- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- preteenagers today articles
- preteenagers today q&a
- teenagers today articles
- teenagers today q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
But I'm Too Old to Wet the Bed...
Support and Hope for Teens With Nocturnal Enuresis
By Amy Carey
Wetting the bed can be embarrassing at any age. But what if you are a young adult hiding the condition from your friends? Teenagers who wet the bed, suffering from a condition known as nocturnal enuresis, may feel even more embarrassed than younger children about not staying dry at night. After all, wetting the bed is something kids should stop worrying about before their teen years, right? Not necessarily.
Chances are good that a teen with nocturnal enuresis won't suffer this condition forever. "Most teenagers do naturally 'grow out' of bedwetting, with only a very small percentage who continue to have problems in later life," says Molly Haig of the Enuresis Resource and Information Centre (ERIC).
But meanwhile, your child's self-esteem is at stake; the longer he has to deal with the embarrassment of bedwetting, the more likely he'll start to feel badly about himself. So contact a physician as soon as your teen approaches you with his problem.
Then, suggests Denise Witmer, a parenting expert at About.com, you can move ahead as a team. Be supportive. "Don't make a big deal out of a wet bed," says Witmer. "Show your [child] how to strip the sheets and do a load of wash."
Also, Witmer advises parents to keep the problem to themselves. "Sharing this problem with other family members or friends will only serve to embarrass your [teen]," she says.
If you are a teen who wets the bed, first be sure you're talking to someone about it. It may be difficult to reveal, but you're not the only person your age to experience nocturnal enuresis. In fact, according to the National Kidney Foundation, 1 to 2 out of every 100 teens at age 15 wets the bed.