As an experienced professional in the field of psychology and bedwetting treatment, I’ve witnessed firsthand the frustration, anxiety, and despair that families face when dealing with this complex and completely misunderstood issue. The internet, healthcare professionals, and even well-meaning family and friends can perpetuate a multitude of myths and misconceptions about bedwetting, leaving parents feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and helpless about how to help their child.
In this article, we’ll delve into the top 10 myths about bedwetting—exploring the facts and fiction surrounding this condition. My goal is to provide clarity, reassurance, and a deeper understanding of bedwetting, while acknowledging the dedication that parents continually bring to ending this challenging condition.
Myth #1: Bedwetting is caused by fluid consumption.
Reality: Bedwetting is not directly caused by fluid consumption. While it’s essential to establish healthy hydration habits, the amount of fluid consumed does not determine whether a child will wet the bed. It only affects the volume of urine produced.
Myth #2: Bedwetting is caused by constipation.
Reality: While it’s been said that constipation can press on a bladder because the rectum is close to the bladder resulting in involuntary bedwetting, it’s not the cause of bedwetting by any means. Bedwetting may look like a physical issue because it involves the bladder and urine, but the sole causal factor is in the brain —in the disordered pattern of sleep.
Myth #3: Bedwetting is the result of a lazy child or poor parenting techniques.
Reality: Bedwetting is a complex condition that is not at all caused by laziness or poor parenting. Children who experience bedwetting simply require effective treatment to address something they cannot control. There’s nothing wrong with them physically or psychologically. And parents, there’s nothing you could have done differently to prevent the bedwetting. This condition was a predisposition brought about by an inherited gene.
Myth #4: Bedwetting is the result of an underdeveloped bladder.
Reality: Bedwetting is not caused by an underdeveloped bladder. It’s the other way around. An underdeveloped bladder is a symptom of the bedwetting. That’s because a bedwetter isn’t holding urine in their bladder at night, and over the years, the child grows, but the bladder doesn’t because they continue to empty it at night.
Myth #5: Bedwetters are missing a hormone that can be replaced with a synthetic hormone in the form of medication.
Reality: Medication is prescribed as a (futile) attempt to offer some help to patients. Bedwetting is a multifaceted condition that requires a comprehensive and non-medical treatment approach that no amount or type of medication can touch.
Myth #6: Bedwetting can be helped by alternative methods of healthcare like chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, homeopathic remedies, etc.
Reality: While some alternative therapies may offer complementary benefits, they aim to change something about the physical body in hopes of ending bedwetting. While invasive surgery was at one time the go-to suggestion for ending bedwetting, it never produced a permanent result.
Myth #7: Bedwetting is not a big deal and will be outgrown by puberty.
Reality: Bedwetting can have a significant emotional and psychological impact on children and families. While some children can outgrow bedwetting, most do not, and delaying treatment can lead to prolonged suffering and decreased self-esteem. Not to mention missing out on experiences like sleepovers, camp stays, and college dorm living.
Myth #8: Bedwetting only affects children.
Reality: Bedwetting can affect individuals of all ages, including adults. A good portion of our patients are teenagers who are preparing to go to college. Our oldest patient as of this writing is 39, and he’s lived with bedwetting his whole life. He never even considered getting married because of the bedwetting. We always have several adult patients in our care, and in one unique case, we were treating both the father AND his 7 year-old son at the same time.
Myth #9: Bedwetting is a sign of an underlying medical condition.
Reality: While bedwetting can be a symptom of an underlying medical condition, recent statistics have shown that less than one percent of people who suffer with bedwetting revealed an underlying medical condition. We’ve been exclusively treating bedwetting for over five decades, and we’ve done so by focusing on correcting the disordered pattern of sleep.
Myth #10: Bedwetting treatment is a simple process and can be ended with an alarm purchased online.
Reality: Bedwetting treatment is a multifaceted process that requires a comprehensive approach and an expert coach who can tailor treatment protocols for each patient. Effective treatment involves addressing the physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of bedwetting—and most importantly, correcting the inherited deep-sleep pattern at the source of this issue. Bedwetters are such deep sleepers that they not only sleep through bedwetting alarms, they’ll sleep right through the piercing sound of a smoke alarm!
As we’ve explored these common myths about bedwetting, I hope you’ve gained a deeper understanding of what’s really going on here. Remember that bedwetting is not a reflection of a child’s character, intelligence, or potential. Also remember that even though you’ve most likely tried everything under the sun to end bedwetting for your child, (or for yourself if you’re an adult bedwetter), there IS a light at the end of the tunnel!
We have been committedly ending the hardship and the heartache of bedwetting for five decades. We’ve been standing in the face of misinformation as beacons of truth on behalf of struggling families. Nothing has and nothing will ever stop us from making a life-altering difference: Healthy sleep every night and a dry bed every morning—for life!
