Every year on May 31st, the world observes what has long been called “World Bedwetting Day.” And every year, I have the same reaction:
Really? That’s the best name we could come up with?
Now, don’t get me wrong. I love the intention behind this day. I truly do. It was created by the International Children’s Continence Society and the European Society for Paediatric Urology to raise awareness of a very real, very common condition, one that affects roughly 5 to 10% of 7-year-olds, and to encourage families to seek help rather than suffer in silence, or in soggy sheets. That is a wonderful goal, and I am fully on board.
But the name? The name gives me pause.
My mentor, Dr. Michael Yapko, has a saying I think about all the time: “What you focus on, you amplify.”
Let me illustrate this with a little experiment. Ready?
Don’t think of a white horse. Don’t think of a white horse. Don’t think of a white horse.
What are you thinking about right now?
A white horse! Of course!
So here’s my question: when we call May 31st “World Bedwetting Day,” when we put that word front and center, in big letters, as the very name of a global awareness campaign, what are we amplifying? What are we focusing on?
You guessed it. We’re focusing on being wet.
And that, my friends, is precisely the opposite of what we want.
Goodbye World Bedwetting Day and Hello Keeping the Bed Dry Day
I’d like to humbly propose a different name for May 31st:
Keeping the Bed Dry Day.
Same date. Same mission. Completely different energy.
Instead of drawing our children’s attention, and our own attention, toward a problem, let’s point it toward the solution. Let’s celebrate every dry night. Let’s focus on what is possible, what is achievable, and what so many families have already discovered: that this is a treatable condition, and that kids can and do learn to wake up dry.
Because here’s the truth that I wish every parent knew: nocturnal enuresis (the clinical term for bedwetting) is nobody’s fault, and it is not a life sentence.
It is not a character flaw. It is not laziness. It is not a sign that something is terribly wrong. In most cases, it simply means that a child’s brain and bladder haven’t yet developed the nighttime communication skills they need. And those skills can be learned.
What I tell every family who walks into my office
When a child comes to see me about this issue, the first thing I do is change the language we use. I ask parents and kids to stop saying “I wet the bed” and start saying “I’m learning to stay dry at night.” It sounds like a small thing. It isn’t.
Language shapes expectations. Expectations shape outcomes.
When we ask a child, “Why did you wet the bed five times this week?” we are focusing on failure. When we ask, “Hey, you were dry twice this week! How did you do that?” we are celebrating success, building confidence, and amplifying exactly what we want more of.
The same logic applies to the name of this day.
What you can do right now
Whether your child is 6, 10, or 15, whether they’ve been dealing with this for years or you’re just starting to wonder if it’s time to get some help, here is my message to you on this Keeping the Bed Dry Day:
You are not alone. Millions of families around the world are navigating exactly what you’re navigating. The embarrassment, the extra laundry, the declined sleepover invitations. All of it. You are in very good company.
Help exists. There are effective, safe, non-medicated approaches to treating nocturnal enuresis. Medical hypnosis, which is really just a term for focused visualization and guided imagery, has been shown in peer-reviewed research to significantly increase the number of dry nights children experience each month. Our Keeping the Bed Dry® program, which was evaluated in an independent study published in Clinical Pediatrics, doubled the average number of dry nights in just three months. No alarm waking up the whole house. No medication. Just a skill your child learns, owns, and carries with them.
Your child can do this. And when they do, the look on their face, the pride, the confidence, the “I did this myself,” is worth everything.
So this May 31st, whatever the world calls it, I know what I’m calling it: Keeping the Bed Dry Day.
Because that’s what we’re working toward. That’s what we’re celebrating. And that’s what your child is absolutely capable of.
Here’s to dry mornings ahead.
Ready to give your child the skill that makes dry mornings possible? Start Keeping the Bed Dry® today. No medications, no alarm, no shame. Just a skill that lasts a lifetime.
Want to talk through your child’s situation with Dr. Lazarus? Schedule a consultation.
About Dr. Jeffrey Lazarus, MD, FAAP
Dr. Jeffrey Lazarus is a board-certified pediatrician who combines over 25 years of medical experience with expertise in medical hypnosis and cognitive behavioral therapy. He is one of only 8 pediatricians in the United States certified as an Approved Consultant by The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis.
After completing his pediatric residency at Stanford University Medical Center, Dr. Lazarus specialized in using medical hypnosis to address conditions that traditional medicine does not treat effectively. He created Keeping the Bed Dry®, an at-home video program that teaches children’s brains and bladders to communicate effectively, proven successful in independent research published in Clinical Pediatrics and recommended as a first-line treatment by the Journal of Pediatric Urology. Dr. Lazarus practices in Menlo Park, California, and works with families nationwide via telemedicine.