Contributed by: Healthians Team
Introduction
If you routinely wake up more than once at night to urinate, it’s not normal.
It is a clear indication that you may have nocturia, a condition in which you experience excessive urination at night.
We should be able to sleep for 6 to 8 hours without having to go to the bathroom during the night.
Waking up frequently to urinate in the middle of the night is very bothersome. It can obviously affect your quality of sleep and your quality of life.
Sleep disruption from repeated nocturnal voiding can impact your quality of life, as well as lead to a host of collateral wellness issues.
Furthermore, poor sleep can contribute to the exacerbation of existing health conditions.
Causes of nocturia
A simple habit like consuming too many liquids (particularly coffee or alcohol) before bed might cause nocturia.
It could also be caused by some medications, infections, or a decrease in bladder capacity.
The following lifestyle choices have been linked to nocturia in both men and women:
- Consuming too much fluid before going to bed (especially caffeine or alcohol)
- Behavioural patterns (you’ve taught your body to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, even if you don’t need to)
- Medicines such as diuretics (water pills), cardiac glycosides, demeclocycline, lithium, methoxyflurane, phenytoin, propoxyphene, and excessive vitamin D, as well as their timing or dose
Underlying health conditions that can cause nocturia
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Cardiovascular disease
- Vaginal prolapse
- Menopause
- Childbirth
- Bladder obstruction
- Overactive bladder symptoms
- Prostate obstruction
- Pelvic prolapse
- Enlarged prostate
- Restless leg syndrome
- Oedema
- Interstitial cystitis
- Reduced bladder capacity
Lifestyle modifications to improve nocturia
Limit your fluid consumption at night
Drinking too many liquids close to bedtime can overwhelm your bladder, creating a strong sense of urgency.
Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day (particularly water), but stop drinking 2 to 4 hours before bedtime.
Manage your diuretic intake
Take a diuretic at least 6 hours before night if you need to. This will help you urinate less frequently throughout the night.
Use compression stockings or elevate your legs
Fluid can build up in the legs of certain persons. Elevating your legs helps to transfer fluids back into the bloodstream, which helps to reduce the desire to urinate.
Elastic compressions stockings assist reduce fluid build-up by applying pressure to your legs.
Take advantage of midday naps
A nap can help you feel better during the day if you don’t get enough sleep. Liquids can also be absorbed into the bloodstream when napping.
However, don’t slumber for too long or too frequently. Naps should not be used to interrupt sleep patterns at night.
Preemptive voiding before bedtime
Making sure there is as little urine in your bladder as possible right before bed will help you avoid getting up in the middle of the night to urinate.
Intentional nocturnal and late afternoon dehydration
Drink plenty of water during the day, but cut back on fluids 2 to 4 hours before bedtime.
Salt restriction
A reduction in salt intake has been clinically proved to minimise midnight urination in people with a high salt intake.
Caffeine and alcohol restriction
Caffeine stimulates bladder activity, which can lead to nightly urine, especially if eaten later in the day. Alcohol can irritate the bladder and should thus be avoided.
Avoid foods rich in liquids
Consumption of foods that are rich in liquids such as melons, cucumber, cranberry juice, lemonade, orange juice etc. should be avoided at night.
Final thoughts
Nocturia is a condition that causes more than just annoyance and discomfort.
Given that it can have significant health consequences, it shouldn’t be accepted as inevitable.
Making lifestyle changes can reduce the number of bathroom trips you take each night.
Moreover, you should also frequently opt for health screening. It provides you with vital insights into your health, allowing you to take necessary measures to improve it.
