Bed-wetting Myths Exposed!
It’s a surprising fact that in the USA some 5-7 million, yes, million, children over the age of six years still suffer from bedwetting at night. This is where fluids that have passed through the kidneys and been converted into what we know as urine, ends up in the bladder. All too often the full bladder does not pass the electrical stimulus to the brain telling the body that an evacuation of the bladder is imminent and that the child should wake up, hence the unfortunate incident of bedwetting.
One reason that the bladder overflows is that fluids, particularly sugary drinks, most particularly those containing caffeine, when taken late in the evening, can cause this problem. As explained in another article on this site, it takes time for the kidneys to process fluids through the system thus causing the bladder to overfill during the night.
Normally by the age of five or so the connection between bladder and brain is reasonably well established and the child can usually wake up in sufficient time to go to the bathroom. However, in the instance of the several millions we mentioned who are many years older and still suffer from enuresis; this lack of stimulus can be a problem and perhaps expert medical help should be sought.
Many parents have various reasons as to why their child wets the bed and here are just a few.
- It is normal for a child to wet the bed under the age of five.
- There is something wrong with my three or four year old.
- It is my child’s fault that he or she still has bedwetting problems.
- It must be my fault that my child wets the bed.
- My child must be ill to wet the bed so much.
- My child's seeking attention.
- It must run in the family, it's hereditary.
Let’s deal with these myths now, as really they are mostly misguided.
It is not normal for most children under five to have bedwetting problems. Yes, some have but so many have grown out of it long before their fifth birthday.
At the age of three it is unlikely that some form of illness causes them to wet the bed. It is, of course possible and in such circumstances reassurance from a doctor might be advisable.
Very few children would deliberately continue bedwetting on purpose just to punish their parents for some reason. For one thing it would be uncomfortable for the child to be wet and also, even at a young age, peer pressure from other siblings or friends may well cause them embarrassment.
Blaming oneself if your family relationships are normal can be self defeating. If a parent is loving and understanding towards their child then it is rarely their fault. On the other hand, if the child is continually blamed for bedwetting and punished because of it, then that can be an unjust situation and may well perpetuate the problem.
Illness in a child can be one reason for bedwetting and if this is the case then apart from the obvious of seeking medical help, then even more love and consideration is required to reassure a child that it is not their fault this is happening.
Attention seeking in a child is not a reason, children will most certainly be embarrassed because of bed wetting and would stop if at all possible.
It may well be a hereditary issue and there may well be close relatives down the family line who struggled with bedwetting. In the German medical journal "Nature Genetics" during 1995, Danish researchers Hans Eiberg, Ida Berendt & Jan Mohr claimed they had found some evidence that lead to two genes that may be the cause of bedwetting in childhood. Researchers had managed to identify two genes in particular ~ ENUR1 and ENUR2 ~ that were classified as appearing on the chromosomes of children who wet the bed. It is believed that these genes may well effect how much urine is produced through the night and / or whether the child wakes up easily enough when their bladders are full and require emptying.
It is said that time is a great healer and in this situation that can be true. Most children, as they develop, will gradually grow through the bedwetting stage on their own. It could be a mistake to try to push this too hard. Encouragement and some recognition every time the child has a dry night will usually help to improve the situation and may well cause a cessation of bedwetting altogether, more quickly.
Related Sleep Disorder Blogs
- An Empty Tank and a Full Bladder « Rubber Chicken Soup
- Get A Great Sleep With These Nightly Habits | lols
- Why do adults say that a child playing with fire will wet the bed …
- Excess consumption of sugary drinks linked to diabetes
- Promote Total Kidney Health
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