Known scientifically as nocturnal enuresis, bedwetting should not be seen as a possible medical issue unless a child continues to wet the bed at least twice weekly past the age of five.

Nocturnal enuresis affects 15% to 20% of 5-year-old children, 5% of 10-year-old children, and 1% to 2% of people aged 15 years and older. Without treatment, 15% of affected children will become dry each year. Nocturnal enuresis is not diagnosed in children younger than 5 years, and treatment may be inappropriate for children younger than 7 years. Several types of treatment interventions have been tried: acupuncture, dry bed training, enuresis alarm, and hypnotherapy.

Bedwetting in a Child
Most children who wet the bed will outgrow it, and bed wetting treatment is necessary only if bedwetting is upsetting to the child. In general, bedwetting does not stem from a medical, psychological or emotional problem, but it can become a problem if parents, children, or physicians let themselves to be bothered by it.

Cause
This condition may occur because a child sleeps very deeply. For many children who wet the bed, the cause may start with their bowels and not their bladders .Undiagnosed constipation appears to be a frequent contributor to bed-wetting. When children are treated with laxatives or enemas, most stopped wetting the bed within a few months.

Incidence
Ten to 15 percent of 5-year-olds and up to 8 percent of 8-year-olds wet their bed.

Bed Wetting Treatment, natural therapy or cure
The most effective treatment for bedwetting is an alarm device that goes off when the child wets the bed. Although it cures bedwetting less than half the time, alarms can be helpful to stop bed wetting for older, motivated children with motivated families when simpler approaches don't work. Parents hoping to help their children stay dry at night can take the following steps:

Make getting up at night to go to the bathroom a clear goal, and make the toilet easily accessible
Stay away from excess fluids and caffeine containing foods before bed
Have the child urinate before bedtime
Stop using diapers at night, although training pants may be appropriate
Have the child help clean up the wet bed in the morning "in a nonpunitive manner"

Behavioral approaches such as rewards or waking the child to go to the bathroom can be helpful for some children, although they carry the risk of causing poor self-esteem in the child and frustrating the parents. The goal of treatment is largely to reduce problems with frustration, conflict and poor self-esteem, and, thus, behavioral therapies for enuresis may do more harm than good.

Q. Please advice me on what herbal or natural supplement I can use to stop my 17 years old son currently still bed wetting.
   A. Perhaps increasing intake of fiber such as psyllium, flaxseed, or drinking prune juice could be of benefit.

Drug treatment for bed wetting
The drug desmopressin is prescribed as a short-term treatment for some children, and may be useful for camp or sleepovers. However, desmopressin has serious side effects. Desmopressin can increase the risk of seizures and death. In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration said it has received 61 reports of seizures, two of which were fatal, among patients taking desmopressin, a drug that lowers the amount of water eliminated in urine. The agency said desmopressin can sometimes lower the amount of sodium in patients' blood to dangerous levels, causing the seizures. Desmopressin is sold by several companies, including privately held Ferring Pharmaceuticals, under names such as DDAVP, DDAVP nasal spray and DDAVP rhinal tube.

Bed wetting natural treatment questions
Q. We have an eleven year old boy who has a bed wetting problem every night. It is obviously pretty embarrassing for him but also very inconvenient. We have tried a pad and bell approach with little success and herbal teas recommended but again with very little if any success. I think it has to do with with weak muscle control but could be wrong. Do you have any formula that might help to strengthen this muscle or do you have another reason that you could share. Not many doctors are very interested in solving the problem as they seem to think it will simply go away with time.