Why do kids wet the bed?

Pediatrician Lawrence Kagan, MD, shares advice for parents on what causes children to wet the bed and the best ways to stop your child from wetting the bed
Why Kids Wet the Bed and What to Do About It
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Why do kids wet the bed?

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First, we should understand that bedwetting is distinct from potty training. Children may be continent during the day, but there are a good five percent of children that will not achieve nocturnal continence until up to ten years of age. We often find that there's actually a genetic reason for that. Parents who were bedwetters until late, often will have children who are bedwetters until late. We have to be very careful not to embarrass or shame our children because often, it's no fault of their own. Things you can optimize them for their success is to make sure they don't have anything to drink after dinner, make sure they completely void right before they go to bed. Children sometimes need to be woken up at 11:00 or 12:00 at night to void and then go back to bed. There are moisture alarms that you can purchase over the counter, that wake a child up at the first sign of moisture to help them to recognize that feeling that they have right before they go. Some children are just deep sleepers and they don't wake up for it. That way you are helping children who have smaller bladders. You are helping children that are deep sleepers. At the end of the day, five percent of children will not achieve nocturnal continence until ten years of age. That's probably genetic and is not their fault. The last thing you want to do is shame or embarrass them over it.

Pediatrician Lawrence Kagan, MD, shares advice for parents on what causes children to wet the bed and the best ways to stop your child from wetting the bed

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Lawrence Kagan, MD

Pediatrician

Lawrence Kagan, MD, FAAP, is a UCLA honors graduate, with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. He received medical training at USC Keck School of Medicine, and completed his internship and residency in Pediatrics at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. In addition to passionately studying neonatal, general pediatric and adolescent medicine at CHLA, he had the opportunity to train under some of the greatest minds in subspecialty pediatrics, diagnosing and managing the rarest and most complicated childhood ailments. Prior to opening Westside Pediatrics, he worked as an attending physician at the CHLA Emergency Department as well as at Cedars Sinai Urgent Care. Dr. Kagan is a native of Los Angeles and is happily married with two children.

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Transcription: 
First, we should understand that bedwetting is distinct from potty training. Children may be continent during the day, but there are a good five percent of children that will not achieve nocturnal continence until up to ten years of age. We often find that there's actually a genetic reason for that. Parents who were bedwetters until late, often will have children who are bedwetters until late. We have to be very careful not to embarrass or shame our children because often, it's no fault of their own. Things you can optimize them for their success is to make sure they don't have anything to drink after dinner, make sure they completely void right before they go to bed. Children sometimes need to be woken up at 11:00 or 12:00 at night to void and then go back to bed. There are moisture alarms that you can purchase over the counter, that wake a child up at the first sign of moisture to help them to recognize that feeling that they have right before they go. Some children are just deep sleepers and they don't wake up for it. That way you are helping children who have smaller bladders. You are helping children that are deep sleepers. At the end of the day, five percent of children will not achieve nocturnal continence until ten years of age. That's probably genetic and is not their fault. The last thing you want to do is shame or embarrass them over it.