If your child is bedwetting when it is no longer age-appropriate to be doing so, you may be quite literally “tearing your hair out” having to wash the sheets every day. 

The medical term for bedwetting is enuresis.

Not many people would think that consulting with a naturopath or nutritionist would be the next logical step, but you’ll be surprised to know that there are so many things we can investigate with you and your child. 

What are the causes of bedwetting?

These are all the things we would cover and chat about in a consultation for a child who is wetting the bed:

Constipation

Is there too much poop and pressure being placed on your child’s bladder?

A healthy child will pass a stool anywhere between 1 to 3 times a day. We are wanting a nice smooth sausage that comes out with no pain or straining. If your child is passing big, dry logs every couple of days, we will need to address this to rule it out as a contributing cause of their bedwetting. 

Food intolerance

Do they have an intolerance and/or sensitivity to a food, such as dairy or salicylates (a natural component in many wholesome foods)?

Dairy and salicylates are the two biggest suspects when it comes to food being responsible for bed wetting. It is believed that the bed wetting is a stress response that the child experiences to the food substance that they are sensitive to. 

Emotional factors

Has there been any events coinciding with the bed wetting that may be causing an upheaval in emotions?

Life can be a complicated process of learning and adapting to changing environments, expectations and situations, even for kids. We all deal with these challenges and changes differently. It is empowering for them to set up routines and equip them with skills to calm their mind and understand the connection between emotions and behaviour. In this case things like flower essences and homeopathy can help provide gentle emotional support. 

Mineral deficiencies

Are there deficiencies in their diet or absorption?

It is important to rule out whether or not your child is deficient in some essential minerals including zinc and magnesium. These minerals play important roles in healthy bladder function. 

Mouth-breathing

Are environmental allergies playing a factor?

Kids who are mouth-breathers are more likely to be bed-wetters, not because they tend to be heavier sleepers but because of potential environmental allergies. Allergies to things like dust mites or pollen will block your child’s nose and cause them to breathe through their mouth. 

Breathing through our nose is what our body works best with. Science explains that breathing through our mouths sets of a chain reaction of events in the body to adjust to the differing pressure of air coming in. All this leads to an increase in the excretion of salt from the body which means a build-up of urine and pressure in the bladder making it hard to hold on. 

Worms

Is my child constantly itching their bottom or having quite restless sleeps all of a sudden? 

Worms can cause your child to start wetting the bed. Though we may associate worms with living in your gut, they can migrate to your urinary tract (especially seen in girls), make their way into the urethra where they can cause irritation and increase the need to pee. 

Want to find out more about what to look for in worms? Have a read of my blog What to do when your child has worms for more information.

Next steps

Is bedwetting driving you crazy? Treating bedwetting is something we at The Paediatric Nautropath love to help with. Why not book in with us to investigate further and see how we can help your child get dry for good, book an appointment today!