We all need to be aware of how much suffering bed-wetting can cause to child and parent, and should encourage people to ask for the help that is available so they can get on with living a normal, happy life. Definition Nocturnal enuresis, or bed-wetting, is said to be present when a child of five years or older is dry by day, but still wets the bed at night at least three times each week, and has no causal congenital abnormalities or underlying problems. In secondary nocturnal enuresis, there has been a period of night-time dryness, but for some reason the person has started wetting the bed again. The most common reasons for this include urinary infection, or emotional causes such as a change of home or school, or the birth of a new sibling.
Incidence There are over one million people in the UK who suffer from nocturnal enuresis.
It may come as a surprise to hear that only half of these are children and teenagers. The other half a million are adults over the age of 17 years old in whom the problem has persisted since childhood and has not been resolved. By the time they reach three years of age, most children will be dry at night. It's true that most people will grow out of bed-wetting but this is not a reason to be complacent. While a person is still wetting the bed and waiting for that time to stop, if it does at all, then they will be suffering unnecessarily.