Bedwetting that occurs after your child is potty trained is a frustrating but common issue for children with autism. Changing sheets and cleaning up my daughter in the middle of the night was an exhausting experience.
In my two-part series on bedwetting, I’ll help you first determine what the root cause of your child’s bedwetting might be, and second, give you strategies and products to help manage the problem right now.
Determine the Cause of Your Child’s Bedwetting
There are a variety of underlying factors that may be causing your child’s bedwetting.
Various Medical Factors Play a Role in Bedwetting
The first step in determining the root cause of your child’s bedwetting is to visit a doctor or nurse practitioner. They can help you rule out some common medical causes of bedwetting. These causes include:
- Diabetes
- Hormone imbalances
- Sleep apnea
Causes of Bedwetting More Common in Children with Autism
Once you’ve ruled out a medical issue as the cause of bedwetting, consider these common bedwetting factors that are common in children with autism:
- Yeast overgrowth: Yeast (aka candida) overgrowth occurs frequently in children with autism and can lead to bedwetting. In my three-part series How Yeast Overgrowth Affects Children with Autism, I thoroughly review the signs and symptoms of yeast overgrowth, which testing options are available, and how to treat this common issue.
- Misalignment of the spine: A slight misalignment in your child’s mid to low back can irritate the nerves that control the bladder muscles and cause bedwetting. A chiropractor can help with this issue.
The ideal chiropractor is someone who has experience working with children, specifically children with special needs. If you can, look for a chiropractor who understands how to integrate retained or primitive reflexes.
I’ve had a lot of success working with a chiropractic neurologist. These professionals are experts who can perform chiropractic adjustments and integrate the brain and the reflexes to optimize brain function. - Food sensitivities: Inflammation in the body caused by food allergies and food sensitivities can lead to a higher chance of bedwetting. Testing for allergies and sensitivities and eliminating them can stop bedwetting.
- Constipation: If your child is constipated it can lead to a higher likelihood of bedwetting both at night and during the day. To treat this issue, you first need to determine the root cause of their constipation.
Monitor your child’s water and fiber intake. If their water and fiber intake are adequate, you can try a magnesium supplement. For a full rundown of how to safely use magnesium to treat constipation check out my video Magnesium Deficiencies and Autism: What You Need to Know. Probiotics can also be helpful in treating constipation.
Figuring out and solving the root cause of your child with autism’s bedwetting can take longer than we’d like. Take a look at part two of my bedwetting series to learn what you can do in the meantime to manage the problem.
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Be gentle with yourself. You’re doing a great job.
I hope this information has been helpful to you as part of creating Your Autism Game Plan.
Do you have a topic you’d like to learn more about? Email me at joya@yourautismgameplan.com
