Bedwetting and the Mind: What’s Behind It?

When you think of bedwetting, you most likely think of school-age kids and even younger children. However, did you know that studies have shown that many adults experience bedwetting on a regular basis? So, if you wet the bed from time to time, remember that you are not alone.

While the symptoms of bedwetting (officially known as nocturnal enuresis) can be embarrassing, you have nothing to be ashamed of. In this article, we'll examine some of the psychological causes of bedwetting and offer some advice on managing and alleviating symptoms.

Understanding Bedwetting Types

There are two main types of nocturnal enuresis, namely:

Primary nocturnal enuresis

Primary enuresis (or primary bedwetting) is a condition in which someone has never been able to control their bladder at night. They have most likely experienced bedwetting from early childhood and it has never gone away. While primary nocturnal enuresis mostly affects children, it can affect people of all ages.

Secondary nocturnal enuresis

Secondary nocturnal enuresis (or secondary bedwetting) affects children and adults who have already gained control of their bladders but have started wetting the bed. You could experience many years of dry nights only to start wetting the bed again, seemingly out of nowhere.

Note: Nocturia is different from nocturnal enuresis as nocturia is a condition in which you wake up multiple times throughout the night to pee without wetting the bed.

If you are experiencing either primary or secondary nocturnal enuresis, it is important to seek medical evaluation from your GP or a specialist as they can provide you with an effective treatment plan.

Psychological Causes of Bedwetting

Because adult patients may not discuss their bedwetting symptoms with their doctor, there is still much to learn about the psychological causes of bedwetting. However, some of the most common known psychological causes include:

Stress and anxiety

A person's mental health can affect their physical health in a multitude of ways. If you suffer from severe stress and anxiety, you may find that you wet the bed every so often. Particularly, you'll probably find that incidents occur when your stress levels are at their worst.

PTSD

PTSD is undeniably one of the most common psychological causes of bedwetting, with thousands of war veterans reporting nocturnal enuresis as part of their PTSD symptoms.

Post-traumatic stress disorder can be caused by a wide variety of traumatic events, including accidents, sexual abuse, natural disasters, and the death of a loved one.

Unsafe environments

If you live in an unsafe environment, such as an unstable home with dysfunctional family members, you may find that you wet the bed. This is typically a stress-related response and your body's way of telling you that it doesn't feel safe. You may also find yourself wetting the bed if you sleep over at an unfamiliar place.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Did you know that ADHD impacts the part of the brain that is responsible for bladder control? This can also result in a lack of impulse control and emotional regulation. While ADHD and bedwetting are more common in children, they can affect adults as well.

Physical Causes of Bedwetting

Keep in mind that there are also plenty of physical causes of bedwetting, including:

Overactive bladder

OAB is a bladder control problem that results in you having to pee more than usual (generally, more than six times a day). This frequent urge to pee can spill over into nighttime bed-wetting.

Sleep apnoea

Sleep apnoea is when you struggle to get enough oxygen while you are sleeping. As a result, this lack of oxygen can stress your bladder and affect the hormones responsible for urine production, ultimately leading to nocturnal enuresis.

Urinary tract infections

UTIs can irritate the bladder and make it difficult to pee, even when you need to, so you may pass urine when you are asleep. Additionally, the medications used to treat UTIs may also play a role in increasing your chance of bedwetting.

How to Treat Bedwetting

Do you want to stop bedwetting? Here are some ways in which you can manage your symptoms and treat your nocturnal enuresis.

Address any underlying causes

If you think there is an underlying medical condition causing your bedwetting, it's best to address it as soon as possible. Make an appointment with your general practitioner to discuss possible treatment plans.

Speak to a psychologist

After learning more about the psychological causes of bedwetting, you may have a better idea as to whether or not your nocturnal enuresis is connected to your mental health.

A psychologist can help you determine any psychological factors contributing to your nocturnal enuresis and address these underlying causes to help stop you from wetting the bed.

Take bladder support supplements

Taking bladder support tablets, packed with natural ingredients, can support women’s bladders post-menopause. Jude's bladder support supplements have been studied in trials and have been shown to cause minimal side effects. You should always let your GP know if you are considering a supplement, as they can advise you on whether it is suitable for your unique health needs.

Make use of incontinence products

Managing bedwetting symptoms may be tricky, but incontinence products can really help. Wearing leak-proof underwear or incontinence pads can ensure you enjoy dry nights every night. You may also want to make use of mattress protectors in an effort to protect your mattress from urine leaks.

Avoid bladder irritants

A couple of hours before you go to bed, avoid 'trigger' foods like tomatoes, spicy food, alcohol, tea, coffee, and other bladder irritants. If you want to prevent bedwetting, you may also want to minimise your fluid intake before bedtime but you must ensure you stay adequately hydrated throughout the day.

Reduce stress

Many healthcare professionals agree that stress can play a major role in adult bedwetting. However, you can help combat stress by maintaining a healthy work/life balance, taking time out for yourself, participating in regular exercise, and implementing a relaxing bedtime routine.

FAQs

What are some of the impacts of nocturnal enuresis?

Bedwetting can have a major effect on your overall well-being and cause an array of emotional problems. Those who experience nocturnal enuresis may suffer from low self-esteem and even depression because of this serious condition. Bedwetting can also disrupt daily life, affect your personal life if you share your bed, and can even result in financial strains if you need to constantly replace damaged bedding.

What is bladder therapy?

Bladder therapy is a range of treatments designed to treat urinary incontinence and bedwetting. These treatments include things like bladder training and pelvic floor exercises, as well as biofeedback therapy and electrical stimulation.

Do most people with urinary incontinence wet the bed?

No, most people with urinary incontinence do not wet the bed. While urinary incontinence affects roughly 25% of adults, bedwetting only affects roughly 2-3% of the adult population.

Final Thoughts

As you grow older, you may notice a loss of bladder control that may eventually result in secondary enuresis. While bedwetting is mostly associated with early childhood, many adults experience bedwetting on a daily basis.

Here at Jude, we are all about breaking stigmas around so-called 'embarrassing' conditions such as adult bedwetting, urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, and others.

How do we do this? We have a blog filled with informative articles that you may find helpful in your journey to better understand your condition. Additionally, we also have a range of specialised incontinence products, including leak-proof underwear and incontinence pads.

We believe that you deserve to live a happy and normal life despite any bladder-related conditions you may experience.