How do stress and anxiety affect your child's bedwetting?

Most experts agree that emotional stress can be a trigger for children or teenagers to start wetting their beds, even if they have been dry for months or years.Major upheavals and tensions in a child or teenager's life, whether at home or at school, can explain why they start to wet their beds. You may hear health professionals refer to this phase as secondary nocturnal enuresis. How Does Stress Cause Bedwetting? Antidiuretic hormone (ADH), the hormone produced by the body that regulates the amount of urine we produce at night, is known to be affected by anxiety. When a child is anxious, their body may produce less ADH. This can mean that they produce too much urine for their bladder at night and increase the risk of accidental bed-wetting.Stress or anxiety can also cause your child to drink too much before bedtime, or to forget to urinate before bed. Why does your child wet the bed after school starts? Starting school is a special time for your child, and you should both be excited. However, it can also be a bit daunting or uncomfortable. After all, there are lots of big changes to their routine, all at the same time! And that can cause stress or anxiety, as well as bedwetting.Most of the time, it's just a case of secondary enuresis, and there's nothing to worry about. Your child simply needs a little support to help him or her adapt to the situation. Does Bedwetting Cause Stress? While stress and emotional upheaval can be factors in bedwetting, it's also true that simply worrying about wetting the bed, especially for older children, can be stressful in itself, leading to a vicious cycle. Sleepovers, visits to the family and trips away can all cause additional worry about bedwetting, which in turn can affect a child's quality of life and mental health. Can Stress And Anxiety Cause Bedwetting In Young Adults? Yes, it is estimated that bedwetting affects around 1 in 75 teenagers. We all know that puberty can be difficult and the causes of teenage bedwetting are usually stress related.Try to talk to your teenager about their concerns and reassure them that there is nothing wrong. It's important for them to know that what they are experiencing is not unusual. In fact, teenage bedwetting is just another stage for some children; they'll get through it with the right support. How can you reduce your child's stress and anxiety? Bedwetting is a developmental stage that all children go through, and it's not always a simple journey. By using absorbent underwear and washable underpads, and with a little support from you, your child will sleep worry-free and enjoy a fantastic awakening.