As we age, we shed child-like behaviors or habits. Things like thumb sucking, baby talk and playing with toys go by the wayside as we grow into adulthood.
But there’s one thing that many people do not outgrow, and despite it being a common problem, it is not frequently talked about among adults — even with their doctors. It’s often kept quiet because it’s considered shameful and embarrassing.
We’re talking about bedwetting. And not bedwetting in toddlers. We’re talking about bedwetting in adults and children beyond the potty-training years.
It may surprise you that this problem affects as many as 5 million Americans over the age of 18, and 15 percent of children experience sleep enuresis, aka bedwetting.
It may also surprise you that, in many cases, bedwetting beyond potty-training years may not be caused by a bladder issue; it could be related to your or your child’s breathing during sleep.
Here are a few things that can cause bedwetting in adults and children who are past potty training:
Sleep-related breathing disorders. In many cases, sleep-disordered breathing is a factor in nighttime bedwetting. Sleep-disordered breathing is a factor because when you struggle with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or other sleep breathing disorders, your body never reaches the level of sleep where your hormones are regulated. This can impact things like your overall health, weight, blood pressure and also your bladder.
Research has shown that the hormone atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), which is responsible for increased urine production and sodium excretion, goes up in patients with OSA. Simultaneously, the hormone known as antidiuretic hormone (ADH) decreases. This combination is the perfect storm for nighttime bedwetting because your body doesn’t know when to turn urine production off.
Family history. There’s no doubt that your DNA plays a role in your health, so if you struggle with adult bedwetting, someone in your family may have, too. Some studies have shown that if both your parents wet the bed as adults, you have a 77 percent greater chance of nighttime bedwetting than people who did not have parents who struggled with bedwetting. If just one of your parents wet the bed, you have a 40 percent chance of wetting the bed as an adult. If one parent wet the bed as a child, there is a 40 percent chance their offspring will wet the bed in adulthood.
Bladder capacity. If you’ve got a small bladder, you may wet the bed at night. Generally, this is not because your bladder is smaller than it should be; it’s just that your bladder capacity is less than it needs to be. This ultimately means you can’t hold as much urine, and you may wet the bed at night.
Overactive bladder. Overactive bladder is a common problem, and if you experience it during the day, you’re probably going to struggle with it at night, too. If this is your situation, we recommend avoiding things that irritate your bladder, such as alcohol and caffeine, and talk to your doctor about treatment.
Urinary tract infections. If you’re struggling with UTIs or bladder infections, you may find that you temporarily wet the bed.
Certain medications. Some medications, such as those used to treat depression, can up your chance of wetting the bed at night.
Health conditions. Some health issues, such as prostate conditions in men, pelvic organ prolapse in women and diabetes, can contribute to nighttime bedwetting development.
When you’re living with a sleep-related breathing disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea, sleep is fragmented due to continuous breathing interruptions. Instead of reaching the regular cycles of deep sleep, you wake up and stop producing hormones used to control your urine production.
Other consequences of sleep breathing disorders include:
If you’re living with OSA or another sleep breathing disorder, we can diagnose your symptoms and help you get a restful night’s sleep and resolve your nighttime bedwetting.
In addition to nighttime bedwetting, the signs of OSA and sleep disorder breathing include:
If you or your child live with nighttime bedwetting, your struggle may be due to a sleep breathing disorder such as OSA. There’s no need to hide or be silent. Call us now to schedule a consultation, discuss your symptoms, and get on your way to dry nights.