Parentune - Topic - Becoming a Parent, When parents may be wrong, Home Environment, Health, Disorder
7 year old Sunny wakes up every morning and the first thing he does is check his sheets. He seemed to have wet his bed yet again. His greatest fear comes alive and he starts crying in shame. He knows what are to follow- his mother shouting at him, his father grumbling, his sister laughing and Roma bai complaining as she will have to do the laundry! He manages to stay dry during the day, but somehow cannot seem to control his bladder when asleep. Some days he would try hiding the sheets, but his mother would find them and the consequences would be worse for him. Over time this has caused a great deal of embarrassment to Sunny. His parents grew extremely irritated at this behaviour and brought it up at the slightest excuse. At the age of 7 years, Sunny was a very quiet, shy and a timid boy with very few friends.
Bedwetting, also known as Enuresis, is a type of sleep disorder, which is faced by millions of families. It is very common among young children but can continue up to teen years and even adult hood. In most cases the exact cause is not known. An unfortunate aspect about bed wetting is the embarrassment, shame and the affect it has on the self confidence of the child.
What are the causes for bed wetting?
Bed wetting in most children is not due to an underlying cause, but in some children, there may be an underlying condition. It is wrong to assume that children wet their beds because they are lazy or doing it wilfully. This disorder can cause pain and disturbance to all involved.
There are two types of bedwetting:
Primary, where the child never attained bladder control.
Secondary, where the child achieved bladder control but lost it over time.
Bed wetting is known to be related to one or more of the following:
• Delayed development of the nervous system may be the reason for the child not to realize when his/her bladder is full.
• The child’s bladder maybe too small to hold large amount urine at a time, hence gives way.
• Low Anti-diuretic Hormone- This hormone controls the secretion of urine in the kidney. Children with a low level of this hormone usually cannot control the bladder when asleep.
• Deep Sleep- Some children may wet their beds at night simply for the fact that they may sleep too deep and do not wake up to go to the bathroom.
• Genetics- Parents, who have had the same condition, are likely to pass it on to the children. If both parents have been bed wetters, then the child is likely to have a 70% chance of being a bed wetter. If one parent has been a bed wetter, then the child will have a 40% chance to following the habit.
• Stress or an emotional factor- If a child is stressed about a change in his/her environment, for example, changing of school, moving to a new place or even the birth of a sibling; changes like these may make him/her wet their beds.
• Food allergies or food intolerances may also be culprits behind bed wetting. Carbonated or caffeinated beverages are known to irritate the lining of the bladder.
How to help a child who bed wets-
1. If a child is being toilet trained, it is important to be patient, as some children take longer to learn bladder control.
2. Limiting a child’s fluid intake in the evenings may help in reducing the chances of bed wetting at night.
3. Children should never be punished or shamed if they wet their beds. This may worsen their fear and affect their personalities in the long run. Wetting episodes should be handled calmly and accident free nights should be appreciated; this will encourage the child to make more of an effort to end the habit.
4. The child should be made aware of the fact that bed-wetting is a common occurrence among many children and the child can control it in time.
5. Bed-wetting may be due to stress, trying to find out the real reason behind the stress or anxiety and figuring a way to sort it out with the child may help make a difference.
6. A doctor may be consulted to rule out any infections such as Urinary Tract Infection or other medical causes such as Sleep Apnea or even Diabetes.
7. Waking the child every 2-3 three hours to go to the toilet in the night by either of the parent may help in tackling the issue.
8. During the day, the child can be encouraged to delay passing urine as long as possible. This may help with bladder control even at night.
9. Children should be praised if they have had a dry night or have woken up to use the toilet at night.
10. A positive way of encouraging a child to stay dry at night can be by keeping a diary of the number of dry nights by using stickers or stars. At the end of the month, the child can be rewarded for the number of dry nights he/she has had. This will only motivate the child to try and stay dry.
11. To rule out food intolerances leading to bed wetting, all trigger foods such as soft drinks, soda, other acidic drinks, chocolates and cocoa can be gradually eliminated. A diet chart may be maintained to give a clearer picture of which foods to avoid in helping the child remain dry at night.
Home Remedies
Some home remedies are known to effectively curb bed wetting. These have been tried and tested by parents over the years.
• Walnuts and Raisins – Eating a handful of walnuts and raisins at bedtime are known to help to keep the child dry over time.
• Banana- Banana is known to bind the stomach and also help with bladder control.
• A spoonful of a mixture of jaggery, celery seeds and black sesame seeds (all in equal quantities) can be given to a child in a cup of milk every morning. This is known to be effective in bed wetting when taken regularly for a month or two.
• A mixture of 1 teaspoon of Amla (gooseberry) with 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper powder can be given to the child at bed time.
• The child should be in a stress-free and a comfortable environment at home. The chances of bed wetting are more if a child is constantly worried about the thought that s/he will be teased by a friend or a sibling.
It may be very frustrating for a parent whose child wets his/her bed. However, we must remember that it is never the child’s fault. Most children grow out of this habit. In most cases, a simple change of attitude among the family members and more so on the part of the parents, is enough to help solve the issue.
7 year old Sunny wakes up every morning and the first thing he does is check his sheets. He seemed to have wet his bed yet again. His greatest fear comes alive and he starts crying in shame. He knows what are to follow- his mother shouting at him, his father grumbling, his sister laughing and Roma bai complaining as she will have to do the laundry! He manages to stay dry during the day, but somehow cannot seem to control his bladder when asleep. Some days he would try hiding the sheets, but his mother would find them and the consequences would be worse for him. Over time this has caused a great deal of embarrassment to Sunny. His parents grew extremely irritated at this behaviour and brought it up at the slightest excuse. At the age of 7 years, Sunny was a very quiet, shy and a timid boy with very few friends.
Bedwetting, also known as Enuresis, is a type of sleep disorder, which is faced by millions of families. It is very common among young children but can continue up to teen years and even adult hood. In most cases the exact cause is not known. An unfortunate aspect about bed wetting is the embarrassment, shame and the affect it has on the self confidence of the child.
What are the causes for bed wetting?
Bed wetting in most children is not due to an underlying cause, but in some children, there may be an underlying condition. It is wrong to assume that children wet their beds because they are lazy or doing it wilfully. This disorder can cause pain and disturbance to all involved.
There are two types of bedwetting:
Primary, where the child never attained bladder control.
Secondary, where the child achieved bladder control but lost it over time.
Bed wetting is known to be related to one or more of the following:
• Delayed development of the nervous system may be the reason for the child not to realize when his/her bladder is full.
• The child’s bladder maybe too small to hold large amount urine at a time, hence gives way.
• Low Anti-diuretic Hormone- This hormone controls the secretion of urine in the kidney. Children with a low level of this hormone usually cannot control the bladder when asleep.
• Deep Sleep- Some children may wet their beds at night simply for the fact that they may sleep too deep and do not wake up to go to the bathroom.
• Genetics- Parents, who have had the same condition, are likely to pass it on to the children. If both parents have been bed wetters, then the child is likely to have a 70% chance of being a bed wetter. If one parent has been a bed wetter, then the child will have a 40% chance to following the habit.
• Stress or an emotional factor- If a child is stressed about a change in his/her environment, for example, changing of school, moving to a new place or even the birth of a sibling; changes like these may make him/her wet their beds.
• Food allergies or food intolerances may also be culprits behind bed wetting. Carbonated or caffeinated beverages are known to irritate the lining of the bladder.
How to help a child who bed wets-
1. If a child is being toilet trained, it is important to be patient, as some children take longer to learn bladder control.
2. Limiting a child’s fluid intake in the evenings may help in reducing the chances of bed wetting at night.
3. Children should never be punished or shamed if they wet their beds. This may worsen their fear and affect their personalities in the long run. Wetting episodes should be handled calmly and accident free nights should be appreciated; this will encourage the child to make more of an effort to end the habit.
4. The child should be made aware of the fact that bed-wetting is a common occurrence among many children and the child can control it in time.
5. Bed-wetting may be due to stress, trying to find out the real reason behind the stress or anxiety and figuring a way to sort it out with the child may help make a difference.
6. A doctor may be consulted to rule out any infections such as Urinary Tract Infection or other medical causes such as Sleep Apnea or even Diabetes.
7. Waking the child every 2-3 three hours to go to the toilet in the night by either of the parent may help in tackling the issue.
8. During the day, the child can be encouraged to delay passing urine as long as possible. This may help with bladder control even at night.
9. Children should be praised if they have had a dry night or have woken up to use the toilet at night.
10. A positive way of encouraging a child to stay dry at night can be by keeping a diary of the number of dry nights by using stickers or stars. At the end of the month, the child can be rewarded for the number of dry nights he/she has had. This will only motivate the child to try and stay dry.
11. To rule out food intolerances leading to bed wetting, all trigger foods such as soft drinks, soda, other acidic drinks, chocolates and cocoa can be gradually eliminated. A diet chart may be maintained to give a clearer picture of which foods to avoid in helping the child remain dry at night.
Home Remedies
Some home remedies are known to effectively curb bed wetting. These have been tried and tested by parents over the years.
• Walnuts and Raisins – Eating a handful of walnuts and raisins at bedtime are known to help to keep the child dry over time.
• Banana- Banana is known to bind the stomach and also help with bladder control.
• A spoonful of a mixture of jaggery, celery seeds and black sesame seeds (all in equal quantities) can be given to a child in a cup of milk every morning. This is known to be effective in bed wetting when taken regularly for a month or two.
• A mixture of 1 teaspoon of Amla (gooseberry) with 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper powder can be given to the child at bed time.
• The child should be in a stress-free and a comfortable environment at home. The chances of bed wetting are more if a child is constantly worried about the thought that s/he will be teased by a friend or a sibling.
It may be very frustrating for a parent whose child wets his/her bed. However, we must remember that it is never the child’s fault. Most children grow out of this habit. In most cases, a simple change of attitude among the family members and more so on the part of the parents, is enough to help solve the issue.
