Night bladder control develops gradually as bladder capacity increases and children learn to respond to the signals of a full bladder. Bedwetting, or enuresis, is a common problem in children, affecting more than five million children over the age of six in the U.S., according to the National Kidney Foundation. Starting a night bladder training program or using medication can help reduce bedwetting incidents.
Identification
The bladder is the organ in the body that holds urine. Infants automatically empty the bladder when it is full by squeezing muscles surrounding the bladder. Young children don't achieve control of urination until they learn to identify the feeling of a full bladder and can stop the automatic reflex that releases urine. This usually occurs when children are between 18 months and 2 ½ years, according to Dr.Sears.com. Children achieve bladder control at night when they are able to recognize that they have a full bladder and stop the automatic reflex even when they are sleeping.
Causes
Bedwetting may occur due to a small bladder, stress or trouble waking up from a deep sleep. In some children, the central nervous system develops more slowly, which affects the ability to realize that the bladder is full during sleep. Night bladder control can also be affected by the amount of the antidiuretic hormone that the body produces.
During the night, the body increases production of the antidiuretic hormone, reducing production of urine, according to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. If insufficient amounts of the hormone are produced, the bladder may overfill. Certain diseases and conditions, including urinary tract infections and structural abnormalities in the spinal cord, ureter or urethra, may also contribute to lack of bladder control.
Risk Factors
Girls experience bedwetting less often than boys. Bedwetting also seems to have a genetic component. The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse reports that a child has an 80 percent chance of being a bedwetter if both parents were bedwetters.
Solutions
Teaching children to hold urine for increasingly longer periods during the day can stretch the bladder, providing more capacity for urine at night. You can also help your child reduce the chance of bedwetting by limiting evening beverages and encouraging him to use the bathroom immediately before going to bed.
Dr.Sears.com suggests waking your child and taking him to the bathroom a few hours after he falls asleep, as this is a time when accidents are likely to occur. Using a bedwetting alarm can help your child realize when he begins to urinate in bed. The alarm is placed in your child's pajamas and is sensitive to very small amounts of liquid. In some cases, bedwetting will eventually resolve when your child's central nervous system becomes more mature and his bladder capacity increases.
Medication
Medication can help reduce bedwetting by increasing the amount of the antidiuretic hormone your child produces. Your doctor may prescribe the drugs desmopressin or imipramine if you choose to use medication for your child. If your child stops using the medication, bedwetting may resume, according to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
