Bedwetting Causes and Treatment

What causes bedwetting? My grandson (age 11) has wet the bed continuously. The medication he was given didn't help. He says he just can't wake up and sleeps right through it. I want him to feel good about himself, so I'm reaching out for any guidance.

Bedwetting, or nocturnal enuresis, is normal even up to the age of seven. There is pretty clear evidence that it is genetic to a large extent, so children who take longer to grow out of it may have parents who were the same. Most children grow out of it without any treatment. Unfortunately, the older a child continues to wet the bed, the less likely he is to grow out of it without intervention.

An 11 year old who wets the bed should initially be evaluated by his doctor to rule out rare causes of enuresis. Assuming no medical problem is found, there are a variety of training techniques. The most basic is for the child to limit drinking liquids in the evenings and empty his bladder immediately before bed. Some suggest waking the child once or several times during the night to use the bathroom. Medications can be effective, but typically only as long as the child takes them. They can be convenient for sleepovers or overnight camps. The most effective training for lasting dryness tends to be a bed-wetting alarm. Be prepared that this may take months, but ultimately, it has been shown to have the most success.