Always getting up in the middle of the night to urinate? It’s not uncommon to need to use the bathroom during the night, but it can certainly be a nuisance and disrupt your sleeping schedule. If you find yourself frequently waking up throughout the night needing to urinate, you could be suffering from nocturia. Rest assured, it’s common and usually nothing to be concerned about, and there are plenty of ways to manage it, from adjusting your pre-bedtime habits to using waterproof mattress protectors. Below, we discuss what nocturia is and why it occurs, and share our tips for managing it.
What is it?
Nocturia symptoms mainly revolve around the frequency and volume of urination at night. We should be able to sleep for at least 6-8 hours without having to use the bathroom. We all get up in the night now and then, but if you’re waking up more than once every night needing to pee, it’s likely nocturia. The disruption to sleep schedules causes overtiredness and insomnia in some people, further adding to the discomfort. Nocturia can also cause incontinence and lead to bedwetting accidents, which can feel embarrassing or frustrating, but there’s absolutely no reason to be embarrassed.
It's not uncommon to deal with nocturia, and some common causes include consuming too much water, caffeine, or alcohol before bed, conditioned behaviour, and even things as simple as age and childbirth. As we get older and our organs begin to age, it can become hard for our bladders to empty completely, causing a more frequent need to urinate. Similarly, the urinary tract can be impacted by pregnancy and childbirth, weakening muscles in the pelvis, meaning you have to go more often.
Suffering from nocturia shouldn’t cause any immediate alarm, but there are a few serious underlying conditions that can cause nocturia. Diabetes, liver failure, and bladder and prostate tumours can all cause frequent nighttime urination. In most cases, especially for people over 60, it’s normal to suffer from nocturia, but if attempts to manage it fail, you should consult your doctor to rule out any other possible health conditions.
Intervention
Adjusting your nightly ritual is usually the first step people take to try and manage their issues with nocturia. Starting with fluid restriction can help prevent your need to use the bathroom, but you shouldn’t be dehydrating yourself! If you find that you drink a lot of water or other fluids before bed, aim to cut down and try not to consume so much. Eliminate caffeine and alcohol consumption close to bedtime to help reduce the volume of urine in your bladder and improve your sleeping.
Waterproof Bedding
Waterproof bedding is a fantastic way to manage the issue, especially if you’re unable to identify the cause. Nocturia can lead to unwanted accidents in bed, which can be an inconvenience due to disrupting your sleep and the time it takes to sort out the situation. Luckily, nocturia is common enough that there are some easily accessible products to help manage accidents.
Waterproof sheets, mattress protectors and incontinence bed pads can be a great way to ensure that any accident that may occur, can easily be taken care of with a simple changing of the sheet. Your mattress and expensive bedding can stay intact while you deal with the situation and get yourself back to sleep.
Medication
After consulting with your doctor, you may be pointed towards some medications that help reduce urine production and ease the symptoms of an overactive bladder. Medications can come with side effects, so if you’re looking to treat nocturia, you should speak to your doctor to see if there’s a medication that can help you.
Sleep Confidently with Independently You
Independently You provides products to help those living with incontinence, nocturia, and other bladder related issues, to be confident and live their life without worry or embarrassment. If you want to learn more about our products and what we do, contact us to chat with our lovely team today!