Medical Terminology for Loss of Bladder Control at Night
The medical term for loss of bladder control at night is "nocturnal enuresis." 1
Definition and Classification
Nocturnal enuresis is defined as intermittent urinary incontinence during sleep, occurring at least once per month for at least 3 months in children aged 5 years and older. 2 The International Continence Society standardizes this terminology as the number of times urine is passed during the main sleep period. 1
Types of Nocturnal Enuresis
Primary enuresis: The child has never achieved consistent nighttime dryness and is twice as common as secondary enuresis. 1
Secondary enuresis: Loss of bladder control after a period of at least 6 months of nighttime dryness. 1
Monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (MNE): Enuresis in children without any other lower urinary tract symptoms during the day. 1, 2
Non-monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (NMNE): Enuresis accompanied by daytime urinary symptoms such as urgency, frequency, or daytime wetting. 1
Age-Related Context
The term "enuresis" is clinically appropriate after age 4-5 years, as the spontaneous cure rate changes significantly around age 4. 1 Before this age, nighttime wetting is generally considered a normal developmental variant unless specific pathological causes are identified. 1
Adult Terminology
In older adults, the same condition is referred to as "nocturnal enuresis," though it is uncommon in this population and typically has different underlying causes than in children. 3 The term may also be described as "night incontinence" or colloquially as "bed flooding" by some parents when referring to the large urine volumes in children. 1
Common Pitfall
Do not confuse nocturnal enuresis with "nocturia," which specifically refers to waking up at night to void (getting out of bed to urinate), rather than involuntary loss of urine during sleep. 1 Nocturia involves conscious awakening and voluntary voiding, while nocturnal enuresis is involuntary urination during sleep without awakening. 1