Five Reasons to Worry Less About Bedwetting

Last Updated: 3/08/21
Read Time: 2 minutes

If your child has finished potty training but has been wetting the bed, they’re certainly not alone. About 1 in 6 kids age 3-12 experiences nighttime wetting. While you can’t train your child out of bedwetting, you can help them stay comfortable throughout the night with Goodnites® NightTime Underwear. With five layers of protection, they give you and your child five reasons to worry less.

Designed specifically for when your child is asleep, Goodnites® NightTime Underwear are the #1 nighttime underwear. They offer 40% more protection than training pants and can help children and teens stay dry through the night. They’re designed with double leg barriers, odor-absorbing materials, and super stretchy sides — plus five layers of protection and zoning where girls and boys need it most.

Goodnites® NightTime Underwear are a great way to keep your kid feeling more secure — and save you from loads of laundry when nighttime wetting occurs. Whether your child wets the bed every night or your child wets the bed occasionally, they’re a smart part of your nightly routine. If your child is going to stay overnight at their grandparents or have a sleepover and they’re concerned about bedwetting, these nighttime underwear can help them stay dry — and make sure your child isn’t missing out on the fun by turning down these important invitations.

Is Bedwetting Common?

Yes! About 1 in 6 kids age 3-12 experiences nighttime wetting. In the U.S. alone, that’s 7 million kids. Bedwetting is slightly more common in boys than girls.

Why Do Kids Wet the Bed?

Nighttime wetting, also called nocturnal enuresis, generally happens because a child’s body hasn’t developed enough to get through the night without wetting. Their bladder may not have grown enough yet, or their brain and bladder may not communicate well enough to hold the urine — or to wake up to use the toilet. Kids who are deep sleepers may have trouble waking up too. And bedwetting often runs in families. If you, your parents or your siblings had issues with bedwetting, it’s likely your child will experience it too. If one parent wet the bed after 5 years old, their children have about 40% chance of bedwetting. If both parents wet the bed as children, their children have about a 70% chance of bedwetting. 

In rare cases (less than 3%), nocturnal enuresis may be related to a medical condition such as urinary tract infection (UTI), constipation, bladder or kidney disease, a structural problem in the urinary system or nervous system, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, hormone imbalance, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), stress or anxiety. If you’re concerned, talk to your doctor. They might recommend you see a pediatric urologist.

When Does Bedwetting Stop?

All kids develop at different ages, and they grow out of bedwetting at different ages too. 20% of kids still wet the bed at age 5, 10% at age 7, and 5% at age 10. Bedwetting can even last through puberty, and up to 1-3% of older teenagers wet the bed.

How Can I Help My Child with Nighttime Wetting?

Unfortunately you can’t train your child to stop wetting the bed. In most cases, you just have to wait for their body to develop. The most important things you can do are be patient and be supportive. Keep them comfortable at night with Goodnites® NightTime Underwear, and make sure they understand that bedwetting is common and completely normal. It’s not their fault, and they shouldn’t be ashamed or embarrassed. Keep the lines of communication open, and if you wet the bed as a child tell them what you experienced. Above all, just help them enjoy being a kid. They’ll get through this, and in the meantime there’s no reason they shouldn’t have fun like everyone else!

These articles are not a substitute for medical advice, consult your doctor as needed.