The first thing to realise is that bedwetting is nobody’s fault, and it is nothing to do with the way a child has been ‘toilet trained’.

If you are worried about bedwetting please consult your family doctor, who can rule out the rare cases when the condition has an underlying illness such as diabetes, an infection or abnormalities in the structure of the urinary system, and initiate appropriate treatment and counselling for all cases.

Before consulting a doctor this should be tried out:

• Encourage the child to drink more during the day – some children drink little while at school and then make up for it when they return home by drinking in the evening 
• Fluid intake should not be limited during the day, the child should still be encouraged to drink seven to eight cups of fluid
• Avoid caffeine containing drinks (such as tea, coffee and cola drinks) in the evening as caffeine leads to increased urine production 
• Don’t drink within two to three hours of bedtime
• Empty the bladder twice just before going to bed (about five to ten minutes apart)
• Make it easy for the child to reach the toilet from their bedroom and encourage the child to return to their own bed
• Record wet and dry nights – reward dry nights but don’t blame wet nights
  

If this does not solve the problem, talk to your doctor.

Tell him/her

• if your child has always wet the bed, or if he/she has recently started
• if your child produces large wet patches
• if either parent also suffered bedwetting
• if you think your child's school work or behaviour has suffered

Many cases of bedwetting are simple to treat and can be improved in a couple of months with the correct approach and treatment, rather than possibly dragging on for years without change.

The degree of success depends on how motivated the child is. Children require a great deal of patience and above of all they should not be criticised, punished or blamed as this can make things worse. Parents should remain calm and encourage the bedwetting child.