To assess the underlying cause of your child’s bedwetting (if there is one) and determine the most effective treatment for your child, it's likely that your GP will ask you a series of questions about their symptoms.

If your child is old enough, your GP may ask your child directly.

The questions that your GP asks will probably include those listed below.

• Has bedwetting started suddenly after a previous history of dryness or has this been a persistent problem since early childhood?
• If there has been no history of bedwetting, could there be any medical, physical or emotional triggers that might explain the symptoms?
• How many nights a week does bedwetting happen?
• How many times a night does bedwetting happen?
• Is there a large amount of urine?
• Does your child wake up after wetting the bed?
• Is your child having any daytime symptoms, such as a frequent or urgent need to urinate, loss of bladder control (urinary incontinence), or are they straining to pass urine?
• Is your child having any additional symptoms that are unrelated to urination, such as constipation, feeling thirsty all the time or a high temperature (fever) of  38°C (100.4°F) or above?
• How much fluid does your child drink during the day and have you ever tried restricting their fluid intake?
• How often does your child go to the toilet during the course of a day?

As part of the assessment process, you may be asked to keep a ‘bedwetting diary’ to record things such as:

• your child’s fluid intake
• the amount of times your child goes to the toilet during the day
• how often they wet the bed (i.e. how many days a week and how many times during the night)

Further testing

Further testing may be recommended if your GP suspects that an underlying health condition or other factor is responsible for your child’s bedwetting (see causes of bedwetting).

For example, if your child has additional symptoms that suggest they may have a urinary tract infection (UTI), such as a high temperature or pain when urinating, a urine test can be used to check for bacteria in their urine.

Alternatively, if your child has symptoms that could suggest type 1 diabetes, such as feeling thirsty and tired all the time, they will be referred for a series of blood and urine tests.

Constipation is often an underappreciated cause of bedwetting in children, so your GP may ask you about how often your child passes a stool.

Read more about the diagnosis of UTIs, type 1 diabetes and constipation.

If your GP thinks that emotional factors might be responsible for your child’s bedwetting, they may recommend that you talk to your child's teacher or school nurse to see if there are any issues at school that could be causing your child concern.