The bigger picture

Bedwetting is generally considered normal in children under the age of five years. In children older than this who are dry during the day, it is thought to be due to an inability to wake up in response to a full bladder; a larger than normal production of urine at night which exceeds the capacity of the bladder; a smaller than usual bladder capacity; or an overactive bladder. The prevalence is unknown, but it is thought to affect up to a fifth of children aged five years, around five per cent of 10 year olds, and around half as many teenagers.

There is a strong genetic link; the child of a parent who became dry later than their peers is likely to follow the same pattern. Other risk factors include obesity, developmental delay, incontinence (faecal or urinary), constipation, toilet training later than usual, gender (boys are more likely than girls to be bedwetters), sleep apnoea, and psychological or behavioural disorders such as autism and ADHD.

The impact can run deep, with the child feeling guilty, ashamed, helpless and humiliated, and avoiding social activities. Parents may struggle not only with the additional work involved in looking after a child who wets the bed, but sometimes with the financial strain incurred from buying night-time continence and mattress pads, extra bed linen and laundry products.