Many adults have the occasional urge to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. About 69% of men and 76% of women over the age of 40 report going to the bathroom at least once per night.
Getting up once is not usually a cause for concern. Typically, the average person should be able to sleep at least six to eight hours without having to urinate. However, if you find you are going to the bathroom two times or more at night and having trouble getting back to sleep, you may have a condition called Nocturia.
What Is Nocturia?
Nocturia is an overnight need to urinate that wakes you from your sleep. It’s important to understand not a disease but a symptom of other conditions. While Nocturia may be more common in elderly people, it should not be dismissed as something that just happens because of “getting older.” It is treatable with simple lifestyle changes and/or help from your physician.
What Causes Nocturia?
There are many reasons why you may experience Nocturia. It’s possible your body produces too much urine, or your bladder isn’t big enough to hold it. In some cases, it’s both. Your daily habits can cause it, or it could be a more serious medical condition. Here are some of the behavioral and medical causes of Nocturia:
Personal Habits
Medical Conditions
Sometimes Nocturia is a result of a combination of behavioral and medical issues.
Treatment and Management of Nocturia
If you wake up to use the bathroom twice or more each night, here are some tips to try to manage it on your own:
If you’ve tried these and other self-management techniques and you still get up often, it’s time to see your doctor. You may have an underlying and more serious medical condition. To help your doctor with the diagnosis, consider keeping a bladder diary and note the frequency of nighttime urination as well as your diet, medications, and current sleep routine.
It’s always a good idea to consult your physician whether or not you believe you have a more serious medical issue. They can work with you to come up with the best possible treatment plan so you can have more restful nights.
More Resources
To learn more about Nocturia and other bladder conditions, the Urology Care Foundation (urologyhealth.org) and the National Association for Continence (nafc.org) are great resources for information.
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