It’s perfectly natural for babies to wet their nappies (diapers) whenever they need to. Becoming dry – especially at night – is a gradual developmental process. A child’s bladder must mature enough to hold urine overnight, and their brain must learn to coordinate signals between the nerves and muscles that control the bladder. They also need to develop the ability to wake up when their bladder is full. This happens more quickly in some children than others, and boys tend to take longer than girls – making bedwetting about three times more common in boys.

Here’s what we typically see as children grow:

• By age 2, many children are dry during the day – if a toilet is nearby and their clothes are easy to manage.
• By age 3, about 3 out of every 4 children are dry most nights.
• By age 5, most children are dry at night, though 1 in 5 still wets the bed at least once a week.
• By age 10, approximately 1 in 10 children continue to wet the bed several nights a week.
• By age 15, only about 3 out of every 100 children are still experiencing bedwetting several nights a week.

These figures, based on data from the International Consultation on Incontinence committee on Epidemiology of urinary incontinence (UI) and other lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and anal incontinence  show that most children naturally outgrow bedwetting over time. It is generally not considered a concern in children younger than 5 years. The medical term for bedwetting is enuresis, typically defined as wetting the bed at least three nights a week in a child over 5 years old.

First published on embarrassingproblems.com
Reviewed and edited by Dr Diane K. Newman
Last updated: July 2025 by Dr Diane K. Newman