Do Children with Bedwetting Produce More Nighttime Pee than Children Without Bedwetting?

Parents often describe how wet the sheets are or how full the disposable pant is in their children with bedwetting.  But do these children actually produce more urine than children who do not have bedwetting?

Research

A new Swedish study actually looked objectively at how much urine was produced in their small group of 27 children with bedwetting, matched with 29 children without bedwetting.

Study Design

The bladder volume was estimated using a portable ultrasound recorder at 15 minute intervals for at least 3 nights when the child was at home, sleeping in his or her own bed.

The volume of the wetting episodes was measured using preweighed diaper. 

 Results

The nighttime bladder filling and urine production pattern was similar for children with or without bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis).  Of interest, there was a large variability between different nights in the same child.  Most nights displayed a smooth bladder filling at a constant low rate, while other nights showed an early phase of high urine production, then a longer period of lower production.

There was no difference between the two groups, making it unlikely that nighttime increased urine production is the only/primary cause of bedwetting.

The authors conclude that delayed maturation of sleep mechanisms, such as being able to be aroused when needing to go to the bathroom, or suppressing the reflex that causes your bladder to empty, are more likely to be the main reason for bedwetting.