What causes frequent urination at night. How to prevent waking up to pee. When to see a doctor for nocturia. What lifestyle changes can reduce nighttime urination. How nocturia affects sleep quality and overall health.

Understanding Nocturia: More Than Just a Nighttime Nuisance

Nocturia, the medical term for waking up during the night to urinate, is a common condition that affects millions of people worldwide. While it’s normal to occasionally wake up once to use the bathroom, frequent nighttime urination can significantly impact sleep quality and overall well-being.

Dr. Sandra Hadjinian, a urologist at the Urology Clinic at UW Medical Center – Northwest, emphasizes that nocturia is not something to be dismissed: “It’s a misconception that nothing can be done about it, and that it’s normal to get up more than once a night.”

How prevalent is nocturia?

Nocturia becomes more common as we age. Approximately half of adults between 50-79 years old experience nocturia. However, it can affect people of all ages and is not an inevitable part of aging.

The Many Faces of Nocturia: Identifying Root Causes

To effectively address nocturia, it’s crucial to understand its various causes. Let’s explore the main factors that contribute to this disruptive condition:

1. Lifestyle and Behavioral Factors

Our daily habits can play a significant role in nighttime urination patterns. Some key lifestyle factors include:

• Excessive fluid intake, especially close to bedtime
• Consumption of caffeine and alcohol
• High sodium diet

These behaviors can increase urine production and contribute to nocturia episodes.

2. Sleep Disorders

Certain sleep disorders can exacerbate or even cause nocturia. Dr. Hadjinian notes, “Sleep apnea, insomnia, and other conditions that cause sleep disturbances can lead to nocturia. Some people wake up feeling the need to empty their bladder but are actually awakened by a sleep disturbance.”

3. Medications

Various medications, particularly diuretics, can increase urine production and contribute to nocturia. Some examples include:

• Beta-blockers
• Lithium
• Certain allergy medications
• Some irritable bowel syndrome treatments
• Asthma medications

It’s important to note that you should never discontinue prescribed medications without consulting your healthcare provider.

4. Underlying Health Conditions

Several health conditions can contribute to nocturia:

• Diabetes
• Anxiety
• Cardiovascular disease
• Urinary retention
• Pelvic organ prolapse
• Restless leg syndrome
• Edema

These conditions can affect the body’s ability to regulate urine production or bladder function, leading to increased nighttime urination.

5. Hormonal Changes

Age-related hormonal shifts can impact nighttime urine production. For example, decreased estrogen levels during menopause or post-menopause can lead to increased urination frequency.

Nocturia Prevention: Strategies for Uninterrupted Sleep

While nocturia can be challenging, there are several strategies you can employ to reduce its occurrence and improve your sleep quality:

1. Manage fluid intake: Stay hydrated during the day, but limit fluid consumption in the evening hours.
2. Reduce sodium intake: A high-sodium diet can increase urine production.
3. Review medications: Discuss with your doctor about adjusting the timing or dosage of medications that may contribute to nocturia.
4. Establish a pre-bedtime routine: Always urinate before going to bed.
5. Maintain consistent sleep patterns: Try to keep bedtimes and wake-up times as consistent as possible.
6. Address hormone imbalances: Work with your healthcare provider to explore diet changes, lifestyle modifications, or hormone therapy if hormonal issues are contributing to nocturia.

The Impact of Nocturia on Quality of Life

Nocturia is more than just an inconvenience. Frequent nighttime awakenings can have far-reaching effects on overall health and well-being:

• Disrupted sleep patterns
• Daytime fatigue and sleepiness
• Decreased cognitive function
• Increased risk of falls, especially in older adults
• Negative impact on mood and mental health
• Reduced productivity at work or school
• Strain on relationships due to sleep disturbances

Understanding these potential consequences underscores the importance of addressing nocturia proactively.

When to Seek Medical Attention for Nocturia

While occasional nighttime urination is normal, certain signs indicate the need for medical evaluation:

• Waking up to urinate two or more times per night consistently
• Sudden changes in urinary habits
• Feeling unable to completely empty the bladder
• Experiencing pain or discomfort during urination
• Noticing blood in the urine
• Significant impact on daily life and sleep quality

If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s crucial to consult with a healthcare professional for proper evaluation and treatment.

Diagnostic Approaches for Nocturia

When seeking medical help for nocturia, your healthcare provider may employ various diagnostic tools and techniques:

1. Medical History and Physical Examination

Your doctor will likely start by discussing your symptoms, medical history, and lifestyle factors. They may also perform a physical examination to check for any obvious abnormalities.

2. Urinalysis

A urine sample can help detect infections, diabetes, or other conditions that might be contributing to nocturia.

3. Bladder Diary

You may be asked to keep a detailed record of your fluid intake, urination frequency, and urine volume over several days. This information can provide valuable insights into your urinary patterns.

4. Urodynamic Testing

These tests assess how well your bladder, sphincters, and urethra are storing and releasing urine.

5. Imaging Studies

In some cases, ultrasounds, CT scans, or MRIs may be used to visualize the urinary tract and surrounding structures.

Treatment Options for Nocturia: A Multifaceted Approach

Treatment for nocturia often involves a combination of lifestyle modifications and medical interventions, tailored to the underlying cause:

1. Lifestyle Changes

Implementing the prevention strategies mentioned earlier can often provide significant relief from nocturia symptoms.

2. Medications

Depending on the cause, your doctor may prescribe:

• Anticholinergics to reduce bladder contractions
• Desmopressin to decrease urine production at night
• Alpha-blockers to improve urine flow in men with enlarged prostates
• Diuretics timed for daytime use to reduce nighttime urine production

3. Treatment of Underlying Conditions

Addressing sleep disorders, diabetes, or other health issues contributing to nocturia can lead to significant improvement.

4. Pelvic Floor Exercises

Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles can improve bladder control and reduce nocturia in some cases.

5. Bladder Training

This involves gradually increasing the intervals between urination to improve bladder capacity and control.

Nocturia in Special Populations: Unique Considerations

Certain groups may experience nocturia differently or require special attention:

Nocturia in Pregnancy

Pregnant women often experience increased nighttime urination due to hormonal changes and pressure on the bladder from the growing uterus. While common, it’s important to discuss any concerns with a healthcare provider.

Nocturia in Older Adults

As mentioned earlier, nocturia becomes more prevalent with age. However, it’s crucial not to dismiss it as an inevitable part of aging. Proper evaluation and treatment can significantly improve quality of life for older adults.

Nocturia in Children

While less common in children, nocturia can occur and may be a sign of underlying conditions such as urinary tract infections, diabetes, or sleep disorders. Parents should consult a pediatrician if their child frequently wakes up to urinate at night.

The Future of Nocturia Research and Treatment

As our understanding of nocturia continues to evolve, researchers are exploring new avenues for diagnosis and treatment:

1. Biomarkers for Nocturia

Scientists are investigating potential biological markers that could help identify the underlying causes of nocturia more accurately.

2. Advanced Pharmacological Treatments

Research is ongoing to develop more targeted medications with fewer side effects for managing nocturia.

3. Neuromodulation Techniques

Novel approaches using electrical stimulation of nerves involved in bladder control show promise for treating certain types of nocturia.

4. Personalized Medicine Approaches

As we gain a better understanding of the genetic and environmental factors contributing to nocturia, treatments may become more tailored to individual patients.

Nocturia, while common, should not be accepted as an unavoidable part of life. By understanding its causes, implementing preventive strategies, and seeking appropriate medical care when needed, individuals can significantly improve their sleep quality and overall well-being. Remember, if you’re consistently waking up multiple times a night to urinate, it’s worth discussing with your healthcare provider to explore potential underlying causes and treatment options.

Here’s Why You Wake up at Night to Pee

You’re in the middle of an amazing dream, walking through a peaceful field. Birds are singing and the sun is shining. You approach a waterfall and dare to touch it — when you jolt awake from the dream with the strongest urge to pee for the second (or third) time that night. 

Waking up in the middle of the night to pee is common and completely normal if it’s only once a night. But when your body wakes you from dream after dream to groggily walk to the bathroom, it may be a condition called nocturia.  

What is nocturia? 

Nocturia is the term for waking during bedtime hours to pee. And while waking up to pee during the night is not something to be worried about, doing so two or more times each night is worth investigating.   

For those with nocturia, the condition is more than just bothersome — it negatively impacts quality of life.  

“Each episode of nocturia is preceded and followed by sleep,” says Dr. Sandra Hadjinian, a urologist at the Urology Clinic at UW Medical Center – Northwest. “It’s a misconception that nothing can be done about it, and that it’s normal to get up more than once a night.” 

Causes of nocturia

To understand how to treat nocturia, it’s important to understand the different causes.  

Habits and behaviors 

First, unfortunately, your behavior and lifestyle might be contributing to your episodes of nocturia. This isn’t to say you’re doing anything wrong, just that you might need to do things a little differently to help your body stay asleep at night instead of bothering you for a bathroom break. 

Typically, these changes surround diet and fluid intake.  

“Consuming too much fluid, in general, as well as drinking close to bedtime, can cause nocturia episodes,” says Hadjinian. “The type of fluid can cause nocturia, too, such as caffeine and alcohol.” 

Other dietary factors like a high sodium diet can also cause nocturia, Hadjinian says. Basically, when you have a lot of salt, your kidneys have to do some extra work to flush it out, resulting in increased urine production. Being mindful of your sodium intake could help with that. 

Sleep disorders 

Having a sleep disorder isn’t something that you can always control. Especially if left untreated, the inconsistency in sleep patterns that can come with some sleep disorders can also nudge you awake with the urge to pee. 

“Sleep apnea, insomnia and other conditions that cause sleep disturbances can lead to nocturia,” says Hadjinian. “Some people wake up feeling the need to empty their bladder but are actually awakened by a sleep disturbance.” 

Medications 

Certain medications, especially diuretics (medications that increase the production of urine) are sometimes the culprit of nocturia. 

For example, medications like beta-blockers, lithium, some allergy medications, irritable bowel syndrome treatments and asthma medications can help you feel better during the day but might wake you up a few times at night. As always, don’t stop taking your meds, but if the constant waking up has you at your limit, talk to your doctor about it at your next follow-up. 

Health conditions 

Hadjinian says that health conditions such as diabetes, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, urinary retention, pelvic organ prolapse, restless leg syndrome and edema can cause nocturia. If you have these conditions, it’s not guaranteed you’ll have a midnight bathroom rendezvous, but it is something to keep in mind. 

And while age isn’t a health condition, Hadjinian says that age can increase the likelihood of nocturia. In fact, about half of adults between 50-79 have nocturia.  

Changes in hormone levels that happen with aging can also impact the body’s nighttime urine volume, causing the need to pee after bedtime. For example, decreased estrogen levels that can be experienced in menopause or post-menopause can lead to increased urination. Genetic conditions or autoimmune conditions can also be a contributing factor. 

How to prevent nocturia 

Hadjinian gives us a few suggestions on how to limit getting up to pee and improve your chances of sleeping through the night:  

• Stay hydrated during the day and restrict fluid intake leading up to the evening and nighttime hours.  
• Reduce your sodium intake. 
• Try to avoid medications that make you pee more at night, if they’re not medically necessary. 
• Make sure to pee before bedtime. 
• Try to keep bedtimes and wake-up times as consistent as possible. 
• If you’re experiencing a hormone imbalance, work with your doctor to see if diet changes, lifestyle changes or hormone therapy could help.   

Most importantly, make sure to listen to your body. If anything feels off, it might be a sign to see your doctor. 

Tackling the symptoms  

“Any sudden or acute changes in urinary habits, feeling like you can’t completely empty your bladder after urinating and any other obstructive urinary symptoms could indicate that it’s time to see your doctor,” says Hadjinian. “These could be symptoms like having to wait before the stream starts despite the urge to urinate, a stream that starts and stops, urinary incontinence, painful urination or blood in the urine.” 

And if your symptoms of nocturia are impacting your quality of life, know that your doctors are ready and waiting to help. Hadjinian says to reach out to a urologist — or have your primary care doctor refer you to one — so they can conduct a full evaluation and help determine the most effective treatment options for you. 

A sleep study is another option that your doctor might suggest to rule out any underlying sleep apnea, which can contribute to nocturia. Finally, you and your doctor can also talk about treatment methods or medical management, if needed, after your evaluation. 

It’s time to get a good night’s rest and return to your dreams — you might even be able to chase some waterfalls without the current waking you up. 

How To Stop Waking Up At Night To Pee

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.

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.

Download our guide to Preparing For Your Doctor Visit to help you talk to your doctor about nocturia. 

13 reasons for nighttime visits to the toilet – expert material, Lahta Clinic

If you notice that you have begun to wake up at night due to the urge to urinate, you naturally have a question: why, in fact, is this happening? What has changed or, perhaps, broken in the functioning of the excretory system?

A persistent tendency to wake up at night, associated with an imperative need to go to the toilet, is called nocturia0006 – Approx. Lakhta Clinics ). And of course, nocturia is not unreasonable, so ignoring this trend, to put it mildly, is not recommended.

The bad news is that there are many potential causes and factors that can lead to nocturia, ranging from ingrained habits to latent serious diseases that require investigation and treatment. The good news is that we are now going to try to figure out – with the help of experts – the main and most common reasons that force you to interrupt a night’s sleep for an urgent visit to the toilet.

What causes nocturia?

According to the American Urological Association (AUA), nocturia can be based on very different (in terms of etiopathogenesis) conditions, processes and diseases. However, first of all, it should be noted that nocturia itself is not a disease. It is always just a symptom, a sign of some more general pathology. In addition, it is important to emphasize the difference between nocturia and another urological symptom with a similar sound – polyuria. Polyuria means that an abnormally large amount of urine is produced in the body, while nocturia means normal volumes of urination, but the urine is either not completely excreted or there are false urges when the bladder is empty.

The following are some of the pathological conditions and other causes most commonly associated with nocturia.

Enlargement of the prostate

In many men, the prostate begins to increase in size with age. In this case, the outflow of urine is partially pinched or blocked, which makes it difficult to completely empty the bladder. According to the Mayo Clinic, the symptoms of the so-called. benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate adenoma) is noticed by approximately every third man who has reached the age of 60. At the same time, nocturia is one of the most common and well-known symptoms of an enlarged prostate, which occurs in almost all cases. It is the impossibility of complete emptying of the bladder that makes a person feel the urge to urinate more often and more acutely, including during a night’s sleep.

Bladder dysfunction

Bladder problems can occur in both men and women, although the causes are usually different. In the context of nocturia, this could be the phenomenon of “increased urination due to decreased critical bladder volume,” says Mark Ellerkmann, MD, director of the Urogynecology Center at Mercy Medical Center (Baltimore). This condition can develop, in particular, due to age-related stretching of the walls of the bladder, which can no longer hold the usual amount of urine, due to the hyperplasia of the prostate mentioned above, and also due to a special syndrome known as overactive bladder.

Diabetes

Both nocturia and polyuria are often present in the clinical picture of diabetes mellitus, and it is important to understand the differences between the two conditions.

Polyuria is a classic symptom of diabetes. In the uncontrolled course of this serious disease (i. e., in the body of patients left without observation and adequate therapeutic support), an abnormally large amount of urine is produced, primarily due to the high concentration of glucose in the blood. But in cases of nocturia, the volume of urine produced is not increased; just very inopportunely – that is, at night during sleep – there is an urge to urinate.

In patients with diabetes, nocturia is usually due to a combination of two factors, namely edema and diabetic neuropathy. In 2020, an article was published in the journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing special periodical , where a significant increase in nighttime urination in older women with diabetes (compared to younger categories) is considered as a consequence of these two causes acting simultaneously.

See materials on the Lakhta Clinic website:

Diabetes mellitus

Diabetic neuropathy

Edema (swelling)

often observed in patients with cardiovascular disease and / or chronic heart failure. Fluid retention in the tissues can lead to swelling in any part of the body, but in this case, the legs and ankles swell most often, which causes frequent urination.

“When such patients lie down, the body tries to return excess fluid back to the circulatory system, while the function of the kidneys is to eliminate this excess,” explains M. Ellerkmann, specifying that the cycle of transport of excess fluid through the kidneys can lead to increased urination, including at night.

Interstitial Cystitis

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), interstitial cystitis is a chronic non-infectious inflammation of the bladder, a very uncomfortable condition, which is why it is often referred to as “bladder pain syndrome”. Often, interstitial cystitis is detected during the examination, the primary reason for which is precisely the patient’s complaints about nocturia.

Pregnancy

Due to the rapid increase in the uterus and, as a result, the growing pressure on the surrounding organs, pregnant women often complain that they want to go to the toilet almost constantly. Thus, the main (but not the only possible) cause of nocturia during pregnancy is the mechanical compression of the bladder, which does not allow it to hold the usual volumes of urine.

Neurobiological disorders

Physical damage to the spinal cord and other structures of the central nervous system can also cause nocturia, says S. Adam Ramin, MD, medical director of the Urology Cancer Center in Los Angeles. Many such conditions are known: spinal injuries, Parkinson’s disease, strokes, etc. In particular, studies in 2012-19 confirmed that urinary incontinence and dysfunction of the lower urinary tract are one of the typical symptoms in the first 3-6 months after a stroke.

Infections

Common urinary tract infections often cause sudden urges to urinate, Mayo Clinic says. In the presence of such an infection, such urges are likely to occur during the daytime, but even if this remains a purely nocturnal problem for someone, it should be paid attention to – especially if nocturia is combined with other symptoms of a urogenital infection, such as feeling burning sensation when urinating, fever, pelvic pain, pain in the lower abdomen.

Age and ethnicity

There are some risk factors for nocturia that are completely out of your control. In particular, age : according to Dr. M. Ellerkmann, abnormally large volume of urination at night may be due to a decrease in the level of the antidiuretic hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP). “Normally, blood plasma contains an increased level of AVP at night, which, accordingly, inhibits urine production,” the expert says. “However, in elderly patients, the level of nocturnal secretion of AVP may be insufficient, which leads to age-related nocturia.”

According to statistics from the National Incontinence Association ( Urinary Incontinence – Note Lakhta Clinic ), the majority of people suffering from nocturia are over the age of 60 years.

Ethnicity . Nocturia is more common in blacks and Hispanics, especially males. However, Dr. S.A. Ramin doubts that the reason here lies in any genetic or hereditary predisposition; rather, in many of these cases, socioeconomic and even cultural factors come into play. “Black and Hispanic men tend to have less access to high-quality medical care, and are less likely to go to the doctor with such complaints,” the expert explains. “Thus, the primary problems progress and the symptoms become more pronounced.”

Medicines

There are a number of medicines that can cause nocturia. The most obvious culprit here is diuretics (water pills), but the AUA reports that some heart medications and mood stabilizers can also increase nighttime bladder filling. It is very likely that it is impossible or highly undesirable for medical reasons to stop taking such drugs in your individual case, but in many cases it is possible, in consultation with the doctor, to adjust the time of administration so that the last dose does not occur in the late evening.

Sleep disorders

If you wake up several times during the night because you urgently need to go to the toilet, then it is quite logical to assume that there are problems in the urogenital (genitourinary) system. However, in reality, sleep disturbances as such may be the cause.

“Obstructive sleep apnea can cause nocturnal polyuria through the release of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), a hormone that can stimulate the kidneys to produce more urine,” says Mark Ellerkmann. “Sometimes patients wake up due to dyssomnia or restless leg syndrome and, upon waking up, feel the need to empty their bladder. But it’s actually a sleep disorder that wakes them up, not a bladder.”

Psychological causes

According to Dr. S.A. Ramin, in some cases the cause of nocturia is anxiety, expressed in the degree of an abnormal state of the psyche.

“Some patients with high anxiety have chest pain or discomfort, others have increased bowel movement or diarrhea, but many anxious people complain of frequent and urgent urges to urinate,” he says. “This can happen both during the day and at night, so a person with increased anxiety can definitely develop nocturia even if there are no problems with the bladder or prostate gland. ”

Mental illnesses such as depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder can present in a similar way: patients may feel that they “have to” go to the bathroom whenever they wake up during the night, especially if sleep is shallow or sleep phasing is disturbed. In such cases, a person goes to the toilet not because of the urge to urinate, but simply because he is used to doing this every time he wakes up.

Lifestyle features

We are assuming that you are not in the habit of regularly drinking two liters of water before going to bed…and if you are, then it is better to stop this habit. The cause of nocturia may be elementary: the natural overflow of the bladder due to excess volumes of liquid drunk at night. According to the AUA recommendations, it is advisable to limit yourself in this two to three hours before a night’s sleep, and it matters not only how much you drink, but also what exactly you drink: some drinks, such as alcohol or coffee, are diuretics in themselves, that is, it is this factor that can increase nocturnal diuresis.

According to the Health website

A man goes to the toilet at night – is this normal?

A famous scientist once remarked: “Never blame bad health on weather and age.” This statement is also true in relation to nighttime urination in men.

A healthy bladder needs to sleep at night! Nighttime urination in men is unnatural and dangerous.

Why does a man wake up at night to go to the toilet?

In the male body, the urinary system acts as a kind of signaling system. With its help, the body reports problems:

• in the bladder,
• in the pelvic organs
• or in the prostate gland.

What is considered normal?

If a man wakes up at least once a night to go to the toilet “in a small way”, and if this is repeated at least once a week, this can no longer be considered normal. It is recommended to be examined by a male urologist.

Well, if the desire to go to the toilet arises every night, do not put off a visit to the doctor.

Causes of urination at night

Most often this is one of the main symptoms of prostatitis or prostate adenoma.

Night urges with prostate adenoma

Adenoma is a benign growth of the prostate gland. Adenomatous nodes put pressure on the urethra, which causes frequent urge to urinate. In this case, the ureter is usually weak or intermittent. In advanced cases, nighttime urinary incontinence is possible.

The main danger of adenoma is that symptoms begin to appear only at stage 2 . And at the 3rd stage, many men are faced with the need for a complex surgical operation.

That is why it is important to start treatment at 1-2 stages of adenoma.

Night urging for prostatitis

Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland. The acute phase of the disease is characterized by scanty urination, accompanied by pain, cutting and burning.

In the absence of adequate treatment, the acute phase quickly turns into a chronic one.

The complexity and unpleasantness of chronic prostatitis is that it periodically worsens, causing severe pain to a man.

Consequences of going to the toilet at night

Nighttime urination in itself significantly impairs the quality of life. Constant interruption of sleep causes fatigue and irritation, reduces performance.

In addition, in the absence of treatment, complications occur, the disease worsens. So, for example, prostate adenoma can degenerate into a cancerous tumor. And prostatitis can lead to male infertility.

Self-treatment in this case is completely excluded. It can only aggravate the situation and negatively affect the work of internal organs. Therefore, with regular nighttime urges, you should be examined by a urologist-andrologist and pass the necessary tests.

Examination at Alan Clinic

Already at the first appointment with a urologist-andrologist, a comprehensive diagnosis of the condition of the prostate gland is carried out.

Diagnosis takes approximately 30-40 minutes.

To prepare for the examination, you only need to take 2-3 glasses of water and not urinate. This is necessary for high-quality ultrasound diagnostics.

All the most necessary diagnostic procedures are included in the cost of the initial appointment:

1. Interview and history taking
2. Examination of the prostate
3. Ultrasound of the prostate — detects adenoma nodes in the prostate.
4. Ultrasound of the bladder – helps to determine the residual amount of urine
5. Additional examinations. If there are problems with potency or ejaculation, a Doppler study of blood vessels, an erectile function test and biothesiometry are performed.
6. Evaluation of examination results, prescription of treatment.

If necessary (for example, if an infection is suspected), the doctor may order laboratory tests and some other tests.

The examination is carried out in the most comfortable conditions for the patient: without pain, in the most comfortable position lying on the side.