Do you find yourself waking up more than once to use the bathroom at night? You may have nocturia, a condition that causes you to need to get out of bed to pee 2 or more times in one night. And while a couple extra trips to the bathroom may seem harmless, frequent nighttime urination can lead to fragmented, disrupted sleep, leaving you tired and cranky the next day.
If you’re wondering why you pee so much at night, you’re right to be concerned. Peeing a lot at night is not normal, and that lost sleep can have serious consequences on your health. Fortunately there are things you can try to get your nighttime urination under control.
Below are 5 things you can try to stop frequent urination at night.
KEEP A BLADDER DIARY
It may sound funny to track your bathroom visits, but a bladder diary is a great tool in identifying the culprits that may be causing you to use the bathroom more often at night. A bladder diary will track your fluid intake (type and amount), how often you use the bathroom during the day, how often you get up to use the bathroom at night, and whether or not that accompanies any bladder leakage. Keep it for 4-7 days to help you spot any trends. This tool is also useful for your doctor so hang onto it and share it with him or her on your next visit.
Download the NAFC Bladder Diary for Nocturia Here!
MINIMIZE URINE PRODUCTION AT NIGHT
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This one is pretty obvious, but it’s important. As we age, we tend to not be able to hold as much in our bladder, which can make us have to use the bathroom more often even if we’re drinking the same amount as we always have before. Be careful not to limit your fluids too much, but do watch what you’re eating and drinking in the few hours before bed to ensure you’re not falling asleep with an already too full bladder.
Avoid excessive fluid intake 4-6 hours before bed (this includes both food and drinks)
Avoid caffeine after the morning and limit alcohol at night. Both alcohol and caffeine can make urine more acidic which can irritate the lining of the bladder, causing you to need the bathroom more frequently.
Empty your bladder before bed.
Take any medications that may act as diuretics earlier in the day if possible (check with your doctor on this first).
REDISTRIBUTE FLUID
If your ankles or legs swell up during the day, the fluid that builds up then gets sent back into the bloodstream when you lie down to sleep, which increases your blood pressure. As a result, the kidneys start working overtime to create more urine so your body can flush the excess fluid out of your system, and consequently causing you to wake up to empty your bladder. If you’re experiencing swollen ankles or legs, try some of these tips to help redistribute fluid throughout the day and minimize accumulation.
Elevate the legs periodically to avoid any fluid build up in the ankles and calves.
Use Compression Socks. These elastic stockings exert pressure against the leg while decreasing pressure on the veins, allowing fluids to be redistributed and reabsorbed into the bloodstream. (Check out these super cute ones from Vim&Vigr.)
WEAR LEAKPROOF UNDERWEAR
Many people find wearing some form of absorbent protection at night reassuring, as it reduces the urgency to rush to the toilet, which can often lead to falls and injuries. You may find reusable absorbent underwear made from textiles more comfortable than disposable pads and diapers.
PRACTICE GOOD SLEEP HYGIENE
Setting yourself up for a good night’s sleep can help fight off insomnia, which may be part of the reason you’re up in the first place. While waking up to go to the bathroom may be the culprit of your insomnia, it could also be that not being able to go or stay asleep could be contributing to nocturia. Many people only think they have to go to the bathroom at night but when they get up to go, they produce just a trickle. This may mean that insomnia, and not nocturia, is actually the culprit and can be caused by a host of different reasons. Be sure to practice good Sleep Hygiene to encourage a functional circadian rhythm (which is your body’s natural clock) and ensure you’re not sabotaging your own sleep. Check out the National Sleep Foundation’s article on sleep hygiene, which discusses the tips below in greater detail:
Limit daytime naps to 30 minutes
Avoid stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine close to bedtime.
Set a consistent sleep and wake time.
Exercise regularly (but not right before bed)
Avoid foods that may be disruptive right before sleep (like spicy or heavy, rich foods)
Reserve the bed for sleep and sex
Establish a regular relaxing bedtime routine
Keep your bedroom quiet, comfortable, and dark.
TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR
While the above tips may help ease your nocturia a bit, it’s usually a good idea to see a professional to treat your nocturia. Behavioral changes don’t always address the causes of nocturia. Nocturia is most often caused by nocturnal polyuria, a condition where the kidneys produce too much urine. That’s why treating nocturia at the source is so important. If you’re only focused on curing, say, overactive bladder, you’re only targeting the bladder, not the kidneys. In reality, both conditions should be treated to effectively manage their respective symptoms.
“Nocturia has always been hard to treat, but it is now recognized as more than just a symptom of another medical issue,“ says Dr. Donna Deng, Urologic Surgeon at The Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Oakland Department of Urology.
Nocturia does sometimes have underlying causes so it’s important to get a thorough checkup done by your doctor to rule out any other conditions.
26 Responses
I limit fluids room crazy cool quiet dark… I use a sleep sound, raining on a tarp, put timer for 2 hrs., set volume then slip it into pillowcase and zip it up!
Works great…turns off because of timer…try it can’t hurt
Soy hombre de 39 años y voy de 3 a 6 veces al baño a orinar por la noche eso no lo hacía antes pero ahora sí y batallo para dormír
Buenos días ,mi madre tiene 95 años , cada 1 hora se despierta para orinar ,interrumpe el sueño al levantarse durante el día no orina frecuentemente y se mantiene soñolienta
Los estudios de análisis los resultados son negativos
Soy operada de prolapso no me sacaron los ovarios,yo antes no tenía ese problema de ir en la noche cada hora ir hacer pipi,la Ginecóloga me dijo que era que había rebajado mucho de peso y por eso ahora la vejiga quedó con ese problema no fumo ni bebo me mandó el Bendigas como a las 6 de la tarde pero no.
What drugs should i take to stop urinate
Me llamo Alejandro ramos y orino tres veces x noche pero pero cada q. Orinó orino mucho eso pasa conmigo y con mi esposa María Antonia Lazcano y pues quisiera q me dijeran q puedo Aser para calmar esta enfermedad de antemano les doy las gracias y q dios los bendiga oy mañana y siempre 🙏
Me levanto cada hora para ir al baño lo cual interrumpe terriblemente mi sueño nocturno. He probado Solifenacina y no resolvio mi problema. Ahora voy a comenzar con Mirabegron 25 recetado por otro medico, no tengo muchas esperanzas porque me dijeron que es lo mismo! Estoy desesperanzada! No sé qué hacer!
Cuantas veces es normal orinar en la noche al dormir?
When not limit alcohol and certain food like on a cruise I have just used Northshore pullups during night. Can rest properly and not disturb partner. Otherwise if avoid these maybe have to get up maximum once.
I can’t find a “depends” that fits me. They fall down around my ankles. Any suggestions?
I can’t find a “depends” that fits. They fall down around my ankles. Any suggestions?
I am a pelvic floor PT. I see a lot of nocturia and I feel like peeing at night could be from constipation. If you are constipated and bowel is compressing on your bladder, it might need to empty more frequently during the day and even at night. Also many people don’t drink enough water especially people with lower extremity pain or elderly so they don’t have to use bathroom during the day as much but that leads to more nighttime urination.
I will try reducing taking water and tea to see.
Finding it hard because of painfull back , to get up at night . Needing to pee , what can I wear
This article discusses the issue of frequent nighttime urination, also known as nocturia, and provides five tips to help manage it. It emphasizes the importance of keeping a bladder diary, minimizing urine production before bedtime, and avoiding certain substances like caffeine and alcohol that can contribute to nighttime urination. It’s a helpful resource for those looking to address this common problem and improve their sleep quality.
Hi ,So drinking too much water isn’t the problem. And i can’t say a specific time but it happens constantly. But reading article I guess bad sleeping habit is the problem though I am really tired I can’t fall a sleep. I also want to stop going to bathroom many times during sleep any advice
Hi how can I stop peeing in bed at night
I thought I just had problems with peeing too much at night but turns out I had an autoimmune condition that was messing with my kidneys. Very very very important to see a doctor even if it seems like nothing to worry about.
My husband snores loud wakes me up I also get up every two hours to pee. Can’t get a good night rest and I actually pee a lot I only get two hours interrupted sleep every night even when my husband slept in different room I still get up with urgency to pee In the day it’s a little less urgent but I feel it’s too much Help. Is this nocturia
I usually need a change in the middle of the night – either urine or bowel or both. Sometimes, I wait till morning to change. Typically, I change in bed and not in the bathroom. If the context is in a care facility someone else will change me. Typically, the room tends to smell from not changing.
Not only I get up to pee three time a night but my wife’s snoring is very loud and I tried ear plug .
Not a doctor. But? Try taking more vitamin c. Also? You might be dehydrated. Worked for me.
Need help! Bladder refills multiple times a night thus requires voiding. Strong flow/stream, completely empties to refill again in an hour, empties 6 to 8 ounces each time even when fluid intake ceases c. 6pm.
i hate begging to toilet all night but no sleep
Hi my name is Camila i have a problem going to the bathroom to go pee everyday
"Keep your bedroom quite, comfortable, and dark."
I think they mean quiet.