Teen Bedwetting:
Understanding why it continues - and how it can change
Why Bedwetting Can Become Harder to Solve in the Teenage Years
When bedwetting continues into the teenage years, it often feels very different from the early childhood stage.
By this point, many young people have already tried alarms, medication, routines and a variety of practical strategies, yet the problem may still persist. This can be deeply frustrating for families and, for teenagers themselves, increasingly distressing. Feelings of embarrassment, anxiety and a gradual loss of confidence can begin to build.
Although physical development still plays an important role, the longer bedwetting continues, the more the emotional side begins to play a part, making change harder than it needs to be. This is one reason why approaches that may work in the early years do not always bring the same results in adolescence.
The encouraging news is that bedwetting in the teenage years can still be resolved. When the emotional and behavioural aspects are addressed together, progress often becomes not only possible, but significantly easier.
As children grow, the experience changes
As children grow older, they become more self-aware. They compare themselves to their peers. They value privacy and naturally, want independence. What once felt like a developmental delay can start to feel like a personal flaw.
Teenagers may not talk about this openly - in fact, many won’t. But internally, they can begin to carry thoughts such as:
“I should have grown out of this by now.”
“Other people don’t have this problem.”
“There must be something wrong with me.”
Over time, these thoughts can create a significant emotional load. The problem is no longer just something that happens at night. It begins to influence confidence, social decisions and self-perception during the day.
Sleepovers start to be avoided; school trips feel daunting and boarding environments can become a source of constant background anxiety.
When a young person starts to feel defined by a difficulty, change naturally becomes harder. Not because they are unwilling but because they’re struggling with more than just a physical symptom.
Why Emotional State Matters
Anxiety is rarely the sole cause of bedwetting, but it can be a contributing or maintaining factor. Living with repeated night-time accidents can understandably create a sense of dread around bedtime. For some teenagers, this apprehension becomes part of the nightly routine.
When the body anticipates something stressful, it releases stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These chemicals are helpful in short bursts - they prepare us for action - but they also alter muscle tone, sleep depth and nervous system regulation. Over time, this heightened state can interfere with the subtle communication between brain and bladder that is needed during the night.
So while anxiety may not begin the problem, the emotional tension surrounding it can make progress more difficult.
When we reduce that tension and restore a calmer internal state, the body is often better able to relearn the patterns it needs.
MyDryBed
The online programme for Teens and Young Adults
I developed ‘My Dry Bed’ - it’s a self-paced online programme created especially for teenagers.
It includes the same type of visualisation and meditation exercises that I use with younger children in my best-selling ‘Stop Bedwetting in 7 Days’ programme, but also includes a section that offers emotional support.
I feel it’s important to be in the right frame of mind and to feel positive and confident about solving this problem, before thinking about training exercises to stop bedwetting for good.
Feeling happier, more relaxed and with improved sleep quality, it will then be easier to focus on getting the mind and body to start working in harmony. My unique visualisation exercises and meditations are designed to do just this.
Check out my online training programme for teens.