Are you drinking enough water?

It’s common to think that cutting down on the amount of drinks you have during the day will mean there will be less wee inside your bladder at night time - and therefore, easier to keep your bed dry at night. It kind of seems to make sense, doesn’t it?

But did you know that the complete opposite could be the key to solving this problem for good?

What do the experts say?

Doctors and health professionals tell us that constipation is a leading cause of bedwetting issues. It’s thought that a heavy overloaded bowel rests against the bladder at night time, forcing it to expel liquid without giving you adequate notice that it needs a wee.

Don’t dehydrate

Reducing the amount of drinks you have during the day can lead to dehydration and guess what, dehydration is a major cause of constipation. So you could be making the problem worse - and not better.

Sticking to plain water is going to be much better for you than sweet, fizzy drinks or those that are caffeinated, so try this for the next few weeks and see how you get on.

How much water should I drink?

Ideally you should aim to consume at least 1.75 litres (around 60 fl oz or ) from around the age of 8 years. And if you’re a teenager then you should be aiming for more - around 2.5 litres (85 fl oz) or even closer to 3 litres a day if you regularly exercise, train or go to the gym.

Start early in the morning with around 50mls at 8am and then another 50mls at 11am, followed by another at 1pm and then again at 3pm - and so on.

I recommend having a water bottle with you all day long – that way you can’t forget to keep drinking. 

About the Author

Alicia Eaton is a Harley Street based Psychotherapist and Clinical Hypnotherapist and the author of four best-selling books. She’s also a Winner in the latest ‘Global Health & Pharma’ Mental Health Awards 2023. For more details of appointments see here: One to One