Is It Okay for a Child Who Wet the Bed Every Night?

Housewife A was very worried because her child, who is about to enter elementary school this year, still wets the bed every night. To improve the symptoms before school admission, she woke the child up at dawn to urinate, but the symptoms did not improve, and the quality of sleep deteriorated, making it difficult for both the child and herself, leading them to visit the urology department.

Nocturnal enuresis in children. [Image source=Clipart Korea]

Bedwetting during sleep without the individual's control is called nocturnal enuresis. Urinating at night before the age of 5 is a natural occurrence in the normal developmental process and is a common bladder control symptom experienced in childhood.

Even after the age of 5, about 10% of children experience nocturnal enuresis, and most improve with age, with about 1% showing nocturnal enuresis around the age of 15.

The exact cause of nocturnal enuresis has not yet been identified. Various factors such as family history, emotional issues, bladder function development, and sleep-related factors act in combination and it is known as one of the developmental delay symptoms.

In particular, family history has the greatest influence; if both parents had nocturnal enuresis, 77% of their children experience it, and if only one parent had it, 44% of their children experience nocturnal enuresis.

Nocturnal enuresis in children over 5 years old is diagnosed when the symptom of urinating unknowingly during sleep occurs at least twice a week for more than three months.

The frequency of nocturnal enuresis, periods without occurrence, fluid intake, urination frequency, urine volume, bowel movement patterns such as constipation, and sleep patterns are checked. To differentiate from other conditions like urinary incontinence, medical professionals may perform urine tests, urodynamic studies, or residual urine tests as needed.

If there are no diseases of the urinary or nervous systems, nocturnal enuresis naturally improves with growth. However, if left untreated during the time children start group activities such as school, it can negatively affect personality development during growth due to lack of confidence, shame, and anxiety. Therefore, active treatment is necessary after the age of 5.

Seo Young-eun, head of the urology department at Daedong Hospital, said, “Nocturnal enuresis in children is a natural phenomenon, but sometimes parents scold their children or try incorrect methods such as putting diapers on during sleep or waking them up at dawn to urinate.” She advised, “It can be sufficiently improved through lifestyle changes or medication if necessary, so it is best to visit the urology department for an accurate diagnosis and treatment.”

Treatment involves consultation with medical staff and taking medications such as antidiuretic hormone, bladder relaxants, or antidepressants either alone or in combination. Usually, effects appear within a week and improvement begins, but symptoms may recur after stopping medication, so the decision to discontinue medication should be made according to medical advice.

Children should drink enough fluids in the morning or daytime but avoid foods with high water content after dinner. Dinner time should be as early as possible, and spicy or salty foods should be avoided. Children should urinate before going to bed, and if constipation is present, it should be treated.

Since lifestyle changes take one to two months or more, active interest from caregivers is necessary, along with efforts to strengthen the child’s responsibility by praising them on days they do not wet the bed or encouraging them to wash and organize bedding or wet clothes themselves to foster motivation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.