Nocturia: Frequent nighttime urination? Pay attention, your bladder is trying to tell you something

Neglecting nocturia can pose several health risks, including chronic sleep disruption that worsens insomnia and other sleep disorders (Image: Canva)

Nocturia is a condition where people wake up multiple times during the night to urinate, disrupting their sleep. While it can affect anyone, it is more common as you age. It impacts sleep quality and daily life, causing daytime fatigue, reduced productivity, and affecting mood and cognitive function. Unlike bedwetting, which is involuntary, nocturia involves waking up intentionally due to the need to urinate.

The basic problem of nocturia is that it disturbs sleep and thereby affects the quality of life in the day, says Dr Ajay S Shetty, Lead consultant, Urology renal transplantation & Robotics surgeon, Manipal Hospital, Yeshwanthpur and Hebbal. “Multiple factors contribute to Nocturia, each disrupting sleep patterns and leading to increased nighttime urination. These include prostate enlargement in older men, medical conditions like diabetes and hypertension leading to excessive urine production, sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea, late fluid intake, reduced bladder capacity, and lower limb edema causing fluid retention,” he adds.

Risks involved:

Neglecting nocturia can pose several health risks, including chronic sleep disruption that worsens insomnia and other sleep disorders. It also increases the risk of falls, particularly among elderly individuals who wake up frequently at night. “Persistent sleep deprivation can contribute to anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline. Moreover, untreated nocturia may exacerbate underlying conditions such as heart failure or diabetes if left unmanaged,” says Dr Shetty and suggests precautionary measures.

Here is how you can manage the risks associated with Nocturia:

Reduce fluid intake: Limit taking fluids, especially caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, in the hours leading up to bedtime. Caffeine and alcohol are diuretics that increase urine production, contributing to nocturia. As drinking coffee or alcohol close to bedtime can lead to more frequent trips to the bathroom during the night.

Empty the bladder: Empty your bladder one or two times before going to sleep to minimise nighttime urination. This helps reduce the amount of urine stored in the bladder overnight, decreasing the need to wake up to urinate. Ensuring a routine of emptying the bladder before bed can help manage nocturia symptoms.

Avoid compression stocking: Avoid wearing compression stockings during the day to reduce lower limb fluid retention, which can contribute to nocturia. Compression stockings are often used to manage swelling, but wearing them throughout the day may lead to fluid accumulation in the legs, increasing nighttime urine production.

Consult your doctor: If prostate enlargement contributes to nocturia, consult a doctor about appropriate medications. It may help relax the muscles in the prostate and bladder neck, improving urine flow and reducing nocturia episodes in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Manage sleep disorder: Treat underlying sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea to improve sleep quality and reduce nocturia episodes. Obstructive sleep apnea causes interruptions in breathing during sleep, leading to fragmented sleep and nocturia. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is commonly used to manage obstructive sleep apnea and may fight nocturia symptoms.