Bed wetting Causes Stress
Know that bedwetting is often a normal part of growing up. Most children don't stay dry at night until about the age of 3. And it's usually not a concern for parents until around age 6. There are ways to work toward dry nights as a family.
A Bed Wetter Needs Your Support
Reassure your child by being supportive. He isn't wetting the bed on purpose. And bedwetting isn't typically a sign of an emotional or physical problem. Explain that it is normal, very common, and that he won't always wet the bed.
Talk and Share Your Experience
Bedwetting often runs in families. If you or your partner wet the bed as a child, talk with your child about it. It'll help him see that people do outgrow it. And it may help him feel less alone and embarrassed.
What Causes Bedwetting?
Many things can lead to bedwetting. It could be slower development of bladder control or heavy sleep. There may be hormonal issues. Stress and anxiety can be a cause. A child who's been dry and suddenly starts wetting the bed may have an infection, or a big life change such as a move may be bothering her. Be sure to speak with your doctor if this is a new problem.
Let Your Child Help Find Solutions
If she's 4 or older, ask for her ideas. What might help her stop wetting the bed? Brainstorm together. Drinking less in the evening and cutting back on caffeinated drinks may be worth trying. You can also offer options like disposable underwear or waterproof sheets. By keeping it positive and involving her, you'll help build her confidence and encourage good bedtime habits
Praise and Reward for Staying Dry
When your child has a dry night, praise her for it. Some families mark wet days and dry days on a calendar. Stickers or stars can make it fun. If your child stays dry a number of nights in a row, offer a small reward like a fun breakfast or small book. If she wets, be supportive and remind her that results will come if she keeps up her efforts.
Provide Simple Reminders
Make using the bathroom just before he gets in bed part of his bedtime routine. Also remind him that it's OK to get up during the night to use the bathroom. Nightlights can help him find his own way when he needs to go.
Does Waking During the Night Help?
Resist the urge to wake your child a lot during the night. If you use this approach, waking once a night should be enough, perhaps right before you go to bed yourself. Keep in mind that if you deprive your child of rest and sleep, you may increase his level of stress. Stress can be a bedwetting trigger.
Involve Your Child in Cleaning Up
When he wets the bed, he can put his PJs in the hamper or help you change the sheets. Make sure he understands it's not a punishment, just part of what has to be done. The idea is to make him more aware of his bedwetting without scolding him or making him feel ashamed.
Clean Up: Removing the Smell of Urine
Accidents happen. And when they do, urine can leave a stubborn odor in clothes and in bed linens. Try adding a half cup to a cup of white vinegar to your wash to remove the smell.
Cleaning a Mattress: Step 1
If you need to clean urine from a mattress, first use towels to blot up as much as you can. Keep blotting, but don't rub, until no more moisture comes to the surface.
Cleaning a Mattress: Step 2
Once you've blotted up as much of the urine as you can, saturate the entire area of urine stain with hydrogen peroxide. Let it stand for 5 minutes, and then use towels again to blot the area dry.
Cleaning a Mattress: Step 3
Once the mattress is dry, sprinkle baking soda over the entire area and let it stand for 24 hours. The next day, vacuum the baking soda away. It should be clean and odor free.
Easing Sleepover Stress
If your child is nervous about sleepovers, remind her of the steps she uses to stay dry at home. Giving her disposable underwear and extra clothes in case of an accident might put her at ease. A sleeping bag with waterproof lining may also help.
Beforehand, notify the adult host that your child may have some worries about bedwetting. Discuss your child’s plans for handling it so everyone feels prepared.
Be Patient About Bedwetting
Scolding or losing your temper won't make your child stop wetting the bed. Don’t bring up bedwetting in front of others to try to shame her. Embarrassment will only increase her stress and anxiety. Meanwhile, remember that bedwetting eventually does stop. Try practicing patience and providing support while you wait.
Dealing With Teasing in the Home
Bedwetting can make your child an easy target for teasing. To help him handle it, make your home safe for him. Don't allow anyone in your family to tease about it. Explain to siblings that bedwetting is something their brother doesn't have control over and that he needs everybody's love and support.
Bullying at School About Bedwetting
If your child avoids other children or comes home with unexplained injuries, she may be being bullied. Listen to what your child says. Talk with her and let her know that you know it's not her fault. Then talk with people at her school and ask what they've seen. Be proactive and work with the school to find ways to make the teasing stop.
When to Call the Doctor
If your child is still bedwetting at age 7, consider setting up a doctor's visit. While there may be a medical problem, most of the time there isn't. Also, see the doctor if your child suddenly starts wetting the bed after being dry for 6 months or more.
Spicy Foods and Bed-Wetting: Myth
Has taco night become a thing of the past at your house since you heard that spicy foods might trigger bed-wetting? If so, it’s time to break out the salsa and grab some guacamole -- experts say there is no evidence spicy foods trigger nocturnal enuresis.
The myth stems from the fact that spicy foods are known to irritate the bladder in some people, and doctors may recommend that people with urinary incontinence avoid them. But research hasn’t found a connection between the consumption of spicy foods and bed-wetting.
Citrus and Bed-Wetting: Another Myth
Like spicy foods, citrus fruits -- think oranges, lemons, and limes -- can be bladder irritants, owing to their acidity. So you might think you’re doing your child a favor by taking orange juice and lemonade off the table.
But medical research has not demonstrated a link between eating citrus fruits and children’s bed-wetting, except possibly in rare instances of food allergy to citrus in some bed wetters.
Food Allergens and Bed-Wetting: The Jury’s Still Out
The evidence for a connection between food allergies and bed-wetting is very weak. A single study of 21 children published in 1992 did support a connection at least in some children. But it’s likely that in the vast majority of children, allergy doesn’t play any role.
Caffeine and Bed-Wetting: Fact
Caffeine, whether in food or drink, acts as a diuretic, meaning that it stimulates the bladder to produce more urine. So, one bed-wetting solution many experts recommend is to avoid caffeine in the late afternoon and evening.
Just because your child doesn’t drink coffee doesn’t mean he isn’t ingesting caffeine. Teas, colas, and energy drinks often contain caffeine. And one food that many children love, chocolate, also contains a chemical closely related to caffeine. So you might want to be cautious about hot chocolate and desserts such as brownies or chocolate ice cream.
You don’t need to add insult to injury and ban these foods from your child’s diet -- just try to make sure they’re enjoyed earlier in the day, so the effects have worn off before bedtime.
Liquids Before Bed and Bed-Wetting: Fact
The reason your child wets the bed is not just because there is too much liquid in the bladder. Think of it this way -- even if you drank a gallon of water before bed, you’d wake up to empty your bladder rather than wetting the bed.
Nonetheless, limiting the amount of liquid your child drinks before going to sleep makes common sense because it will delay the filling of the bladder and give your child some extra time before bed-wetting occurs. This added time could give your child more of a chance to wake up before wetting the bed.
Keep in mind that drinks aren’t the only way your child gets liquids. Certain foods, such as soup, yogurt, and many fruits and vegetables, have very high water content.
Tips for Finding Bed-Wetting Food Triggers
Because everyone is different, you and your child might want to determine if you can figure out any food triggers that seem to affect whether your child wets the bed.
Experts recommend keeping a bed-wetting journal to record incidences of bed-wetting and identify any patterns to the accidents.
Some children become quite interested in designing their own hypotheses to see whether certain actions or foods have an effect on staying dry overnight. Working to identify their own personal bed-wetting triggers can be beneficial for kids on two fronts:
- It gives them a sense of control over their bed-wetting problem and allows them to take some responsibility for trying to fix it.
- If they do identify a food they think prevents or causes bed-wetting, having or avoiding that food may actually help, even if it is only due to the placebo effect.
Putting Nutritional Bed-Wetting Strategies to Work
If you make the decision to have your child avoid certain foods in the evenings in an attempt to control your child’s bed-wetting problem, make sure the dietary changes don’t come across as punishment for bad behavior.
Many children who wet the bed, especially older kids, are embarrassed and ashamed by their nocturnal enuresis. And often, parents become increasingly frustrated and angry over the seemingly never-ending cleanup. This can cause anxiety in the children, which can be psychologically distressing and may make them even more likely to wet the bed.
So, it’s important to make sure your child understands that the strategies you’re trying are an attempt to solve the problem, not a consequence for misbehaving.
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