If you wake up more than two times per night to go to the bathroom, you may have nocturia.
About 1 in 3 adults over the age of 30 experience nocturia. While anyone can have nocturia, it's more common in people over the age of 60.
Most people are able to sleep 6 to 8 hours without having to get up to go to the bathroom. Nocturia can disturb your sleep cycles and lead to fatigue.
It is important to remember that nocturia is a sign of something going on in our bodies. It is not a disease in and of itself.
Things that can impact nocturia:
- Drinking too much fluid or caffeinated drinks close to bedtime
- Underlying health issues like sleep disorders, bladder or urinary tract infections, an overactive bladder or high blood pressure
- Timing of medications like diuretics, which are also known as "water pills"
- Sleep disorders (i.e. sleep apnea) in which the person wakes up because of a sleep problem and then decides to urinate while they are up - the problem is not the uriantion but the underlying sleep problem
Common causes of nocturia:
- Polyuria - making too much urine in 24 hours
- Nocturnal Polyuria - making too much urine at night versus how much is made during the day
- Bladder Storage - bladder having problems storing and releasing urine
- Mixed Nocturia - more than one of these problems occurring at the same time
To determine if you are experiencing nocturia, your doctor will ask several questions about your health, family medical history and any medications you are taking. You may also be asked to keep a journal to record how much fluid you drink, times of day you urinate or how much fluid is eliminated when you go to the bathroom.
Common ways to treat or manage nocturia:
- Lifestyle changes (diet/exercise)
- Behavior changes (curbing your fluid intake before bed)
- Medication
- Review the times you are taking current medications (if you are taking diuretics, it may be helpful to take your pills earlier in the day)
Talk to your doctor if nocturia is keeping you up at night and affecting your quality of life.
To learn more about nocturia: