machine sends out high-frequency sound waves, which are directed at an area of your body. The waves reflect off parts of your body to create a picture. Ultrasound is often used to see a developing baby inside a woman's womb.

This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.