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What causes bedwetting?
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025
Enuresis is not a diagnosis, but a symptom of various diseases. At the first admission to the hospital before examination such a conclusion is acceptable, but enuresis should not be the final diagnosis.
Enuresis can be a symptom of the following diseases and conditions:
- neurosis;
- neurosis-like conditions;
- consequence of urological pathology;
- spinal cord pathologies (spinal bladder);
- a combination of the above violations.
Most often, enuresis is caused by neurosis-like conditions, neuroses and urological pathology. At the same time, long-term persistence of enuresis in children under 10-12 years old can lead to the formation of neurosis.
Neurosis is a mental disorder. Asthenic neurosis occurs in a child after overwork, stress. Neurotic urinary incontinence is not constant and passes in a calm environment, is observed at night, less often - and during the day. Sleep in children with neurosis is superficial, there are many dreams. After urinating in a dream, children wake up, are very worried.
Treatment of neurotic urinary incontinence is carried out in conjunction with a neuropsychiatrist. It is important:
- switching attention, calm environment;
- do not focus on his problem, do not reproach, do not punish.
- make sleep deeper with a warm bath before bed, prescribing 1 tablet of a desensitizing drug at night, for example, suprastin;
- sedative psychotherapy: explain to the child that urinary incontinence will definitely pass;
- prescribing herbs that have a sedative effect (motherwort, valerian);
- calming reflexology;
- therapeutic exercise aimed at strengthening the back and abdominal muscles;
- take a shower in the morning to improve microcirculation.
If after 3-6 months of the above therapy enuresis is not eliminated, you should consult a borderline psychiatrist to prescribe stronger medications (seduxen, sonapax, radedorm, etc.).
Neurosis-like conditions are the most common cause of enuresis. This term refers to manifestations of organic pathology of the nervous system, residual effects of hypoxic-ischemic damage to the central nervous system (for example, small hemorrhages in the ventricles of the brain), injuries to the brain or spinal cord (for example, after a fall), neuroinfections (previous encephalitis, meningitis), genetic diseases. All of the above leads to a disruption of the nervous regulation of the urinary organs.
Enuresis in neurosis-like conditions is detected either from birth or soon after damage (disease) of the nervous system. Enuresis is usually regular, can occur several times a night, increases with fatigue, but does not depend on anxiety. The child does not worry about it. Deep sleep without dreams is typical, even when wet the child does not wake up. Symptoms of cerebroasthenia are often detected: headache, dizziness, fatigue, symptoms of vegetative dysfunction. Children cannot quickly concentrate, usually study poorly. Changes in EEG and EchoEG are detected. All these symptoms should be a reason for consulting a neurologist.