If children reach school age and still have problems wetting the bed, it most likely means they have never developed nighttime bladder control. If you are concerned about your child's bedwetting or your child expresses concern, talk with your child's doctor. Nocturnal enuresis (NE), also informally called bedwetting, is involuntary urination while asleep after the age at which bladder control usually begins. Bedwetting in children and adults can result in emotional stress. Complications can include urinary tract infections.. Most bedwetting is a developmental delay—not an emotional problem or physical illness. Children who wet their beds are often described as "deep sleepers." These children don't wake up to the bladder's signal to void, caused by a sleep arousal (wake up) disturbance. Instead of waking up to use the toilet, the child's pelvic floor muscles relax and empty while the child sleeps. Common Triggers That Cause Adults To Experience Bed-Wetting Dreams. Bed-wetting dreams can be triggered by a variety of factors, including stress, anxiety, medications, muscle weakness or nerve damage, and sleep disorders like sleepwalking or obstructive sleep apnea. Products and services My husband has started to wet the bed at night. What causes adult bed-wetting? Should we be concerned about this? Answer From Patricio C. Gargollo, M.D. Bed-wetting that starts in adulthood (secondary enuresis) is uncommon and requires medical evaluation. Causes of adult bed-wetting may include: Adults with nocturnal enuresis usually have an underlying medical or psychological condition that leads to bedwetting. Bedwetting occurs more often among boys or children assigned male at birth (AMAB). You may be more at risk of nocturnal enuresis if you have severe emotional trauma or stress. Bedwetting is a standard developmental stage for some children. However, it can be a symptom of underlying illness or disease in adults. About 2 percent of adults experience bedwetting, which can BOWEL HEALTH PELVIC HEALTH CAREGIVING MORE+ Do you have a teen who is still wetting the bed? You're not alone. Many teens struggle with nocturnal enuresis, a fancy term for nighttime bedwetting. And while it can be frustrating and emotionally draining for both you, and your teen, most of the time, they will grow out of it. What Does Bedwetting Mean Psychologically? Many parents wonder about the psychological causes of bedwetting. Stress and anxiety in and of themselves will not cause a child who never wet the bed to start nighttime wetting. However, stress can contribute indirectly to nighttime wetting. A treatment plan can be made based on: Physical exam. Discussing symptoms, fluid intake, family history, bowel and bladder habits, and problems caused by bed-wetting. Urine tests to check for signs of an infection or diabetes. X-rays or other imaging tests of the kidneys or bladder to look at the structure of the urinary tract. dP2jvm.