The time between being daytime trained and achieving nighttime continence is quite variable. Unlike toilet training, which is conscious and deliberate, nighttime bladder control is more dependent on maturation of children’s nervous systems and bladder. The fact that the wetting occurs when children are asleep makes it that more difficult to control. As with most areas of development there is huge variation with respect to the age at which children achieve this milestone. We typically recommend that parents hold off until their child has reached 7 years of age before they consider treatment options due to the high spontaneous cure rate up until then. You can help him to develop healthy bladder habits by encouraging him to drink water regularly throughout the day, make sure he empties his bladder fully before going to bed and avoid food and drinks that include caffeine as these tend to stimulate the kidneys to produce larger amounts of urine than normal. Make sure he does not become overtired as this will make it harder for him to wake in response to a full-bladder.

Regards,
Dr Cathrine

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