Can Diet Affect Bed Wetting?
Bedwetting is common among children under the age of six. There are many factors that could lead to bedwetting. Some include deep sleeping and developmental issues. So, you need not worry if your child wets the bed. They are likely to stop when they grow up.
There are certain practices you can incorporate into your child’s lifestyle to help them stop bedwetting. Typically, you have to ensure that your child consumes the right diet before bed.
Health experts report that diet undoubtedly affects bedwetting in children.
There are certain foods that irritate the bladder, hence increasing the chances of bedwetting. On the other hand, some foods improve kidney and bladder health.
Such foods can help you control bedwetting in your children.
Foods that irritate the bladder
Examples of food that cause bladder irritation or inflammation include:
- Caffeinated and carbonated drinks.
- Chocolate milk and products.
- Tomato juices and sauces.
- Cranberries
- Spicy and sugary foods
- Milk and milk products.
The foods mentioned above are just some examples of foods that irritate the bladder. So, avoid giving your child some of these foods. Doing this helps them stop bedwetting naturally.
Can eating before bed cause bedwetting?
Eating before bed is not likely to cause bedwetting. However, it depends on what you consume. As mentioned earlier, some foods cause children to wet their beds at night.
Spicy foods
Several health experts report that spicy foods can lead to bedwetting. However, this depends on your child. Some children are not affected by spicy foods. But it is always advisable to limit your child’s intake of spicy foods.
Some spicy foods tend to irritate the bladder hence causing an infection that increases their chances of bedwetting. Moreover, note that spicy foods are not good for your child’s dental and overall health.
Water
Taking lots of water increases the production of urine. But this does not mean you should limit water intake in your child. Ensure your child drinks lots of water during the day to stay hydrated. Avoid giving your child too much water at night unless they are thirsty.
At the end of the day, eating does not increase your child’s chances of bedwetting. However, you have to ensure that your child consumes a healthy diet. Make sure that the foods they consume do not irritate their bladder.
Can too much salt cause bedwetting?
Based on previous studies, there are usually high contents of sodium and urea in children who wet the bed. These substances can cause enuresis since they expand the bladder. As a result, taking a lot of salt can increase the urge to urinate frequently.
If your child takes a lot of salt, they are more likely to wet their beds. Taking excessive salt reduce urinary infection symptoms, especially if you have hypertension issues. Ultimately, it would be best to reduce your child’s salt intake if you try to stop them from bedwetting.
How do you eliminate certain foods from your child’s diet?
Identifying whether a particular food affects bedwetting in your child can be challenging. Try eliminating one or two of the foods mentioned above in their diet and see if there’s an improvement.
Keep tracking for any changes for approximately ten days.
Once you notice any signs of improvement, you would conclude that your child’s diet could be a problem. Remove any foods that are negatively affecting your child.
However, it is important to note that your child should drink plenty of fluids every day. Water and fresh juices keep your child hydrated.
How to stop bedwetting in children – 6 Practices
Use a bedwetting alarm system:
One of the most common ways to prevent your child from wetting the bed is to use a bedwetting alarm. Such alarms are effective; they require you to attach them to your child’s underwear at night.
Bedwetting alarms go on immediately after they detect moisture. This can wake your child to go to the bathroom. Even so, before you use an alarm, get consent from your child. Alarms can disrupt and frustrate your child’s sleep.
Don’t scold your child:
The worst thing you can do is punish your child for bedwetting. Doing this disorients their mental health and can make the bedwetting situation worse. Instead, try encouraging your child and rewarding them if they stay dry for a day or two. This will make them feel good about their progress.
Come up with a fluid intake routine:
Try maximizing your child’s fluid intake during the day and minimizing it at night. Doing this prevents the child from getting pressed in the middle of the night. Also, it is advisable to avoid giving your child bladder irritant drinks like caffeine and chocolate.
Observe necessary bathroom breaks:
Before your child goes to bed, ensure they visit the bathroom twice. This helps them sleep with an empty bladder. Encourage your child to wake up in the middle of the night to go to the washroom.
Some children are afraid of waking up by them self to go to the toilet. So, reassure them that they are safe and there’s nothing to worry about.
Early bedtime:
Ensure your child gets at least eight hours of sleep. When children are extremely tired, they are likely to wet the bed since they will sleep heavily.
Although waking your child in the middle of the night to go to the washroom can prevent them from wetting their beds, it is not a good idea. Doing this prevents them from getting enough sleep. Consequently, they will get irritated and frustrated during the day.
Give your child a balanced diet:
It is important to ensure your child eats a balanced diet. Otherwise, they would experience constipation. Constipation, in turn, puts pressure on the bladder, which makes your child feel more pressed.
Ensure your child eats fruits, vegetables and drinks lots of fluid to avoid constipation.
Tips for managing bedwetting
Although your child should drink lots of fluids, ensure that they take these fluids during the day. Try limiting their fluid intake at night and maximizing their fluid intake during the day.
Note that fluids come in the form of soups and fresh fruits. Water and juices are not the only fluids.
If your child is thirsty at night, do not deny them fluids. Consumption of fewer fluids can lead to an accumulation of toxins in your child’s bladder. And this can lead to irritation which makes the bedwetting situation worse.
On average, health experts report that children should drink at least one liter of water per day.
It can be hard to remove certain foods from your child’s diet. For instance, removing milk from your child’s diet can be difficult since most children love milk. But do your best to ensure they do not consume irritating bladder foods.
Seek medical help when your child continues to wet the bed past the age of seven. They could be experiencing an underlying health condition.
Ultimately, Health experts report that diet can affect bedwetting. Some foods are generally bladder irritants; hence can lead to frequent urination.
It is important to identify irritating bladder foods and remove them from your child’s diet as a parent. Moreover, try incorporating various practices to stop your child from bedwetting.