If you find that your sleep is being disturbed, not by bad dreams or the annoying dog next door, but by your bladder, it might be a sign that you are struggling with nocturia.
If you need to go to the bathroom more than once during 6 to 8 hours of sleep and are under the age of 70 then your body can either be making too much urine or your bladder cannot hold enough. Sometimes, it is both.
Disturbed sleep however can cause problems during the day such as a lack of concentration, poor memory and other health issues and if one is older it can also increase the risk of falling.
There are a few things that you can do to ensure you don’t need to get up at night to urinate, however should the problem still persist after trying these consult your doctor or a physiotherapist with a special interest in pelvic health.
- Try to reduce fluid consumption 3-4 hours before bedtime.
- Reduce or avoid alcohol consumption at night as alcohol is a bladder irritant.
- Avoid caffeine after 4pm.
- Urinate before getting into bed at night, take your time and ensure you empty your bladder fully.
- Ensure that you urinate regularly during the day.
- Ensure you have a regular bowel motion, as constipation causes increased pressure on the bladder making you want to urinate more often.
- Check the side effects of any medications that you are taking and if necessary, ask your doctor to alter the prescription.
Aging can also cause increased nighttime urination.
For menopausal woman, the lack of oestrogen causes changes in your urinary tract that can increase the urge to urinate, chat with your gynae or GP about the options for topical oestrogen which can help.
As men age, they may experience an enlarged prostate which can cause incomplete emptying of the bladder, a pelvic health physiotherapist can assist with emptying techniques or consult your urologist for assistance.
Medical conditions which reduce the ability to store urine or cause increased urge to urinate include: bladder or prostate cancer, overactive bladder syndrome, interstitial cystitis, pelvic floor muscle dysfunction (either weak or too tight), urinary tract infections, pregnancy and obesity.
Conditions which cause the bladder to produce excess urine include, diabetes, liver failure, neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Sleep disturbances have an effect on your overall health, should your bladder be disturbing your sleep do not ignore it, seek help from a GP, gynae, urologist or a pelvic health physiotherapist.
