Browse and download our factsheets in Dinka

What is bed-wetting?

Bed-wetting (also called nocturnal enuresis) is when the bladder empties while a child is asleep. This can happen every so often, or every night.

Bed-wetting is common. About one in every five children in Australia wets the bed. Bed-wetting can run in families and is more common in boys than girls before the age of nine years. It can be upsetting for the child and stressful for the whole family. The good news is that you can get help.

Laac agenic ee kënë ŋö?

Laac-nïn (tuany ye meth laac ka nin) ee rot looi tɛ̈ niin meth. Kën a lëu bë rot ya looi ku ben kɔ̈ɔ̈c wälä a lëu bë rot ya looi wɛ̈ɛ̈r thok ebën.

Laac-nïn ee rot lac looi. Mɛnh tök mïth ka dhiëc yiic baai Australia ee laac ka nin. Laac-nïn ee cath kuat ku ee rot lac looi tɛ̈n dhäk këc run ka dhoŋuan dööt. A lëu bë meth riääc guöp ku diɛŋ kɔɔc baai nhïïm. Ku thoŋ path ee wɛ̈t rëër kuɔɔny thïn tɛ̈n mïth laac ke nin.

What causes bed-wetting?

Wetting the bed is caused by a mix of three things:

  • the body making a large amount of urine through the night;
  • a bladder that can only store a small amount of urine at night; and
  • not being able to fully wake up from sleep.

Children who wet the bed are not lazy or being naughty. Some illnesses are linked with bed-wetting, but most children who wet the bed do not have major health problems.

Day-time control of the bladder comes before night-time dryness. Most children are dry through the day by the age of three years and at night by school age. However, this can vary, and children may have accidents every so often, both day and night, up until they are seven or eight years of age.

Yeŋö laac agenic bɛ̈i?

A leŋ käŋ ka diɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ laac-ɣöt bɛ̈i:

  • Tɛ̈ ye guöp pïu juëc wuöl wɛ̈ɛ̈r yic;
  • Tɛ̈ koor alɛ̈ɛ̈c bë lac juëc cï ye muk; ku
  • Tɛ̈ këc meth pääc apath.

Mïth ye agerem läc ke nin aa ce adak röt ku wɛ̈t le kek ruath-ruath. A leŋ tuɛny-tuɛɛny laac agenic yam, ke këdäŋ, mïth juɛ̈ɛ̈c laac ke nïn aa cïn gup tuɛny-tuɛɛny wën bë mëdhiëëth diir.

Tɛ̈ bï meth aläny de muök nhom thïn aköl yen kë bë yeen pɛ̈n laac-nïn. Mïth juɛ̈ɛ̈c cë run ka diäk dööt aa ce röt läc aköl ku keek aa ce laac ke nin tɛ̈ le kek ɣet run le kek pan piööc. Ke këdäŋ, kën ee yic wääc, ku mïth aa nhïïm lac määr ku lɛ̈ckä röt, aköl ku wɛ̈ɛ̈r ɣet tɛ̈ bï kek run ka dhorou wulɛ̈/ka bɛ̈t dööt.

When should you seek help for bed-wetting?

It is best to seek help from a health professional with special training in children’s bladder problems, such as a doctor, physiotherapist or continence nurse advisor. They can help children with their bed-wetting from when the child is about six years of age. Before this time it can sometimes be hard to get the child to be helpful. However, in some cases it might be wise to seek help sooner, such as when:

  • the child who has been dry suddenly starts wetting at night;
  • the wetting is frequent after school age;
  • the wetting bothers the child or makes them upset or angry; or
  • the child wants to become dry.

Ye nɛn dhil yïn wïc kuɔɔny rin laac agenic?

Apath bë meth ɣäth tɛ̈n raan cë wël alɛ̈ɛ̈c kueen cëmën akïm, raan kɔc duääny wälä akuɔny-akïm ë thiu thar. Kɔc cë piöc kä aa lëu bïk meth kony bë muöl laac nïn tɛ̈ cï meth run ka dhëtem dööt. Na këc meth run ka dhëtem dööt, ka ril yic bë kony bë muöl laac nïn. Ke këdäŋ, kaam dɛ̈d, adik bë raan döc lac wiëc meth, cëmën:

  • Na cë manh ka laac nïn bɛn yɛm bë laac nïn;
  • Tɛ̈ cï laac-nïn ye nyin juak ka run panpiööc yiic;
  • Laac-nïn ee meth diir ku ye rëër cë puöu riääk; wälä
  • Tɛ̈ wïc meth yeen bë muöl laac-nïn.

Can bladder control through the day be a problem?

Some children who wet the bed at night also have problems with how their bladder works through the day. They may go to the toilet too few or too many times, need to rush to the toilet in a hurry, have trouble emptying out all the urine or have bowel problems. Unless the child has wet underwear, families often do not know about these other bladder and bowel control problems. New day-time wetting by a child who is toilet trained should be discussed with a doctor.

Rɛc bë ɣön laac ya dääk aköl?

Mïth kɔ̈k laac nïn aa röt läc aköl aya. Tɛkdä ka ce lac laac aköl wälä ka laac kë gäk yic, ku aa kat tɛ̈ wïc kek laac, ku alɛ̈ɛ̈c a ce yic thök tɛ̈ le kek laac wälä tɛkdä ka yäny meth a rac. A cï kɔɔc baai lac ŋic lɔn leŋ yen kë jöör tɛ̈n meth tɛ̈ cïn yen raan cë juaan de yök ka tiɔp – ka meth cë rot läc/pɛ̈t. Na cë meth piɔ̈ɔ̈c bë ya la roor ku kɛ̈ɛ̈c bë rot cï ben ya läc ku ben gɔl bë rot bɛn ya läc, ka wɛ̈t kën a dhil lɛ̈k akïm ë meth.

What can be done about bed-wetting?

Many children do stop wetting in their own time with no help. Most often, if wetting is still very frequent after the age of eight or nine years, the problem does not get better by itself. There are many ways to treat bed-wetting. A health professional will begin by checking the child to make sure there are no physical causes and to find out how their bladder works through the day. Then, there are a few ways to treat bed-wetting that are most often used:

  • Night alarms that go off when the child wets the bed. These work by teaching the child to wake up to the feeling of a full bladder. The alarm is used either on the bed or in the child’s underpants. The results are best when the child wants to be dry, wets very often, has help from a parent through the night, and uses the alarm every night for several months. Some children become dry using an alarm but later start to wet again. Alarms can work again after this relapse.
  • Drugs that change how active the bladder is or cut down how much urine is made through the night can be prescribed by a doctor. These drugs can be used to help the bladder work better at night. Drugs alone don’t often cure bed-wetting. Bladder function must be improved or bed-wetting may come back when the drug is stopped.

Yeŋö lëu bë looi biäk laac-nïn?

Mïth juëc aa muöl laac-nïn ka cïn akïm cë ke kony. Ee rot lac looi, tɛ̈ ŋuɔt ye meth laac nïn ka cë run ka bɛ̈t wälä dhoŋuan dööt, bë laac agenic cï kääc rot ka cïn döc. A leŋ dhɔ̈l juɛ̈ɛ̈c ye laac agenic cɔla kääc. Raan cë wël ë pial guöp kueen a bë meth ka caath guöp bë tïŋ lɔn cïn yen kë wääc meth guöp ku biöök tɛ̈ ye meth lɛɛc thïn aköl. Ku jɔl lon wal bɛ̈n, a leŋ dhɔ̈l reen ye laac-nïn dɔɔc bë kɔ̈ɔ̈c ku keek aa kïk:

  • Kaaŋ ë wɛ̈ɛ̈r kaaŋ ë wɛ̈ɛ̈r wën rot kooth tɛ̈ cï meth laac nïn. Kën ee meth piɔ̈ɔ̈c bë ya pääc ku le laac tɛ̈ nɛ̈k lɛc yeen. Kaaŋ kën a ye tääu agerem nhom ku a lëu bë tääu juaan ë meth yic aya. Kaaŋ kën ee meth kony tɛ̈ yen meth yen wïc yeen bë dhiɛl muöl laac agenic, tɛ̈ ye meth rot lac läc, ku kaaŋ a bë ŋiɛc luui aya tɛ̈ ye meth nin ke yeen abak pɛ̈y juääc yiic. Mïth kɔ̈k aa muöl laac agenic tɛ̈ ye kek nin ke kaaŋ ku na lä kaaŋ anyɛɛi, ka keek aa bɛn lök dhuk laac agenic yic. Kaaŋ a lëu bë meth bɛn kony bë muöl laac-nïn tɛ̈ cï yen laac agenic bɛn dhuök.
  • Wal puɔ̈u meth guöp bïk alɛ̈ɛ̈c ya muk nhom wälä bïk lɛc ye rok ë meth wuöl wɛ̈ɛ̈r yic tɛk yiic – ku wal kä aa ye akïm gät meth. Wal ka aa lëu bïk alɛ̈ɛ̈c cɔl ye ŋiɛc luui wɛ̈ɛ̈r yic. Wal nyïn röt aa ce laac agenic cɔla kääc. Tɛ̈ ye alɛ̈ɛ̈c luui thïn a dhil cɔ̈k piny ku na këc cɔ̈k piny, ka meth a lëu bë dhuk laac agenic yic tɛ̈ le yen muöl dëk-dëk ë wal.

What can parents do?

  • Seek help from a health professional with special training in children’s bladder problems, such as a doctor, physiotherapist or continence nurse advisor.
  • Watch for constipation as this can make the bladder problem worse. Seek medical help if it is an ongoing problem.
  • If your child is using a bed-wetting alarm, get up when it goes off and help to wake them up and change their clothes or sheet. Make sure there is enough light at night so it is easy to get to the toilet.

There are some things which do NOT help:

  • DO NOT punish for wet beds.
  • DO NOT shame the child in front of friends or family.
  • DO NOT lift the child at night to toilet them. This may cut down on some wet beds, but it does not help the child learn to be dry.
  • DO NOT try to fix bed-wetting when other family members are going through a stressful time.

Yeŋö lëu bï mëdhiëëth looi?

  • Wïc kuɔɔny tɛ̈n raan cë wël kïïm kueen biäk alɛ̈ɛ̈c ku yäc – kɔc cë wël kä kueen aa kɔc cït akïïm, kɔɔc kɔc duääny wälä akuɔny-akïïm ë thiu thar.
  • Muk meth nhom ba tïŋ lɔn cï yen kuil rin ye kuil alɛ̈ɛ̈c cɔla cak. Lak tɛ̈n akïm tɛ̈ këc kuil kɔ̈ɔ̈c.
  • Na ye manh du tɔ̈c ke kaaŋ ë wɛ̈ɛ̈r, ka yï jɔt rot tɛ̈ kuuth kaaŋ ku kony meth bë pääc ku war alɛ̈th keen nïn. Cɔl mer-mer ye piny tïŋ a tɔ̈u rin bäk dhël la ɣön laac ŋiɛc ya tïŋ wɛ̈ɛ̈r yic.

A leŋ kä cë path:

  • DUK meth mɛ̈t rin cï yen akät läc yiic.
  • DUK meth yɔ̈r pamäth wälä kɔɔc mac-thok nhïïm.
  • DUK meth ye jɔt wɛ̈ɛ̈r yic ba ɣäth ɣön laac. Kën a lëu bë meth gël bë akät cï lɛ̈c ku a cï lëu bë meth piɔ̈ɔ̈c bë muöl laac-nïn.
  • DUK laac agenic wel bë ya yen kë dït tɛ̈ leŋ yen kä kɔ̈k jöör baai tɛ̈n kɔɔc cë macthok.

Seek help

Qualified nurses are available if you call the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66* (Monday to Friday, between 8.00am to 8.00pm Australian Eastern Standard Time) for free:

  • Information;
  • Advice; and
  • Leaflets.

If you have difficulty speaking or understanding English you can access the Helpline through the free Telephone Interpreter Service on 13 14 50. The phone will be answered in English, so please name the language you speak and wait on the phone. You will be connected to an interpreter who speaks your language. Tell the interpreter you wish to call the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66. Wait on the phone to be connected and the interpreter will assist you to speak with a continence nurse advisor. All calls are confidential.

* Calls from mobile telephones are charged at applicable rates.

Wïc kuɔɔny

Mathaat akïm cï piöc aabï tɔ̈ na yï ayup telepun Kuɔɔny Baai käk thiu thar ee nïmra kënëic tök, bɛ̈t, gueu, diäk, diäk, gueu, dhetem, dhetem*/ 1800 33 00 66* (aköl Tök agut aköl Dhiëc ee Läätic (Monday- Friday) kaam thaa bɛ̈t nhiäk-duur (8am) ku thaa bɛ̈t thëëi (8pm) ee thaa kɔc Australia ciëŋ Ciëën) aye gäm kɔc abɛc:

  • Lëk/Wël;
  • Wëët; ku
  • Athör thiin ë lëk.

Na yïn acie ŋiëc jam thoŋ English apiɛth ka yïn alëu ba telpun luɔi ye kɔc Kuɔny wɛ̈r thokic yuɔ̈p. Cɔl nïmra kënë tök diäk, tök, ŋuan, dhiëc/13 14 50. Tueŋic, abï raan kɔŋ dhuk nhom ee thoŋ English, luel thoŋduɔ̈n ee yïn jam ku tiɛ̈ɛ̈t ee telepunic. Yïn abï tuɔ̈ɔ̈m thok kek raan kɔc waar thook/duwër jam thuɔŋdu, ku jal kek lɛ̈k wɛ̈tduɔ̈n wïc ee yïn kɔc Baai Kuɔɔny Käk thiu thar yuɔ̈p ee nïmra kënëic tök, bɛ̈t, gueu, diäk, diäk, gueu, dhetem, dhetem/ 1800 33 00 66. Tiɛ̈ɛ̈t ee telepunic ku bï yï gam ku duwër abï kony ba jam kek mathaat akïm kɔc lɛ̈k. Telepun duwër aye kɔc yup thïn abɛc/majan ee rin cïn en wëu ye wïc tënë yïn. Kek wël ëbɛ̈n aye thiaan yiic.

* Yup mobaalic ee wëu cam tëcït cɔ̈t baai ëtɛ̈n.

0

Last Updated: Fri 30, Jul 2021
Last Reviewed: Tue 17, Mar 2020