Sleep of children with enuresis:: A polysomnographic study

Objective. To evaluate relationships between bladder voiding and sleep in children with enuresis. Methods. Polysomnographic recordings were obtained from 25 children, aged 7 to 17 years, with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis. During 52 recorded nights, 37 enuretic events were detected. Responders (n = 7) and nonresponders (n = 16) to desmopressin treatment were compared. Results. The mean latency between sleep onset and the first bladder voiding was 3 hours 20 minutes (SD = 2 hours 5 minutes). The number of voidings were 19, 7,10, and I occurring during stages 2, 3, and 4, and rapid-eye movement sleep, respectively. Desmopressin responders were found to void during the early or late part of the night, whereas the voidings of the nonresponders were dispersed evenly throughout the night (chi(2) = 8.09). Conclusions. The enuretic event is a predominantly non-rapid eye movement sleep phenomenon. Responders and nonresponders to desmopressin treatment void during different parts of the night.