All children will have experienced waking up in the morning to a wet bed at some point. Bed wetting is common in children up until around 6 years old. Bedwetting in adults can also be a problem for some people. Although wetting the bed is a normal thing for children there comes a point when it might need to be looked into further.

I’m sure many of you have heard of the alarm that can be used to wake the child up as they start to urinate in their bed. This works by training the brain to wake up when it receives the message that their bladder is full. This is effective for many children but not all.

Causes of Bed Wetting
In my clinic I have seen many different bed wetting causes and therefore they all need to be treated differently. One size doesn’t fit all! The most common causes of bedwetting in children and adults are; stress, food allergies, urinary tract infection (UTI), generalised inflammation and poor muscle tone.

Treatment for Bed Wetting
Stress – When the nervous system is over stimulated during the day it becomes depleted and the body can remain in a continual state of “flight or fight”. This causes the nervous system to tell the body to release any waste products so it can focus on survival instead. Relaxing breathing techniques before bed, Epsom salt baths, Foot massage, Gentle stretching, Calming Bed time routine and Herbs that calm and support the nervous system will all help.

Food Allergies and Generalised Inflammation – Food allergies create irritation in the lining of the digestive tract causing inflammation. This inflammation over stimulates the nervous system in the gut and consequently the brain leading to problems with holding onto urine in the night time. Obviously the main way to help this is to find the allergen and eliminate it from the diet. Reducing sugary food and drinks and refined carbs and using Herbs that soothe and restore the gut lining may help.

UTI – Any infection in the urinary tract will cause it to be irritated and over stimulated and will usually lead to bed wetting at night. The most important factor here is to kill the bacteria. This is commonly done with antibiotics but as a herbalist I’d use Herbs to boost the immune system and strengthen and soothe the urinary tract. Couch grass and Marshmallow root are great for soothing the bladder lining. Reducing sugary food and drinks and refined carbs will also help to give your immune system a chance to fight off the bacteria.

Poor Muscle Tone – In both the developing body and an elderly one poor muscle tone is usual and effects bladder control and bed wetting.  In elderly people this is due to lack of sex hormones. In children the muscles aren’t fully developed yet so they have no bladder control. If this is still the case after 6 or 7 years old minerals can be taken and exercises can be done to help improve the tone. Calcium, magnesium and silica are often used in these cases.

To find out more or to get help with Bed Wetting treatments – CALL 0406 628240 today!