It's actually a fairly common problem for kids with ADHD. They're about three times as likely to have bedwetting trouble than other kids. It's not totally clear why. Some researchers think it's because bedwetting and ADHD are both linked to a delay in the development of the central nervous system.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and incontinence (nocturnal enuresis, daytime urinary incontinence and fecal incontinence) are common disorders in childhood. Both disorders are strongly associated with each other.
“It's important to understand and manage executive functioning,” says Dr. Franco, noting that 20 percent of kids with ADD/ADHD have incontinence issues. It's important to know that children who don't have ADD/ADHD can also have trouble with executive functioning, too.
Bed-wetting can affect anyone, but it's twice as common in boys as in girls. Several factors have been associated with an increased risk of bed-wetting, including: Stress and anxiety.
Secondary enuresis in older children or teens should be evaluated by a doctor. Bedwetting in this age group could be a sign of a urinary tract infection or other health problems, neurological issues (related to the brain), stress, or other issues.
It isn't uncommon for some people to wet the bed well into the teen years. Genetics, health conditions, psychological turmoil, and daily sleep and dietary patterns can all be factors. Your teen is likely to outgrow the problem in time. In the meanwhile, small changes to daily routines could make a difference.
Bedwetting causes
Most older children who wet the bed are very sound sleepers, so the signals of a full bladder aren't strong enough to wake them. Some children have small bladders or don't produce enough of a hormone (vasopressin) that reduces urine production during sleep.
First, If you experience adult bed-wetting only once and never again it most likely wasn't related to a medical problem. However, if you experience multiple instances it's probably time you see a doctor or urologist.
When should I speak with my child's doctor about bedwetting? Bedwetting may be problematic if a child is 5 years of age or older and wets the bed at least two times per week for at least three consecutive months.
Is ADHD inherited from Mom or Dad? You can inherit genes that boost risk for ADHD from your mother, from your father or from both parents. In a recent Norwegian study, inherited risk was somewhat higher when a child's mother had ADHD compared to their father, but researchers weren't certain why that would be.
Other studies have shown children with ADHD have significantly higher rates of incontinence, constipation, urgency, infrequent voiding, nocturnal enuresis and dysuria than those without ADHD.
Urinating in unusual places can be linked to ADHD. Not all children with ADHD have bladder control issues, but some do. The wetting can be on purpose or accidental. When a child deliberately urinates where they shouldn't, it might be attention-seeking behavior.
Some people with ADHD have fewer symptoms as they age, but some adults continue to have major symptoms that interfere with daily functioning. In adults, the main features of ADHD may include difficulty paying attention, impulsiveness and restlessness. Symptoms can range from mild to severe.
Children with ADHD have also been shown to have delayed daytime and nighttime bladder control and may have a correlating special need, such as autism, that could present more challenges when learning to use the toilet.
Your school-age child is still wetting the bed, sometimes several times a week. You may feel like no one else has this issue, but rest assured, you're not alone. Bedwetting affects many older kids and some teens — but thankfully, it's a condition they almost always outgrow.
An underdeveloped bladder.
Bedwetting quite often is a result of your child's bladder not being mature enough to hold urine produced during the night. The bladder is a muscular organ that children learn to control, much like learning to walk and control your leg muscles.
Causes of bedwetting
Causes include: not feeling the need to pee while sleeping. making too much pee at night. stress at home or at school.
Stress and anxiety in and of themselves will not cause a child who never wet the bed to start nighttime wetting. However, stress can contribute indirectly to nighttime wetting. Emotional and psychological stress can cause a child to behave or act differently, which can lead to nighttime wetting.
Hygiene and cleanliness
For this and other reasons, it's important that the child has a shower the morning after wetting the bed, so that he or she doesn't smell. Airing out the room can help get rid of the smell, and scented oils or sprays might also be a good idea.
Alcohol suppresses a hormone in the brain
Nocturnal enuresis, or nighttime bedwetting, can happen when you overindulge because alcohol affects several things in your body that make it more difficult to hold your pee. We are all equipped with an antidiuretic hormone (ADH) produced by the brain.
Neurogenic bladder can be caused by a variety of neurological diseases and disorders, including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, stroke, spina bifida, and hydrocephalus (abnormal accumulation of fluid in the brain). These conditions can cause problems with bladder control.
Bed-wetting that starts in adulthood (secondary enuresis) is uncommon and requires medical evaluation. Causes of adult bed-wetting may include: A blockage (obstruction) in part of the urinary tract, such as from a bladder stone or kidney stone. Bladder problems, such as small capacity or overactive nerves.
The three most common causes of Bed-wetting in a young adult include a problem waking up to the sensation of a full or contracting bladder, making too much urine overnight, or a bladder that acts small.