Are you urinating a lot at night?
Waking during the night to urinate is called nocturia. It becomes more common with age, but repeatedly getting up isn’t something you should automatically dismiss as “just aging.”
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Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS
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Common causes
Drinking a lot of fluid in the evening, especially close to bedtime.
Caffeine or alcohol, which can increase urine production and/or irritate the bladder.
An enlarged prostate in men, which can interfere with completely emptying the bladder.
Overactive bladder or a urinary infection.
Diabetes, which can cause increased thirst and urination.
Swollen legs: fluid that accumulates during the day can return to the bloodstream when you lie down, increasing nighttime urine production.
Certain medications, particularly diuretics (“water pills”).
Sleep problems, including sleep apnea or simply waking for another reason and then deciding to urinate.
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Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS
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What you can do
Drink enough during the day, but avoid large amounts of fluid in the few hours before bed. Don’t deliberately dehydrate yourself.
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NIDDK
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Reduce coffee, tea, cola and alcohol, particularly in the evening.
If your ankles swell, elevating your legs during the day may help move excess fluid before bedtime.
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Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS
If you take a diuretic, don’t change the timing or stop it yourself. Ask your doctor or pharmacist whether its timing could be contributing.
Keep a bladder diary for several days, recording what you drink, when you urinate, and how often you wake at night. This can help identify the cause.
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When should you get checked?
If you’re regularly waking to urinate, particularly if this is new or worsening, discuss it with a healthcare professional. It may reveal a treatable bladder, prostate, metabolic, medication or sleep-related problem.
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NIDDK
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Get medical attention promptly if you have blood in your urine, painful urination, fever, significant abdominal/back pain, difficulty starting or maintaining urine flow, or inability to urinate.
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NIDDK
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Bottom line: One nighttime trip can be normal, especially with increasing age. Repeated nighttime urination that disrupts sleep is worth investigating rather than simply accepting as part of aging.
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