Certain foods, drinks, and medications—referred to as bladder irritants—can heighten bladder sensitivity, leading to more frequent urges, discomfort, and difficulty staying dry at night. Although bladder irritants are a less common contributor to bedwetting, understanding their role can still be valuable in supporting your child’s bladder health. In this post, we’ll explore common bladder irritants and share practical tips for minimizing their effects.
The following list includes common bladder irritants found in many foods and drinks. These may contribute to bedwetting in children with sensitive bladders, so it can be helpful to monitor them in your child’s diet.
Found in sodas, chocolate, tea, and energy drinks. Caffeine is a known diuretic, which means it increases urine production.
Sodas and even sparkling water can be a source of bladder irritation. Nearly all carbonated drinks contain dissolved carbon dioxide, creating an acidic solution that may irritate the bladder and increase the urge to urinate.
Used in sugar-free snacks, drinks, gum, and candies. Ingredients like aspartame and saccharin can lead to the production of acidity that also irritates the bladder and can trigger more frequent urination.
Oranges and some citrus fruits can raise acidity in the bladder. This increase in acidity may lead to discomfort, sensitivity, and an urge to urinate.
Found in sauces, ketchup, and pizza. Tomato products are acidic and may irritate the bladder lining in children with a bladder sensitivity.
Milk, cheese, yogurt, and other dairy items. Some children may have sensitivities to dairy that impact bladder control. For those with dairy sensitivity, having milk at night may increase the likelihood of bedwetting.
Chili, salsa, and certain flavored snacks. Spices can irritate the bladder, creating a sensation of urgency.
Common in candies, sodas, and processed snacks. Artificial additives can sometimes lead to bladder sensitivity.
Found in candies, desserts, and sugary drinks. Sugar can stimulate urine production, increasing the chances of nighttime accidents.
Vinegar, pickles, and sour candy. High acidity can lead to bladder sensitivity and more frequent urination.
PLEASE NOTE: While acidic foods can sometimes be common triggers, the body is complex, and “acid in” doesn’t always equate to “acid out.” Many foods considered “safe” may still contain acid, and some trigger foods may not contain acid at all. The key is to avoid your child’s personal trigger foods and focus on a healthy diet.
In addition to food and drink, certain medications may affect bladder sensitivity and urination frequency, potentially complicating bedwetting.
If you suspect a medication might be affecting your child’s bladder sensitivity, check with your doctor for guidance.
If your child is experiencing nighttime accidents, identifying and reducing bladder irritants may help. However, it’s important to remember that bladder irritants are just one potential factor, and other underlying causes may also be contributing to bedwetting.
Here are some practical steps for identifying possible irritants:
Keep a diary of what your child eats and drinks each day, along with any nighttime accidents. Patterns may emerge between certain foods or drinks and bedwetting, which may provide useful clues.
Remove one suspected irritant from your child’s diet for one to two weeks and see if there is any improvement. Avoid removing too many items at once to better identify specific irritants.
Your child’s doctor can offer guidance on managing bladder irritants and may suggest dietary adjustments. In cases where sensitivities or allergies are suspected, they can recommend further testing.
Encourage your child to drink mostly water throughout the day, avoiding sugary or caffeinated drinks, especially close to bedtime. Drinking water helps maintain bladder health without causing overstimulation.
While bladder irritants can play a role in bedwetting, there are often other underlying causes to consider. These may include delayed brain-bladder communication, insufficient production of antidiuretic hormone (ADH), constipation, weak pelvic floor muscles, or even genetics. The Stay Dry at Night program delves into the various causes of bedwetting and offers tailored strategies to help children address and manage these contributing factors.
Build communication between brain and bladder – Program to help build the messaging system between the brain and bladder.
Discover bedwetting triggers – Discover what encourages, triggers or causes bedwetting for your child. Set your child up for success!
Bed wetting help and support – Learn various techniques and tips to improve and reinforce bladder control.
Strengthen the muscles – Strengthen the 3 involuntary pelvic muscles and the ligaments they contract against to improve urge and bladder control
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Limit Evening Drinks
Encourage your child to drink most of their fluids earlier in the day, gradually reducing intake in the hours leading up to bedtime.
Choose Bladder-Friendly Foods
Whenever possible, provide foods that are gentle on the bladder in the evening. Try to avoid acidic, sugary, or spicy foods close to bedtime, as these can increase bladder sensitivity.
Monitor and Identify Patterns
Since each child may react differently to certain foods and drinks, it’s helpful to monitor which items seem to have an impact. Look for patterns and adjust accordingly to find what best supports your child’s needs.
Be Patient and Understanding
Bedwetting can take time to resolve, and patience goes a long way. Approach the process with empathy, avoiding punishment or criticism. Instead, focus on encouragement and small wins, fostering a positive environment for progress.
Addressing bedwetting can be complex, requiring patience, observation, and sometimes adjustments to your child’s diet. While reducing bladder irritants is a helpful step, it’s just one part of a broader approach. The Stay Dry at Night program provides practical tools and guidance to help your child build confidence and experience more dry nights
Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Foods That Irritate the Bladder. Retrieved from Cleveland Clinic
Everyday Health. (n.d.). 10 Medications That May Cause Increased Urination. Retrieved from Everyday Health
Drugs.com. (n.d.). Medications That Cause Frequent Urination. Retrieved from Drugs.com
BuzzRx. (n.d.). 6 Medications That Can Cause Frequent Urination. Retrieved from BuzzRx
Sathyan, A., Scaria, R., Arunachalam, P., Ramasamy, M., Thekkekkara, D., & Sivadasan, S.(2020). Antiepileptic Drugs–Induced Enuresis in Children: An Overview. Journal of Pharmacy Technology, 37(2),114-119. https://doi.org/10.1177/8755122520964047
Great Ormond Street Hospital. (n.d.). Keeping Your Child’s Bladder Healthy. Retrieved from Great Ormond Street Hospital
Pelvic Sanity. (n.d.). IC Myth #5: Acid is the Enemy. Retrieved from Pelvic Sanity
Ginny Laver BA (Hons), MSc, NLP, Dip. THP is a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner who specialises in helping children learn how to stop bedwetting naturally.
We’d like to hear from families who have discovered that something their child was eating, drinking, or taking as medication contributed to bedwetting. Please share your experience in the comments!
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2 thoughts on “Bladder Irritants: Their Impact on Bedwetting”
Hi Ginny,
Just wondering, does ADHD medication (Ritalin) affect bed wetting?
Thanks
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn,
There isn’t strong evidence that Ritalin directly causes bedwetting. What we do know is that ADHD and bedwetting often occur together, usually because of brain–bladder communication and sleep patterns rather than the medication itself. However, Ritalin can sometimes cause constipation, and constipation is a big factor that can make bedwetting worse. Since constipation is often misunderstood, it can help to keep a simple diary for two weeks of your child’s poo type, using the ERIC Poo Checker: https://eric.org.uk/poo-checker/ If you’ve noticed changes since starting medication, keeping an eye on bowel habits and checking in with your child’s doctor can really help guide the next steps.