Bedwetting: older children, tweens and teenagers

If you’ve got an older child, tween or teenager who wets the bed, you’ve probably tried limiting drinks before bed, bedwetting alarms, waking them up for a midnight wee, waterproof mattress protectors… all the things, and yet nothing really helps.

Bedwetting is multifactorial, which is why it’s something we support regularly at our clinic, from young children through to tweens and teenagers.

We consider:

• Genetics and family history

• Bladder function and night-time urine production

• Sleep, arousal and breathing, including mouth breathing and snoring

• The brain–bladder connection, including the hypothalamus and pituitary involved in ADH regulation

• Bowel regularity, as constipation can put pressure on the bladder

• Nutrition and nutritional status, including vitamin D

• Histamine and dietary factors, as high histamine can be involved with increased urination

There’s also an established association between ADHD and bedwetting. One study found children with nocturnal enuresis had 2.6 times the odds of ADHD compared with children without enuresis.

From a homeopathic perspective, we may consider remedies such as Equisetum, Causticum, Calc phos, Sepia, Calc carb, Staphysagria, Thuja, Medorrhinum and Tuberculinum bovinum, depending on the child’s individual picture.

There’s no single “bedwetting remedy.”

It’s about finding the remedy that fits your child, their symptoms and their story, while looking at what’s contributing to the bedwetting in the first place.

If bedwetting is affecting your child’s confidence, sleepovers, school camps or family life, we’re here to help. Our approach is personal, supportive, practical and without shame.