Is this normal?

My aunt, who is over 50 years old, occasionally urinates while sleeping. Kindly let me know if this is a normal behaviour for elderly women.

Ahmed (by SMS)

Incontinence of any kind or degree is not “normal” in the sense that you don’t have to live with it if you don’t want to. A pelvic floor therapist can diagnose your aunt’s specific issue and create a treatment plan that works for you. In the meantime consider buying her an incontinence mat or some adult diapers for overnight wear. These can protect her mattress and reduce the number of times she has to run to the bathroom in the night, which interrupts your sleep and puts you at risk for accidental injury.

However, when the word “normal” is used, it may imply there’s something morally wrong with people who have this problem which is definitely not the case.

It’s high time we normalize wetting, accidents and incontinence as well as discussion of these issues because they affect more people than not! By age 65, a whopping 75% of women have some degree of incontinence, yet many are afraid to discuss it with a doctor or tell anyone in their lives.

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