Children may develop the ability to wake when the bladder is full around the same time they develop the hormone that decreases urine production at night, although the development of the two are not linked. Still others do not develop this ability until later in their childhood.

One cause of bed wetting may be a delay in the neurological development of the child. This may be an isolated delay in the child's development, as they may develop on track in all other aspects of their growth. The cause of the problem may also be hereditary. Children whose parents wet the bed may be more prone to bed wetting themselves.

Other less common causes of bed wetting may be an infection or disease, abnormal development of the urinary tract and psychological causes. Many children may outgrow bedwetting by the time they are six or seven years old, so treatment may not be recommended until this age unless the problem is causing emotional problems for the child.

If there is a physical condition that is causing bed wetting, a doctor may also begin treatment before this age. Many physicians may recommend a bed wetting alarm, which sounds and wakes up the child upon detecting moisture. This is meant to condition the child to wake up when the bladder is full. Also, Desmopressin tablets may be effective in replacing the hormone that causes urine production to decrease at night, thus this may help children with an insufficient amount of the hormone. Tricyclic antidepressants and diapers are other treatments that may be recommended by a doctor.

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