Bedwetting is also known as nocturnal enuresis. This is a common problem in children and it is really a source of great concern for many parents especially when they expect their children to learn potty training and stay dry at night at a very tender age. This condition is quite complex with medical, physiologic, and behavioural causes; and to some extent environmental issues may be all responsible for it. Genetics is also implicated in the cause of this condition in children. Studies have indicated that there is a high chance of a child to bed wet if any of the parents did the same. There is actually no specific reason of cause for this condition in children.

This condition must be seen by parents as a normal phase of the development process in children. Children should not be punished but reassured and encouraged by their parents as anything otherwise could affect their self esteem. It may not be necessary to do a diagnostic test for children who have been bedwetting all along. But it may be reasonable to do this for children who stopped it and later started it again. This is usually known as secondary nocturnal enuresis. It is likely that something must have been responsible for it.

Most children stop bedwetting once they outgrow that stage of their development. Parents should only get concerned when children who are at least 8-9 years old cannot stop this. Parents can also help their children by waking them up at night to urinate or making use of enuresis alarms. There are also a couple of medical treatments available.