If your child is 14 and still wets the bed it’s normally nothing to be alarmed about. 3% percent of all teens aged 14 still wet the bed and even 1% of all 18 year olds wet the bed so teen bedwetting happens. Most teens wet the bed for the simple reason that their bladder is smaller than usual in conjunction with the fact that they are very heavy sleepers. The bladder can’t hold all the urine produced during the night and your teenager doesn’t wake up when his/her bladder is full.
Due to the fact that bedwetting is not as prevalent in teens as opposed to younger children, your teenager may have a heightened sense of isolation if he/she suffers from bedwetting. Teenagers are also more self aware and self conscious than younger children so any instances of bedwetting may prove to be embarrassing and lower their self-esteem in social situations. This means you as a parent have to be extra sensitive about the issue and give as much support to your teenage child as possible.
Some things that you can suggest to help your child are:
- Try getting your teenager to wake up at least once during the night, if they can get into a routine of waking up and going to the bathroom then their bedwetting will become less of a problem
- Get your teenage child to limit excess fluid intake 2 hours before bedtime. For your child in their late teens, try to eliminate any alcohol consumption right before bed
- Remind your teen to go use the bathroom right before he/she goes to bed
- Teens can strengthen their bladders by holding their urine during the day for increasing lengths of time. However, this should not be done to excess or more problems could present themselves
- Suggest your teen tries out DryNites® Pyjama Pants, they are very discreet and look like normal underwear and can prevent any embarrassing incidents.
Some teens may be sick and tired of waiting for the bedwetting to resolve itself and if that is the case, you may want to consult an urologist and he/she can check for any urinary problems or infections. Your doctor may also prescribe specific bedwetting medications to try to control your teen’s bedwetting. For more answers on adolescent bed wetting visit our Expert Answers for girls and Expert Answers for boys section. You can also check out the Bed Wetting Stories page, where parents in similar situations share their experiences.
