Do you find yourself getting up several times during the night to go to the bathroom? It’s not serious, but it’s annoying. We take a look at the situation with Professor François Desgrandchamps, head of the urology department at Saint-Louis Hospital in Paris.
Getting up once or twice a night to go to the bathroom is annoying, but perfectly normal. Any more, and it’s starting to get irritating! Fortunately, there are solutions, explains Professor François Desgrandchamps.
“From the age of 50, about 80% of people get up once a night to urinate, and about 40% twice,” says Professor Desgrandchamps. “It’s not serious but it’s annoying.” Beyond that (or if getting up every night bothers you), there are a few measures you can take to limit this polyuria or nocturnal pollakiuria, as they are scientifically called.
Small or large volumes?
To determine the cause, and therefore the measures to take, this is the first question to ask. In general, you know if you get up to urinate a lot (polyuria) or very little (pollakiuria).
If you want to refine things, make a urination diary. “For 24 hours, from 8 a.m. to 8 a.m. the next morning, urinate into a measuring cup and measure the amount each time,” advises Professor Desgrandchamps. You can also use the free Mictionary app.
Small or large volumes?
To determine the cause, and therefore the measures to take, this is the first question to ask. In general, you know if you get up to urinate a lot (polyuria) or very little (pollakiuria).
If you want to refine things, make a urination diary. “For 24 hours, from 8 a.m. to 8 a.m. the next morning, urinate into a measuring cup and measure the amount each time,” advises Professor Desgrandchamps. You can also use the free app Mictionary.
Small volumes: an overactive bladder?
“If you urinate little at night (less than a third of your 24-hour total), it’s probably due to an overactive or oversensitive bladder,” says the specialist. Normally, the bladder sends a signal to the brain that it’s time to urinate when it’s full. But when it’s overactive, it sends this signal to the brain even if it’s partially empty.
Good habits: first, systematically take the time to completely empty your bladder each time you go to the bathroom. Then, impose a time limit between two trips to the bathroom and gradually extend it, day and night, to retrain your bladder, until you reach 3-4 hours between each trip. If you feel the urge beforehand, try to let the urge pass: think about something else (count backward from 100, do your math…), take 5 deep breaths. If that’s not enough, go to the bathroom, but at a calm pace.
Also work your perineum to tone your pelvic muscles. Finally, watch your diet (avoid coffee, tea, alcohol and sodas, and consume more fiber).
Large volumes: several possible causes
If you urinate a lot at night (more than a third of your 24-hour total), there could be several reasons. “If the volume is high throughout the day, reaching 2 liters or more in total, it may simply be that you are drinking too much,” warns Professor Desgrandchamps.
The right thing to do: in this case, and only in this case (no need to go thirsty during a heatwave!), reduce the amount of water you drink.
“A second possible cause is sleep apnea,” he says. “This condition causes the kidneys to secrete a hormone at night that forces them to work—and therefore eliminate the water they drink during the day.”
The right thing to do: consult your doctor, who will take the appropriate measures.
Last possible cause: a form of heart failure. The heart has difficulty pumping blood back up from the legs, and we feel heavy legs during the day… “In this case, at night, once we lie down, the blood rises more easily, and the kidneys do their filtering work, which they were unable to do during the day – and, as a result, we get up to urinate!” explains Professor Desgrandchamps.
The right reflex: a simple solution is to take 20 to 40 minutes at the end of the day to lie down with your feet elevated, or even raised against the wall. And you’ll urinate before going to sleep!
Finally, if your doctor has prescribed diuretics, remember to take them in the morning, and in any case never after 6 p.m. in the evening…
