Bed Wetting in Adults Part 1

There are at least 2-4 percent of adults who involuntary void urine during sleep. Nocturnal enuresis (Bedwetting) is the unintentional urination that occurs at night. Nocturnal bed wetting in adults is generally classified into two categories- primary and secondary.

With primary nocturnal bed wetting, the condition most likely starts in childhood and progresses into adulthood. In these individuals, nocturnal enuresis is not a daily occurence but occurs at least 1-4 times every few months.

The exact number of adults who have this problem is not known because most people do not brag about it nor do they tell their health care worker about it. The secondary onset bed wetting almost always starts off at an older age; the individual may have had no problem in childhood but suddenly the bed wetting starts in adulthood. In some cases, the child may have bed wetting and achieved bladder control but relapses later in adulthood.

Bed wetting is not a recent problem in humans; it has been reported in the archives as early as 1500 BC. Although much is known about bed wetting in the child, the problem has been less studied in the adult.