Though it is a common condition that most children outgrow, natural cures and home remedies for bedwetting can help stop this embarrassing problem sooner. It is important to first understand what causes bedwetting and understand that a child who lives with this condition is not soiling her or his bed on purpose and should not be punished or demeaned for doing so. By learning more about this condition, parents can begin to help their children conquer it and enjoy uninterrupted rest at night.
Bedwetting Definition
Bedwetting, also known as Enuresis, is when a child urinates during their overnight sleep well beyond toilet training age. This condition is more common among boys than it is girls and most will naturally outgrow it by their teen years.
Bedwetting Causes
Any one of the following may cause children to wet the bed at night:
- Deep sleep
- Small or weak bladder
- Immature nervous systems
- Consuming stimulating foods like chocolate and sugared snacks
- Diabetes
- Urinary tract infection
- Defective urinary tract
- Sickle cell anemia
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Hormonal imbalance
- Food allergies and food intolerances
- Emotional disturbances
While most of the above causes relate to physical or neurological causes, it should be noted that certain emotional disturbances, such as changing schools, divorce or even the introduction of a new sibling, can trigger a bedwetting response. If the problem is of a more serious nature, parents are encouraged to seek professional counseling for the child.
Bedwetting Symptoms
Bedwetting is characterized by a child’s uncontrollable urination in the bed while sleeping. In older children, bedwetting is a source of extreme embarrassment and parents may even discover that children try to hide evidence such as soiled bed linens and pajamas. However, an odor in the child’s room typically alerts parents even when this is the case.
Home Remedies for Bedwetting
Children prone to bedwetting should not drink sugary drinks or sodas at any time. Several hours before bedtime, the child should also not drink any liquids, consume cold foods or juicy fruits. Foods that stimulate the nervous system, such as chocolate and snacks made with processed sugars should also be avoided. A habit of emptying the bladder at bedtime should be developed even if the child doesn’t feel as though she or he has to go.
Other home remedies for bedwetting include:
- Drinking cranberry juice
- Eating 2 teaspoons of walnuts and 2 teaspoons of raisins just before bed
- Wake the child after approximately one hour’s sleep to use the bathroom
Children can also practice bladder control during the day by prolonging urination when they feel that they have to go by a few minutes at first before, gradually, increasing that time. This exercise helps strengthen the bladder muscles and helps children learn to better control their bladder during waking hours.
Specific herbal home remedies for bedwetting are:
- St. John’s Wort
- Kava
- Partridgeberry
- Schizandra
- Bistort
A half-ounce of each of the above tinctures should be combined and children should be given one half-teaspoon doses twice per day. If over the age of nine years old, increasing dosage to one teaspoon twice per day is one of the most effective home remedies for bedwetting.
A natural cure for bedwetting helps restore a child’s self-confidence and decreases their stress levels. Through employing home remedies for bedwetting, parents are able to naturally assist in their child in this effort and teach them empowering lessons about managing their own health.
