Why children wet the bed is a topic that worries many families and scientific disciplines such as psychology. From this area, many studies have been carried out to find out the causes that cause this childhood disorder in order to design effective treatments for its correction and definitive elimination.
From Psychology-Online we will respond to why children wet the bed according to psychology and we expose the causes that different studies have found, such as factors that cause childhood nocturnal enuresis, natural remedies to combat it and activities that promote sphincter control in children affected by this disorder.
Why do children urinate without realizing it? Most children learn to control sphincters between the 2 and 4 years, each one according to their own personal maturation process. In many cases, nighttime bladder and bowel control can last for months or even years after the child has established daytime control.
When we talk about nocturnal enuresis We are referring to an elimination disorder in which the child is unable to hold urine at an evolutionary moment in which it is expected that said capacity is established (from the 5 years of age) and without apparent organic cause. Among the causes of this disorder, there are multiple psychological and biological factors that also interact with each other, making effective treatment for this disorder very difficult. Below we present some of the possible causes:
Neurological dysfunction
A high number of children with nocturnal enuresis simultaneously present some neurological disorder such as attention deficit and hyperactivity, gait or language delay, and encopresis. For this reason, neurological dysfunction is proposed as one of the possible causes of childhood enuresis. Here you can see more information about it.
Urodynamic factors
Increased contractility of the detrusor muscle of the bladder is proposed as a cause, but not the only one, of enuresis, as it does not imply a generalized deficiency in all those affected.
Hormonal factor
The production of the Antidiuretic hormone It increases at night, in its normal operation. However, it has been proven that this does not occur in children with nocturnal enuresis, therefore making it difficult to retain urine at night.
Sleep-related factors
Studies seem to show that children affected by enuresis usually reach such deep moments of sleep that it is impossible for them to alternate these states with other more superficial ones (as is usually normal in undisturbed sleep) and, therefore, They are not able to perceive the signals your body’s need to empty your bladder or hold back urine.
Organic diseases of the urinary tract
Recent studies confirm that less than 1% of affected children suffer from some type of organic disease of this type. It has been seen, however, that urinary infections can be the cause (in 29%) of this type of disorder.
Psychological factors
Nocturnal enuresis is frequently attributed to the somatic manifestation of some psychological or emotional disorder in children, as an expression of their discomfort, stress or discomfort before some fact. The events that have been identified as possible factors causing enuresis in children are: separation from parents, excessive discipline, experiencing stress in the family or school, deaths or illnesses of close people, etc.
Among the different most common treatments to combat childhood enuresis are behavioral treatment using an alarm system that conditions the child to hold urine upon hearing the alarm and the Pharmacotherapywhich is advised to be used only in exceptional cases due to its side effects.
Apart from these two treatments, there are other more natural treatments that, due to their different effects, can be used effectively to train sphincter control without children suffering any side effects:
- Sedative effects to calm the child and, with it, the effect that the nerves have directly on the bladder: pumpkin seeds, St. John’s wort, Melissa, etc.
- Astringent effects: chew a cinnamon stick before going to sleep, cranberry juice in the morning, infusion with a teaspoon of oak 2 times a day, rub olive oil on the lower back and belly and a teaspoon of brown sugar dissolved in water before going to sleep.
- Liquid retention effect: Fennel sweetened with honey before bed and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water before bed.
- Others: nuts, raisins, honey and parsley infusion.
The important thing to promote the control of enuresis is do not punish nor reprimand children for urinating since it is a totally involuntary act that is sometimes experienced with guilt and shame. As is already well known, negativistic and authoritarian discipline increases the child’s fear and lack of self-esteem and self-confidence. In this article we talk about.
On the contrary, it is essential, no matter how difficult this situation may sometimes be, to provide calm and respectful this abnormal behavior. It is important to convey to the child that this is a situation that will be overcome when he is ready and that, without rush or pressure, we will take steps towards solving the problem. Along with communicating this message of calm, it is advisable to carry out the following actions:
- Limit fluids before bedtime
- Establish the habit of going to the bathroom before going to bed
- Praise them for the mornings they wake up without urinating
- Avoid punishments and repressions
- Waking you up during the night to urinate
- In the event that they urinate, react and act calmly and allowing the child to continue resting to avoid blaming themselves.