9 Natural Tips for Preventing and Treating Bedwetting

Abstract

Medical term for bedwetting is nocturnal enuresis in which a child usually at night passes urine unknowingly during sleep. In Ayurveda this condition is denoted as ‘Shayyamutra’ which means passing urine while at rest or sleep. The main cause behind it is inability to develop a strong urge to urinate in a child which can wake him/her up from the sleep. In infants it is common which gradually develops as the baby ages but in some children this isn’t the case resulting in bedwetting even in grown up children. In this article we will learn about bedwetting and 9 specific tips which can help in treating and preventing it naturally.

Introduction

Bedwetting is an embarrassing experience for a child due to waking up wet in the urine when the children of their age do not suffer from the same problem. As a parent this experience can be painful to see the child going through this experience. bedwetting does not only affect physiologically but psychologically as well to a child. A child is said to be having nocturnal enuresis if the age is above 5 years. It is common in children, rarely can be seen in adults as well where other diseases accompany it. Usually the children suffering from bedwetting problems do not pass urine during daytime sleep.

Causes of Bedwetting

Children suffering from bedwetting problem usually suffers from any of the below given problems

• Overactivity of the bladder
• Not able to wake up from sleep
• Constipation
• Delayed or decreased control of bladder
• Caffeinated drinks consumption lie tea or coffee
• Sleep apnea
• Nasal obstruction
• Genetic causes or factors
• Psychological factors
• Having no control on passing stool or urine (incontinence)

However this seemingly exhausting and endless cycle of bedwetting leading to countless stripping of bedsheets and washing them can be treated and prevented by following easy 9 tips.

Prevention Tips for Bedwetting

1. Reward programs are one of the easiest and initial ways that can be adopted in order to train your child for preventing bedwetting. Reward program means you should give some reward to your child when they have a dry night and no bedwetting to encourage this positive growth. This reward can be anything which makes your kid happy.
2. You should train your child to go to the washroom twice before going to bed. Once they should go before entering the bed for sleeping and once after sometime when they are going to sleep.
3. Encourage your child to drink more and more fluids during the day but restrict the intake in the evening which is also known as the deprivation process. This will help in emptying the bladder of your child before they go to bed.
4. Usually children do not like to go to the toilet at night due to fear of darkness. So keep a night lamp on during the night in their room so that it will help in conquering the fear and motivate them to access the toilet at night.
5. Improving bladder capacity can also help your child to treat this demon of bedwetting. If the bladder capacity of your child’s bladder is low, it becomes difficult for the bladder to hold the urine overnight. You can help in increasing this capacity by making your kid hold the urine a bit longer than usual.
6. Try to make an urination time table for your child at night that will help in making a timed urination schedule for them. Wake them up at a specific time in the night for urination, this will eventually help in developing the body clock for your child and prevent bedwetting. Some parents also use mats or mattresses that have electrical alarms on them which vibrate when urine is detected by it.
7. Diet also plays an important role in bedwetting treatment There are certain substances which if involved in your child’s diet can trigger the nocturnal enuresis like caffeine that is present in tea and coffee is reported to decrease the bladder retention. Also constipation is also one of the causes of bedwetting, so include the food which is rich in fiber and stool softeners and avoid things that cause constipation.
8. There are certain food substances which have reported positive effect on controlling the bedwetting like Cinnamon which has proven to be extremely effective for treating bedwetting along with boosting immunity, Olive oil is rich in omega acids, and vitamin A that helps in development of the brain and children and easily learn the things, and Apple cider vinegar not only boosts immunity and fights infections but also prevent urinary and stomach infections which eventually reduces the urge to pass urine to due infection.
9. Making your child aware of his/her responsibility is a must. They should know that keeping themselves dry is their responsibility not of their parents, however parents will be helping them in developing this habit and techniques. Try to involve your child in the activity of cleaning the bed sheets which are spoiled due to bedwetting. This will help in learning their responsibility and make them more alert

Do always remember that bedwetting is not something which should be termed as bad behavior as the kid is not doing it intentionally. They should be encouraged and supported in the process of getting rid of this bedwetting and also make their sibling and surrounding people understand that they shouldn’t tease the child for bedwetting. As this can harm their self-esteem and lower their confidence.

Conclusion

Nocturnal enuresis or bedwetting is a very common problem which can be treated and prevented easily following the discussed points. However if there is any underlying disease behind bedwetting then it must be diagnosed correctly and treated promptly. Your support and correct methods are vital in this process as the child is in the stage of developing the basic techniques and keeping themselves dry is one of them.