Wetting the bed at night is also called nocturnal enuresis. It is a very common issue in young children. 

All children grow at different speeds, so some take longer to stay dry at night. It’s normal for bedwetting to happen up to about five years old. Many children still wear nappies or pull-ups at night, even if they use the toilet during the day. This is part of learning and growing. 

Bedwetting is not your child’s fault. It’s not caused by laziness or bad toilet training. Most children stop wetting the bed as they get older. 

If you’re worried about how often it happens or how long it lasts, talk to your child and family health nurse or doctor. They can give you support and advice. 

Why bedwetting happens 

Most of the time, bedwetting isn’t because of anything your child is doing wrong. It’s definitely not your fault either. It’s usually just part of growing up. 

Some common reasons include: 

• your child’s bladder is still developing and might not hold all their wee overnight
• their body makes more wee while they’re asleep
• they sleep so deeply that they don’t wake up in time to use the toilet 

Sometimes, other things can play a role too: 

• bedwetting often runs in families
• their bladder might just be on the smaller side right now
• their kidneys might still be making lots of wee during the night
• constipation can put pressure on the bladder and make bedwetting more likely 

The good news is that most children grow out of bedwetting naturally as their bodies mature. It just takes time, patience and support. 

See Bedwetting factsheet for more information.

See Toilet training for more information.