The Different Types of Bedwetting

7 MIN READ

Understanding Bedwetting Types: Primary vs. Secondary; Nocturnal vs. Diurnal Enuresis

Primary Enuresis	Secondary Enuresis
Also called primary bedwetting, primary enuresis is the most common type among children. This type of enuresis is defined by your child wetting their bed or clothes within the first 6 months of potty training. In other words, your kid never fully toilet trained and the bedwetting is a continuation of that. Over 75 percent of children affected by bedwetting have primary enuresis, and it is more common in boys than in girls. This type of bedwetting happens because the sleeping brain isn’t yet able to recognize the messages sent by the full bladder, thus the child doesn’t wake up to use the bathroom. Primary enuresis isn’t considered a problem until around the age of 5 – until then, it may simply be that a kid’s potty training isn’t quite done. If your child experiences this type of bedwetting, they’ll more than likely grow out of it in time (AKA, this is the kind of bedwetting almost every child experiences once or twice in their life).	Secondary enuresis is when bedwetting starts happening after at least six months of nighttime dryness. Secondary enuresis accounts for about 25 percent of all bedwetting accidents and its psychological impact can be major – from loss of self-esteem to negatively affecting performance at school. Your child may feel embarrassed, upset or discouraged by starting to wet the bed again after mastering toilet training earlier on. Unlike primary enuresis, in which the underlying causes are mostly developmental, the appearance of secondary enuresis can be a sign of an underlying medical condition, or some stress or emotionally driven cause. The best solution is to have a patient and caring attitude to help manage stress in your child’s life and consult with their doctor to explore any underlying medical causes for what’s happening. Once the cause is identified, you and your child will be better equipped to identify solutions.

Primary Enuresis

Secondary Enuresis

Also called primary bedwetting, primary enuresis is the most common type among children. This type of enuresis is defined by your child wetting their bed or clothes within the first 6 months of potty training. In other words, your kid never fully toilet trained and the bedwetting is a continuation of that.

Over 75 percent of children affected by bedwetting have primary enuresis, and it is more common in boys than in girls. This type of bedwetting happens because the sleeping brain isn’t yet able to recognize the messages sent by the full bladder, thus the child doesn’t wake up to use the bathroom.

Primary enuresis isn’t considered a problem until around the age of 5 – until then, it may simply be that a kid’s potty training isn’t quite done. If your child experiences this type of bedwetting, they’ll more than likely grow out of it in time (AKA, this is the kind of bedwetting almost every child experiences once or twice in their life).

Nocturnal Enuresis	Diurnal Enuresis
The most prevalent form of bedwetting, nocturnal enuresis (or nighttime bedwetting) happens when a child has accidents in the middle of the night due to a physiological, development or medical reason (or sometimes it’s just an accident). Nocturnal enuresis affects 5 to 7 million children in the U.S. and is more common in boys than girls.	Also known as daytime wetting, diurnal enuresis happens when a fully potty-trained child has accidents during the day. In contrast with nocturnal enuresis, diurnal enuresis is twice as common in girls as boys. Daytime wetting can be hereditary, but can also be associated with a number of medical conditions like constipation, urinary tract infection or an under-developed sense of when it’s time to use the bathroom (that physiological trigger in your brain that says it’s time to go).

Nocturnal Enuresis

Diurnal Enuresis

The most prevalent form of bedwetting, nocturnal enuresis (or nighttime bedwetting) happens when a child has accidents in the middle of the night due to a physiological, development or medical reason (or sometimes it’s just an accident). Nocturnal enuresis affects 5 to 7 million children in the U.S. and is more common in boys than girls.

The Different Types of Bedwetting

Understanding Bedwetting Types: Primary vs. Secondary; Nocturnal vs. Diurnal Enuresis

Causes of Bedwetting

How to Help Your Child Cope With Bedwetting

The Big Picture