The complete bedwetting dictionary: V
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☀️ Vasopressin
Vasopressin, also called antidiuretic hormone or ADH, is the body's signal to the kidneys to produce less urine. In a healthy person, vasopressin levels rise during sleep, telling the kidneys to slow urine production through the night. This is why most adults can sleep eight or nine hours without needing the toilet.
In some children with bedwetting, the night-time rise in vasopressin is reduced or absent. The kidneys continue to produce daytime quantities of urine, the bladder fills before the brain has a chance to wake the child, and an accident follows. This pattern often runs in families, suggesting a genetic component.
The medication DDAVP (desmopressin) is a synthetic form of vasopressin. Given at bedtime, it reduces overnight urine production and can provide dry nights, but only on the nights it is taken. The hormone does not address the brain's learning, which is why a behavioural alarm treatment remains the more durable long-term solution.