Bed wetting is one of the common problem in kids where the child unintentionally passes urine during sleep. Bed wetting is a common phenomenon till the age of 3yrs , but in some cases it can even continue till teen years, where this can cause embarrassment and refrain the child from attending social parties which involves night stay.
Common causes for Bed wetting include –
- Avayav dourbalya i.e. debility (physiological and antomical) of organs in urinary system which includes lack of bladder tone due to weak muscles, small bladder, improper emptying of bladder, improper urine formation.
- Some children are deep sleepers so their brain doesnot get the signal that their bladder is full.
- Some Children have immature nervous system which unables them to identify signal of full bladder.
- Habit of drinking water or liquid intake before sleeping.
- Some times hereditary.
- Medical conditions like –
- Urinary tract infections
- Worms
- Anemia
- Constipation
- History of severe and long lasting fever
- Some kind of fear.
You can kick off bed wetting with few of these natural therapies –
Medical conditions like Urinary tract infections, anemia should be treated under medical supervision.
A] In case of weakness of bladder muscles –
- Gently massage the lower abdomen with warm sesame / bala oil before meals followed by tub bath this will help strengthen the bladder muscles.
- Medicated milk with Shatavari (asparagus), Ashwagandha(Winter cherry), punarnava(Boerhavia Diffusa) and a small piece of dry ginger also helps to improve the health of urinary system.
- Also having 1 tsp of cows ghee just before meals help you strengthen bladder muscles and tone.
B] In case of urinary tract infection medicines like Gokshur (Tribulus terrestris), Ananta, Amla serves the purpose. Shatavari kalpa mixed with water helps to flush out the toxins and relieves the infection. Medicated water with Yashtimadhu (glycerhiza glabra), Ananta (Hemidesmus indicus), Nagarmotha (Cyperus rotundus) and Vala (Vetiveria zizanioides) controls the infection and ultimately bedwetting.
C] If the underlying cause of bed wetting is Constipation –
- 10-15 black currants per day will help relieve constipation.
- 1 tsp castor oil with honey before dinner is advisable.
D] When Worms are the cause for bed wetting –
- Deworming can be done by avoiding junk foods and incorporating the habit of having healthy diet.
- Medicines like Tab krumikuthar, vidangarishtha should be taken under medical supervision.
- Add a pinch of pepper powder and asfoetida while making food, vegetables like drumstick, radish, are good for deworming.
- Include ajwain, rock salt, cinnamon, mustard seeds, garlic, turmeric, dry ginger, amla in diet and food preparations this helps in deworming the child and also improves digestion.
E] Some other tips – 
- Avoid giving any liquids which contain caffeine or sodas atleast 2 hours before bed time. This also includes certain foods, such as soup, yogurt, and many fruits and vegetables which have very high water content.
- Limiting the amount of liquid intake, will delay the filling of bladder, and give an extra time before bed wetting. This may give your child a chance to wake up before wetting the bed.
- Make it a habit to go to bathroom before sleeping
- Avoid teasing the child about bedwetting among family and friends, this will not only bring them embrassment but also further reduce his/her confidence.
- If the child has fear of something which triggers bed wetting, parents should talk about it and provide the necessary assurance.
- Train the child to wake up at night to go to toilet. Help your child understand that it is more important to wake up every night to use the toilet.
- Practicing certain Yoga like Pavanmuktasan, kapalbhati helps balancing apan vayu and strengthens the bladder.
- Pelvic floor exercises and bladder exercises are also beneficial – a)Make the child practice starting and stopping the urine stream 3 to 5 times while urinating. b)Encourage the child to hold his or her urine for as long as possible after the urge to urinate begins.
- Acupressure points just below wrist on the sides of forearm.
These Ayurvedic tips will surely help your child stop wetting the bed.