I am concerned about my son at night. He is almost 1 & has always loved water, but he goes through so much at night. I think it's a soothing thing because he was never big on the pacifier, and he hasn't eaten at night since about 5 months. He does also sweat profusly at night from his head & back mostly, so I don't know if it could also have something to do with that. (Which also makes me nervous that he is sweating to the point of soaking his whole body, the back of his clothes, his whole head of hair, which is thick.) At this point, during the day he probably goes through about 18 ounces of water (not including with meals) & at night he'll go through another 20-30 ounces (I leave bottles of water by him & he wakes & drinks them, sometimes I refill them for him.) Is this normal? Has anyone else seen either the water or the sweating thing with their children? I don't want to take his water away, since water isn't bad for you, but is this amount too much? I want to encourage good things that he likes, so if it's not unsafe, I will probably continue. I asked my son's doctor a few months ago, & he wasn't concerned, but I think he was drinking less at that point, plus I trust other mom's opinions. He has his one year check up on Oct 11th, so I will ask again, but if anyone has seen either of these issues in their children, please let me know if it's normal, or if he should be checked for why he is always drinking so much water, and also why he sweats so bad at night, even when it's not warm, and he doesn't feel warm to the touch.
So I went to his 1 year check up & of course got the one nurse I do not like or trust her opinion on. She seemed to not have any concern regarding my concerns, but let me know that the blood work my son needs to get done (as do all 1 year olds) would tell us if he were diabetic. This is also the nurse who told me to suppliment with formula at 5 days old because he had not yet gained weight. (Even though every mother I have spoken with said that their child did not gain weight the first week) I felt comfortable to continue only breastfeeding & at his next appointment 1 week later, he had gained weight. No suppliments needed. So, the conclusion, I will be switching pediatricians in the immediate future, getting a second opinion, and hopefully all will go well. Thank you so much for all of your great advise!!! I really appreciate it, I now have a full list of questions for this new doctor. I will also be posting a new question soon about something else my son is doing, I just don't have time at the moment. Please let me know your opinions on my next question, you guys were all so helpful on this one! Thanks again. :)
Maybe he's hungry and he drinks so much water to fill himself up? Formula is thicker than water so he has to drink a lot of it to fill his stomach (and keep it full).
Good luck!
HI Rachel, I don't know about a child & drinking water.. I DO know adults who sweat profusely & therefore WILL then require more water to rehydrate is not good. I DO no about Doctors tho & you should.. or .. must always get a 2nd .. 3rd.. 4th! opinion... Pls don't just rely on that ONE opinion as I have too many sad stories to tell about people who did. I don't mean to scare you-- but don't wait until October 11th --- get to another doctor sooner. In the meantime.. do some "google-ing" about it .. should help.I rely on my Merck Manual altho the doctors always frown upon diagnosing yourself.. I say it's like bringing a car into a shop & leave it at the mechanics mercy.. its always in our best interest to educate ourself at least a little bit so we're NOT at the complete mercy especially when it comes to our children. Tho for hyprocondriacs I CAN see why reading a Merck Manual can create a problem. Well good luck.
Hey R.. I am a type 1 (insuling dependent) diabetic. One of the sypmtoms of uncontrolled diabetes is thirst. You should definitely mention this issue to his pedi again. If possible, take him sooner than October 11 just for your own sanity. On the sweating thing, I'm not sure what to tell you! When you are diabetic on insulin or medication, it is possible to experience low blood sugar episodes (hypoglycemia), and one of the symptoms of that is sweating. But your son is not on any diabetes medication, so I'm not sure. My son who is 10 sweats a lot and he is fine. Definitely make his pedi aware of that too, though. Good luck ;o)
It sounds like your son may be sweating out all that access water that his body doesn't need. I've heard that too much water could be harmful to the body in adults and I don't see why it would be different in children. I agree to talk with a doctor again and let him/her know your concerns. Also, when I was a child I was tested for excessive sweating because of the chance that it may mean cystic fibrosis. I was negative and I'm sure your son is fine, too, but your doctor may want to rule it out.
I would think that the night drinking is a comfort thing. MAN, that is a lot of water at night. How do you deal with his diapers??? My little guy sleeps through the night and only has milk before bed and his diaper is exploding in the morning. LOL. I liked that idea of keeping a log to see if it increases at any particular time or for some reason. At least you have an already scheduled appointment coming up. Just bring it up again and see what the ped says.
Hi R.,
Dont sweat it....lol.. I promise there is nothing wrong. My son who is now 5 yrs old still sweat ALOT at night when he sleeps. Also water is great for them. My only concern about the drinking alot at night is does he soak through his diapers. Other i wouldn't worry about that either.Being a new mommy is fun. And you have to see what YOU believe is right for your child.
N.
sweating could be a sign of sleep apnea...try to watch him while he sleeps, does he have a snoring problem? does he have any pauses in breathing? if so, you will want to ask his doctor about that..
since he sweats so much at night, it's a great thing that he's drinking the water, it's replenishing him so that he does not get dehydrated! I don't know if any amount of water is too much, but i wouldn't think so. Definetly ask though!
also, make sure his room isn't too warm, he's not in thick clothes, he's not using heavy blankets...if he's sweating so much, you don't want to give him even more a reason to sweat. You say he sweats through his clothes...maybe try putting him down in just a diaper, maybe with a thin blanket by his side if he feels he needs it. He's almost a year old so by this point, he can pull the blanket on and off himself as he likes. maybe try to get some air circulating with a fan on low perhaps...
I wouldn't worry about the water though, i'm sure it's best that he's replenishing himself..
Have you ever had him checked for diabeties? Diabetics are always so thirsty.... Thats one of the first symptoms.
my son drinks a ton of water as well.....i doubt there is anything wrong but i would at this point have the doctor run some bloodwork just to clear him of anything medical....also for your sanity.
Hi R.,
Does your son drink anything else besides water, such as milk, throughout the day? Water is good but for babies too much will deplete them of the fat & nutrients they need from milk. Unless of course if he eats a lot of dairy, such as my non-milk drinking son, then I guess it is ok. My daughter used to be a sweaty sleeper, and 2 of my kids always drink lots of water at night. Hopefully that is a little reassuring to you while you wait for his next well visit. I definitely would talk to the Doc again and try & give the Dr. exact amounts too and any other signs or symptoms that may concern you. Good luck. I know he'll be fine!
Hello
Both my boys love water, my oldest wont drink anything but water. They drink alot but not as much as you described. I would also suggest to keep a log of the quantities each day and see if there is a pattern and make an appointment to speak with the pediatrician. It might be nothing but it might be something small or something the pediatrician may want to investigate.
Good Luck ..let us know how it goes
I wouldn't worry too much about the sweating. My son (4yrs) sweats anytime he sleeps, always wakes with a wet head. My step-son (20yr)still does too. If you are still concerned, definately talk with your doctor but be sure to let him know as much detail as you can (amt. of water drinking, only sweating at night or any time asleep, etc...). The more they know, the better they can determine if there is an issue or not. Good luck!
My son is 3 and has always drank a lot of water day and night. I am thrilled that he chooses water as opposed to drinking juice all day long! My son also sweats a lot too (I have no clue why). I also put him to bed with a sippy cup of water. I see no problem with this at all. The only problem you may encounter is when you begin potty training. I was concerned that my son would not be able to stay dry all night. Luckily, he does and so I never had to take his night time water away. I really would not worry about this at all. Water is good for them and if it has flouride in it, it is also good for his teeth!
I would most definitely talk to the doctor about it. If he still isn't concerned go to another doctor to double check!!!! Make sure your son does not have diabetes. It might be just the soothing thing, but you need to know for sure and the only way is the have his blood tested for sugar level.
Good luck and I hope everything will be fine!
Hi R.,
If he's drinking 18 oz of water a day plus water with meals, when is he getting milk? At under a year, a child's milk (whether breastmilk or a substitute) is their primary source of nutrition. Water offers no nutrients which is why it's not recommended for babies under 6 months. I agree with the posters who suggested testing for diabetes. An almost one year old should not need to wake multiple times at night to drink bottles of water that equal a few glasses of water. If a person drinks an excess of water, it is possible for them to flush out the electrolytes in their system. So yes, it is possible to drink too much water, and in extreme cases, it has been fatal.
The other thing that I'm wondering is ... are you sure he is drenched in sweat? Or is he drenched in pee from the 3 glasses of water he's drinking at night? He has a very small bladder and that is more than a pint of liquid.
R.
That is a lot of water and could be dangerous. I would call and ask the doctor. Too much is not could a baby of this age could drown themselves with too much water. I found this out when I took my son to check up at doctors, and mentioned about how much he was drinking between water mostly and juice. In total was about 40 ounces and she said WAY TOO MUCH, tobring it down to about 24.
