Sometimes children from as early as two years old can begin to be dry throughout the night, whereas other children may be as old as six or more, even in their teens. The period between two and five years old is a sensitive period for the learning of bladder control. Adverse life events occurring during this time may therefore disrupt the learning of bladder control.
Boys generally find it more difficult than girls to gain bladder control.
Some children may be dry throughout the night for long periods, then, for no apparent reason, they will start wetting again. Clearly, there will be a reason why a child is regularly wet at night, particularly if the child is more than five years old. Although the most common reason for bedwetting is worry or anxiety, in girls it is often associated with infections of the urinary tract. Reasons can also be associated with delays in the maturation of the nervous system, leading to delayed bladder control. In both boys and girls a medical examination is important to exclude possible organic factors.