It is a well known fact that certain foods containing high levels of sugar can hinder a child’s ability to be dry at night. Much of the literature on bedwetting and advice from specialists suggest that limiting soft drinks, cordials and juices is a good idea in helping a child to be dry at night. A good piece of advice I have for children who have wet beds and their parents is the “After 5pm rule”. This involves a child just drinking water from 5pm onwards, so if they are wanting juice or milkshakes etc….to have these straight after school and then just water (as much as they need to) from 5pm.
Recently, I had one of my clients return to me as he had relapsed after having been dry for almost 9 months. Master B who was 14 had taken approximately nine months to become dry and then nine months later began wetting again. At first it was only a couple of times a week, but after a month or so his mother called me very concerned as it had become every night again. Master B was naturally becoming despondent and anxious as he had an impending school camp.
Upon assessment in trying to ascertain what had caused the relapse, Master B’s mum reported that he was going through ‘a growth spurt’ and that “it was impossible to fill him”. Master B reported that he loved apples and would eat up to 5 a day! His mother concurred that he did eat vast quantities of apples and on most nights had recently begun having an apple as he went to bed in order to try and quell his hunger. As apples are naturally sweet and contain fructose and other natural sugars I suggested before trying the bell and pad alarm again that Master B reduce the quantity of apples he was consuming to perhaps two a day and no apples after 5pm.
Interestingly, within days of Master B taking on this advice he began to be dry again at night and continues to be so.
