Bedwetting: Just the facts

Bedwetting happens when the message saying ‘I need to wee’ doesn’t get from your full bladder to your brain. This means your bladder empties while you’re asleep.

There are lots of reasons why this might happen.

Constipation is when you have a full bowel from not pooing regularly. A full bowel can put pressure on your bladder, both during the day and night, causing you to wet yourself.

To avoid constipation, make sure you are eating a varied diet with plenty of fibre, from fruit, vegetables and cereals, and have at least 6-8 water based drinks a day.

Your bladder is big enough to hold the wee, but sometimes the bladder can become ‘twitchy’ and send a message to your brain to empty before it’s full. This is called an overactive bladder.

Your bladder might need emptying frequently, often at very short notice. This can be an issue both during the day and at night.

Vasopressin is a hormone that tells your kidneys to make less wee at night. If there isn’t enough of this hormone, the kidneys carry on making wee that fills the bladder. This can lead to bedwetting.

If this is the case for you, your doctor can give you medication, which will help.

You can get special bed alarms that have a sensor which sounds the alarm when it becomes wet. Over time this trains the brain to wake up when you need a wee.

Remember, if you’re worried about bedwetting, speak to your school nurse for help and advice.

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