Nocturnal enuresis, also known as sleep enuresis or bedwetting is considered to be a type of sleep disorder and is characterized by an involuntary urination during sleep. Nocturnal enuresis can mostly affect younger children. However, sleep enuresis can still affect adults. Studies and researches reveal that at least 2% of the adult population is suffering from lack of control of voiding during their sleep. There are a lot of different possible factors that can be responsible for causing sleep enuresis. To properly design treatment methods or therapies, as much as possible, the exact causative factor for the sleep enuresis should be identified and diagnosed by your physician or sleep specialist.
Prevalence of Sleep Enuresis
Sleep enuresis is not a medical condition that is something new during the present times. Nocturnal enuresis is a problem by people for very many years ago. Evidences of sleep enuresis can even be traced back as far as 1500 BC. For the past years, studies and researches are focused on sleep enuresis in children, and there were only limited studies and researches conducted for sleep enuresis in adults. There are still many people who do not fully understand sleep enuresis. However, it is very important to keep in mind that sleep enuresis is not something done on purpose. Sleep enuresis is unintentional and unwanted to happen by the person suffering from the condition.
Adult Onset Secondary Enuresis
Adult onset secondary enuresis is a type of sleep enuresis that is characterized by a certain period of time of nighttime dryness, which can possibly occur in years, but as the person gets older or reaches an older age, he or she will then suffer from involuntary sleep enuresis or bedwetting. One thing that needs to be remembered in adult onset secondary enuresis is that this type of sleep enuresis only begins at an older age, just like its name suggests.
Sleep Enuresis Confused as Another Medical Condition
Sleep enuresis is commonly misinterpreted or confused to be nocturia. Nocturia is a medical condition or symptom that is characterized by waking up several time every night to urinate. In nocturnal enuresis, the person does not wake up to void, but instead, the person unconsciously voids or urinates during his or her sleep. There are different types of sleep enuresis that exists and it is very important to differentiate each one of the types of sleep enuresis for not to get confuse with other sleep disorders or sleep conditions.
