I am a mother of a soon to be 14-year-old. She is a bedwetter. She's been on the nasal spray, she's had surgery to dilate her urethra, and we've tried cutting her liquids off at 6 p.m. I keep telling my husband she's going to outgrow this, as I did at the age of 13. He says she's lazy. She's not, just a very deep sleeper. Is there a medication to alter her sleep level?
Answer
There are no medications indicated to make an individual sleep more lightly. Even if there were, I would recommend against using them in a growing child. Good sleep is important at any age.
It's a common misconception that those who suffer from nocturnal enuresis are lazy. I don't know anyone who could honestly say that they enjoy a cold wet bed or the accompanying embarrassment. For some reason, the signals that wake non-bedwetters when their bladders are full do not function properly in those who wet the bed. Stress can make the bedwetting worse, so it's important to be supportive and not to scold.
It's hard for those who have never had the problem to understand. Because there is a family history, I would suspect that genetics are the cause, and she will probably outgrow the condition just as you did. If one parent wet the bed, the child has approximately a 44 percent chance of having the same condition. If both parents wet the bed, the child has a 77 percent chance.
People generally outgrow the condition when their body is ready. If you are concerned about her condition or emotional health being affected by bedwetting, call her physician. He/she can probably provide more specific information because they are more familiar with your daughter's medical history.
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