Urinating one to two times during the night is considered normal. However, more frequent urination at night can happen in old age. This impacts your sleep as a result other health complications may arise.
So, you need to really control your overactive bladder to get peaceful sleep. Frequent nighttime urination is called nocturia or nocturnal polyuria.
In addition there are many other conditions that can put your bladder on overdrive, but we will keep our focus on nocturia which is one of the most common causes of frequent urination at night in adults. You have a number of options including medical treatment and home remedies to reduce peeing frequencies at night.
What is Nocturia?
Nocturia is a frequent need to get up from your sleep during the night to urinate. It mainly occurs in older adults, but it can also happen in younger years in some cases. It affects both men and women.
Since you frequently get up in the night your sleep gets disturbed as a result other health complications may occur. It is therefore very important to find out the underlying cause of nocturia and treat them.
But before delving at the causes, let us first look at different types of nocturia.
Types of Frequent Urination at Night
Following are three main types of nocturia
Nocturnal polyuria - People with nocturnal polyuria tend to have overproduction of urine during the sleep as compared to production during the wake up stage during the day.
Low Bladder capacity - In this type of Nocturia your bladder can’t hold as much urine in the night as it can during the day.
Mixed Nocturia - This is a combination of both the above nocturnal problems.
What Causes Frequent Urination
While women can get Nocturia as a result of childbirth, menopause or pelvic organ prolapse, the men usually get it because of enlarged prostate.
Other than the anatomical causes nocturia can also be experienced due to lifestyle or behavioral reasons such as:
- Drinking too much water or other fluids before going to sleep
- Consuming Alcohol near bedtime
- Enjoying coffee or other Caffeinated drinks near bedtime
- Old age particularly people above the age of 65
- Constipation
- Certain medications such as diuretics
- Natural diuretic foods such as ginger, parsley and hibiscus
Other Causes of Overactive Bladder
Your bladder can go on overdrive because of many underlying health condition pushing you too frequently visit toilet for urination such as:
- Bladder infections
- Urinary Tract infections
- Diabetes
- Anxiety
- Pregnancy
- Sleep apnea
- Congestive Heart Failure
- Bladder instructions or tumors
- Intestinal cystitis
Habits of frequently waking up during the night can induce urges to urinate. So understand your nocturia and treat it accordingly. Some of the underlying conditions of overactive bladder may require proper medications, some may require surgery but most normal cases of nocturia can be treated with home remedies.
Home Remedies for Frequent Urination at Night - Stop Nocturia
If you have nocturia, then the following remedies will help.
1. Avoid Certain Foods to Stop Nocturia
A large variety of food items produce diuretic effects. Avoid them in your dinner time. They are
- Soups
- Spicy foods
- Citrus fruits such as lemons, oranges and grapefruits
- Cranberry juice
- Tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Melons
- Artificial sweeteners
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
Avoiding the above food items will reduce your frequency of urination at night.
2. Sesame Seeds to reduce Nighttime Urination
Sesame seeds and jaggery makes excellent natural remedy to control frequent urination. Take semi-solid form of jaggery for this purpose
- Take 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds
- Add 1 tablespoon of jaggery and mix well.
- Eat the mixture slowly by chewing well
- This should be your last food intake in the evening. Eat it 2-3 hours before going to bed.
3. Blackstrap Molasses
Constipation puts extra pressure on the bladder and causes frequent urination urges. Blackstrap molasses is an excellent food item for constipation relief which helps in Nocturia relief. Other following food items help to reduce constipation thereby reducing frequent nighttime urination.
- Apples
- Blackstrap Molasses
- Sweet potatoes
- Bananas
- Raspberries
- Cherries
- Brown rice
Anything else that helps reduce constipation will help nocturia.
4. White Vinegar for Nocturia
White vinegar helps in reducing frequent night urination
- Take half cup of slightly warm water
- Add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and mix well
- Drink it 2-3 hours before going to bed
5. Yogurt to stop frequent urination at night
Yogurt is probiotic. It helps balance bacteria in the gut. It also controls frequent urination caused by digestive issues. Use it with jaggery to treat your nocturia.
- Pour ½ cup of organic yogurt in your mixer blender
- Add 2 tablespoons of semi-solid jaggery
- Blend well
- Eat the yogurt jaggery mix
- Do it once daily
How to Prevent Frequent Night Time Urination?
Drinking enough fluid is important to remain hydrated and healthy. However if you have nocturia then you will have to change your lifestyle in a way that you have enough required throughout the day but you do not drink 3-4 hours before going to bed. The following behavioural changes will reduce frequent urination at night
- Control your weight. Excess weight puts extra pressure on your bladder
- Do not drink fluids before going to bed
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine
- Take your medication such as diuretics and other urination causing medicines during the day.
- Reduce consumption of salt which promotes fluid retention. Excess retained body fluids may induce frequent urination
- Learn to control your anxieties
If you wake up frequently during the night for urination, then follow above preventive and remedial actions. They will not only reduce your frequency of urination during the night but will improve your sleep and overall health.