Are late night bathroom breaks ruining your sleep? Causes and remedies

Imagine you are all of them snug and cozy under yours sheets of a the winter night, in deep sleep, only for your brain to repeatedly signal that it’s time to pee. This is uncomfortable and can make you cranky in the morning, especially if you don’t get enough sleep.

usually urine production should decrease when you sleep, allowing for the standard six to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. But if your sleep is ruined by having to pee constantly throughout the night, you’re not alone. If you want to get quality sleepreduce going to the toilet at night and get answers to why this happens, you are in the right place.

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What is nocturia?

nocturia is a medical condition that causes you to wake up more than once a night to urinate. It affects approximately one in three adults over age 30 and about half of people age 65 and older.

There are many causes of nocturiaincluding drinking too much fluid before bed, consuming alcohol or caffeine at night, or taking diuretic medications. Certain medical conditions—such as bladder obstruction, diabetes, and urinary tract infections—can also contribute to nocturia. In other cases, people have nocturia simply because they have developed a habit of waking up and using the toilet (although they may not necessarily go).

5 habits that will help you stop waking up to pee at night

If you’re tired (quite literally) of getting up in the middle of the night to pee, the following tips may help. Note that these are only suggestions and not medical advice. Be sure to talk to a doctor if you’re concerned about using the bathroom at night.

1. Monitor your caffeine intake at night

Research found that drinking caffeinated beverages can increase the need to urinate in people with overactive bladder symptoms due to diuretic properties of caffeine.

If you urinate frequently at night, you may find some relief by limiting your caffeine intake during the day. In general, experts recommend stopping caffeine consumption until noon — or at least avoiding caffeine in the second half of the day.

2. Look into pelvic floor therapy

If you have pelvic floor problems, you may also have problems with nocturia or incontinence. In these cases, pelvic floor therapy can help strengthen your muscles, give you more bladder control, and prevent leakage.

You can perform basic pelvic floor exercises (eg Cones) at home. Begin by emptying your bladder and lying on your back. Contract your pelvic muscles for three to five seconds, then release and relax for three to five seconds. Repeat the process ten times.

Alternatively, you can book an appointment at a pelvic therapy clinic near you.

3. Try compression stockings

As you walk throughout the day, fluid builds up in your legs. When you lie down (and elevate your legs in the process), your kidneys begin to process this fluid, which can increase your need to urinate. One way to prevent this is by improving your body’s fluid distribution during the day so you don’t have to pee as much at night.

How can you improve fluid distribution? Wearing compression stockings during the day it promotes better blood flow and improves circulation so fluid is less likely to collect in your legs. Recent research also shown to help treat nocturia.

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4. Avoid large drinks after dinner

Minimizing your fluid intake before bed is another strategy to help you pee less at night. If possible, do not drink anything for two hours before going to sleep. It’s also a good idea to limit your beverage consumption in the late afternoon and evening.

It’s best to avoid any kind of drinking before bed, but it’s especially important to cut out alcohol. Like caffeine, alcohol is a diuretic that causes your body to produce more urine, so consuming alcoholic beverages in the evening is likely to cause you to urinate more at night.

5. Take a nap every day

When you lie down for a short afternoon nap, your blood will absorb fluid into your body, prompting you to go pee when you wake up. As a result, you may need to make fewer trips to the bathroom at night because you’ve already gotten rid of some of the fluid you normally flush at night.

Also, a nap can help you feel more alert if you had a bad night’s sleep due to nocturia. to get the most out of your napkeep it to a maximum of 20 minutes and aim to take it earlier in the day.

When should you see a doctor?

If you’ve tried these tips and still wake up to pee several times a night, contact your doctor. You should also see a medical professional if your nightly trips to the toilet are causing you serious stress, ruining your sleep qualityor if you have other unpleasant urinary symptoms.

Your doctor can help you determine what’s causing your nocturia—whether it’s an underlying medical condition, a medication side effect, or a lifestyle factor. Once they determine the cause, they can recommend appropriate treatment, which may include behavioral changes, exercise, or medication.

Nocturia can be unpleasant, but the good news is that it is a common condition that is usually quite manageable. With appropriate treatment, you can begin sleep better again in no time.