Teenage Bedwetting

A teenage topic that is rarely discussed openly is that of bedwetting or nocturnal enuresis. There are teens who still wet their beds and parents who worry about this with good reason, however, there is little discussion about this topic. Why is this? Likely because there is a degree of shame associated with this topic which makes people uncomfortable discussing it or asking questions about it. Teenagers often try to hide their soiled sheets or pretend that there is not an issue, making it difficult for parents to address. Despite this, it is important that this issue is addressed as it could be a serious matter. Below are some things to consider and steps you may want to take to address this issue.

1. Get medical attention. It is always the best first step to have your child seen by a doctor who can assess if there is a legitimate medical reason why your child is wetting the bed. If there is, then they can review the treatment options with you which will hopefully cease the bed wetting. You should ask that they do a urine analysis to rule out diabetes, infection or other such medical conditions. If there is not a medical condition causing the bedwetting then there are other things to consider.

2. Assess for any trauma. A common symptom of trauma (being physically or sexually abused or even just witnessing something bad such as domestic violence) is bed wetting. Often times when children have experienced a traumatic event or significant stress, particularly sexual abuse, bedwetting occurs. If you have any suspicion that your child has been the victim of trauma you should seek professional help as soon as possible from a licensed therapist. This therapist can offer support to both yourself and your child and help your child heal from their trauma.

3. Genetics. If a teen's parents had issues with bedwetting, it is much more likely that they will have problems with bedwetting. This could be due to a small bladder, not producing the hormones that tell your kidneys to slow down at night or due to being an extremely deep sleeper.

If your teen is wetting the bed, it is important to get them motivated to change their behavior. Some suggestions for this are:

1. The first thing is to make sure that they are 100% responsible for changing and washing their sheets and putting new ones on their bed each time they have an accident. As the parent, this should not be your role and because they will not want to have to do this, it may increase their motivation to make some changes.

2. The second thing you can do is restrict any beverages after a certain time in the evening so that they are less likely to have to go to the bathroom during their sleeping hours.

3. A third thing you can do is set an alarm in the middle of the night that wakes them up to let them know that they have to use the bathroom, even if they do not feel like they have to go at that time.

4. Finally, have them start using a bed wetting alarm. These alarms are a form of behavioral conditioning and are placed inside an individual's underwear where you would expect the first drop of urine to be if they start wetting themselves at night. When the alarm senses wetness, it makes a sound and usually also has a tactile sensation which wakes the individual up. Over time, individuals learn to recognize the sensation of when their bladder is full before the alarm goes off.

As is stated above, bedwetting is a situation which is typically not openly discussed but which can be very problematic for teens and parents. Seeking medical evaluation and advice should always be the first intervention if you have concerns that your teenager is wetting the bed.