{"id":42275,"date":"2024-01-02T07:24:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-02T07:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bensnaturalhealth.com\/blog\/?p=42275"},"modified":"2025-06-12T19:05:44","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T19:05:44","slug":"adult-bed-wetting-enuresis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bensnaturalhealth.com\/blog\/prostate-health\/adult-bed-wetting-enuresis\/","title":{"rendered":"Adult Bed Wetting: 11 Potential Reasons Why You Wet The Bed"},"content":{"rendered":"

Adult bed wetting (also called nocturnal enuresis or nighttime incontinence) affects 2 to 6%<\/a> of adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, bedwetting as a child may persist into adulthood.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or, it may recur in adulthood after you stop wetting the bed as a child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can cause certain problems, such as shame, sleep deprivation, anxiety, mood swings, low self-esteem, and depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you wet the bed as an adult, there is usually an underlying cause.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on the cause, your nighttime incontinence can be treated.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn more about the causes of adult bed wetting and the treatment methods used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What causes adult bed wetting?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Adult bed wetting can be caused by many different factors. These could be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1) Hormone problems<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You may have an imbalance in your hormones, particularly the antidiuretic hormone (ADH).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ADH helps the kidneys to make less urine and store water in the body. The body produces ADH at night to decrease the amount of pee you make while you\u2019re asleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, in some people, the amount of ADH in their body is not enough. So, they tend to produce excess urine and wet the bed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An example of a condition in which there is less production of ADH is diabetes insipidus<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2) Urinary tract infections<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your urinary tract is the passageway for urine in your body. A urinary tract infection (UTI) can cause bed wetting in adults.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3) Kidney or bladder stones<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Kidney or bladder stones can cause obstruction and could lead to a frequent urge to urinate. This can cause you to wet the bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4) Prostate abnormalities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Older men could have an enlarged prostate gland (benign prostatic hyperplasia). BPH can lead to urinary incontinence, which causes you to involuntarily release urine.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BPH can also be associated with an overactive bladder.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another prostate problem that may lead to bedwetting is prostate cancer.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

5) Bladder abnormalities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some people may have certain problems with their bladder. These can cause leakage of urine in the nighttime.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One example is an overactive bladder.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An overactive bladder is an abnormality in the muscles of the bladder. These are called the detrusor muscles.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You feel a sudden urge to pee<\/a> often, which can be quite problematic both during the day and night. You may unintentionally wet the bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, a small bladder can lead to nocturnal enuresis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6) Family history<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Genetics plays an important role in many disease conditions, and this is no exception. You are more likely to wet the bed in adulthood if you have a close family member with nocturnal enuresis.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have a close family relation who wet the bed, you have a 90% chance<\/a> of getting nighttime incontinence.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This does not mean that you cannot get nocturnal enuresis if you do not have a positive family history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7) Certain medical conditions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Certain medical conditions like diabetes mellitus can lead to adult bed wetting.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have diabetes, you have high levels of glucose in your blood if it is not treated. As a result, you make excessive amounts of pee, and you may need to have frequent trips to the bathroom. This can lead to bed wetting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people who have obstructive sleep apnea can have frequent urges to pee. This may lead to leakage of urine in the nighttime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8) Neurologic disorders<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some disorders that cause problems in your nervous system can cause nocturnal enuresis. Examples are seizures, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson\u2019s disease, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9) Medications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you are on certain medicines, you may experience bedwetting as a side effect. These include risperidone, clozapine, and thioridazine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10) Stress<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Anxiety and stress may cause you to start wetting the bed as an adult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11) Diet<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Caffeine and alcohol<\/a> can cause your kidneys to produce more urine. In addition, they can irritate the bladder (bladder irritants).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also cause contraction of the detrusor muscle, leading to urine leakage.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Possible testing for nighttime incontinence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you start bedwetting as an adult, you need to visit your doctor. You need help to find the cause and start an appropriate treatment.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your doctor will inquire about your symptoms and health during a thorough consultation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, a physical exam is done, and some tests are conducted.\u00a0Here are the possible tests that you may need if you wet the bed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n