I’m nearly 40 now and have experienced in many occasions small urine leakage at night and sometimes during the day.
I can recall that my mum used to have the same problem but this happened as she turned into her 70s. Do you think this problem could be hereditary?
I’ve never talked about this to anyone and not even with my close age friends because this is obviously such an embarrassment for me!
I don’t suffer from any psychological trauma or accident so at this stage, can we call this incontinence? If it is, I can’t see myself wearing nappies like children do so would pads be possibly the best discreet alternative?
I’ve tried a couple of things such as not drinking at night – what else do you recommend?
Hi Lisa,
Sorry to hear you are experiencing this.
You mention you are having urine leakage during the night. You should not be embarrassed about this, as it is surprisingly common. Millions of adults worldwide discover this at one point in their life, so you are not alone! You may be experiencing Nocturnal Enuresis, which is the experience of involuntary urination while asleep. Although the prevalence of incontinence does increase with age, it is likely that the problem could be hereditary. One such study determined that someone with parents who wet the bed has a likelihood of 77% of also becoming a bedwetter. The fact that your mother used to wet the bed may, therefore, be a huge reason why you are discovering this.
It is also possible that your mum was experiencing bedwetting due to weak pelvic floor muscles or another underlying condition. You may be experiencing bedwetting due to a health condition rather than a genetic reason. Although it can be embarrassing, it is important to visit a Doctor to find the reason why you are bedwetting and experiencing leaks throughout the day. Doctors are well informed on incontinence and will be able to offer life-changing advice. It is useful to consider which type of incontinence is causing your leaks in the day.
These are common different types of incontinence:
Stress incontinence: a condition in which you experience involuntary immission of urine when pressure on the abdomen increases, such as when coughing or jumping
Urge incontinence: in urge incontinence, you have an urgent need to go to the bathroom and may not get there in time. This can be triggered by factors such as seeing running water
Overflow incontinence: If you find you cannot fully empty your bladder, you may have overflow incontinence. This means you may dribble urine
Mixed incontinence: This means you have any two types of the condition. Many women have both stress and urge incontinence
Your GP will help you to discover the cause and confirm which kind of incontinence you have.
You do not have to wear bulky “nappy” like products. The incontinence market offers a variety of products that can maintain your dignity. As you are only experiencing light leakages, you will benefit from pads. The Tena Lady range of pads feature pads that are specially designed to fit a women’s anatomy. This means you will be provided with maximum discretion and comfort. The iD Light range of pads are another suitable option that are specially designed for light incontinence in women.
Tena Lady Maxi Night pads would be an ideal option for managing your nighttime incontinence. They provide triple protection from leaks, odour and moisture. The pads also feature Lie Down Protection for a good night’s sleep. It is ideal to use a pad with slightly more absorption during the night. If your nighttime incontinence worsens and becomes heavier, it may be ideal to switch to an all-in-one pad for extra security.
There are a number of lifestyle changes you can make to improve your nighttime incontinence. One way to do this is through creating a bedwetting alarm. This is an alarm which can wake you up at timed intervals to go to the toilet every few hours, ensuring you will wake up and walk to the bathroom rather than wetting the bed. It is also important to cut down on caffeine and alcohol, which irritate the bladder. Ensure you go to the toilet just before you go to bed to make sure your bladder is completely empty before you go to sleep. You mention you have tried not drinking water at night. Although it is important to not be over-hydrated, it is important to prevent dehydration. Ensure you are drinking a healthy amount of water, however, try and drink water earlier in the night. For example, have your last drink at 8pm instead of 10pm. Your Doctor may also recommend doing pelvic floor exercises, which can strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.
Good luck with this and feel free to ask any further questions!
