7 Ways You Can Help Your Child with Bedwetting

Nocturnal enuresis or better known as bedwetting, is the loss of bladder control that usually occurs at night when asleep. It can cause discomfort for little ones who undergo bedwetting, having to lie on drenched sheets. Many children who still wet their beds tend to feel a sense of shame and embarrassment, which in turn can lead to low self-esteem and a hard time developing a healthy social life in school. To find a solution is to identify the initial cause, so without further ado.

Manage your little one’s fluid intake

Encourage your little one to consume more fluids during the day and minimize it a few hours before the day comes to an end. Your little one may get thirsty during the night or before bedtime, gradually work that quench to the time they wake up. If your child’s daily routine involves sports or play, encourage them to hydrate beforehand.

Avoid caffeinated drinks

Caffeinated drinks such as carbonated drinks and chocolate drinks are likely to increase bedwetting. Caffeinated beverages are known to have a diuretic effect; this effect increases the amount of urine to be expelled from the body. Studies have shown that caffeine also causes increased pressure on the muscles that control the bladder. Remove any caffeinated drinks that may be included in your little one’s diet to slowly overcome your child from wetting the bed.

Schedule frequent bathroom times

Get your little one to use the bathroom every two hours throughout the day, even when they don’t have to go; encourage them to try anyway. Have them go right before they hit the hay. Keep track of the amount of urine that is expelled; scheduling bathroom times and going to the bathroom right before bedtime will reduce the need to urinate gradually. Have your little one-track days of bedwetting incidents and the days where it doesn’t happen; this will give them a sense of control and understanding; it will also help them see the progress they’ve achieved.

Adjust to a bedwetting friendly diet

Incorporate foods that contain Vitamin B12 and folate in your little one’s diet. Food such as fish, meat, milk, dark green leafy vegetables, and grains are some healthy, nutritious options. Apart from the incredible benefits that can bring to your little one’s health, it can also be the winning factor to overcome your child’s bedwetting issue. These foods will enable the central nervous system to make the connections it needs with the bladder – It’ll help overcome delayed maturation of the bladder. Foods that provide Omega-3 fatty acid works the same way, so try incorporating a variety of seafood, nuts, and eggs in your child’s daily diet.

Prevent or treat constipation

Constipation may just be the cause of your child wetting the bed. Fibre is constipation’s worst nightmare, so take care of your constipated little one with a bunch of high-fibre foods. If your little one finds veggies repulsive, try these high-fibre foods:

  • Apples
  • Oranges
  • Popcorn
  • Ripe bananas
  • Beans on whole-grain toast

Treat constipation by making sure your little one gets enough exercise, be it playing in the park or vigorous sports activities. Any sort of physical activity will encourage a healthy bowel movement. Another way to treat constipation is to develop a regular meal schedule; eating is naturally a stimulant that will send your little one to the bathroom, so having regular meals at a proper, scheduled time will help kids with constipation.

Keep your little comfortable and minimize disruption.

If your little one wets the bed, replace their sheets with waterproof ones to avoid urine seeping and getting soaked up by the mattress. Keep a clean set of sheets by your little one’s bed if a change is needed and have a set of PJ’s ready at hand for your little one to change into if it gets too uncomfortable. Diapers should be the last option as they are considered a false sense of security. They keep the sheets dry and your little one comfortable, but they can demotivate your little one; your child will lose the need to work towards dry nights since the diaper already does it for them.

Increased room temperatures

Colder temperatures cause the body’s blood vessels to constrict so that blood can flow to your vital organs faster. With more blood flowing faster than usual, the kidneys will have more blood to filter. Your kidneys will end up producing more urine, causing the frequent need to urinate. By increasing the temperature in your child’s bedroom, it will help reduce the production of urine.