Nocturia | Excessive Urination at Night

Nocturia or frequent urination at night is a condition in which a person needs to urinate frequently during the night. The patient feels the fullness of the urinary bladder and wakes up for going to the washroom. It may happen due to different medical or psychological reasons. The frequent changes in between the duration of urination gaps with the weather change cannot be labeled as Nocturia. Usually, the urine output increases during the winter season because of less sweating. Excessive urination due to decreased sweating is not a sign of Nocturia.

Causes of Nocturia or Excessive urination at night

There may be different causes of excessive urination at night. Some of the known causes are given in the subsequent bullet points; however, the right reason can be sought out with proper evaluation and laboratory investigation. A scan of the urinary and genital system can also be advised by the physician. A physician is a person who can give a better opinion about Nocturia.

·                     The enlargement of prostate glands is one of the common causes of excessive urination during the night.   

·                     Excessive caffeine intake also increases the urine output and causes frequent urination at night.

·                     Diabetic patients also feel the fullness of the bladder while asleep.

·                     Drinking plenty of fluids before sleeping also increases urine output but this condition is not included in Nocturia.

Complications caused by Nocturia

Nocturia is also a cause of sleep apnea. The numbers of cases with frequent urination at night have been reported between the ages of 55 to 84 years. In this age group, enlargement of prostate glands and diabetes suffer Nocturia. The symptoms also exist during the daytime but the sufferer may no notice. However, frequent awakening during the night makes the individual realize about abnormal urge to urinate. The major complication of Nocturia is sleep deprivation followed by other symptoms of sleep disorders. Disturbance in the sleep pattern affects different body systems causing sleep disorders related systems like anxiety and hypertension etc.

Treatment of Nocturia

The treatment is based on the cause of frequent urination at night. The concerned doctor must be consulted on immediate after developing the symptoms. In some cases, surgical intervention may be recommended for the diagnosed cases of enlarged prostate glands. Diabetic patients are treated with medications to control blood sugar levels. The controlled sugar level is helpful to minimize the effects of Nocturia. The treatment of other causes of Nocturia is symptomatic. Changing habits is helpful to overcome this problem.

Remedial measures to accommodate and live with Nocturia

Sleep deprivation is a very serious drawback of excessive urination at night. Some measures can reduce the effects of this health issue until proper diagnosis and treatment. The following remedial measures can be helpful to decrease the excessive urination at night.

·                     Avoid taking too much coffee or tea in the evening and night.

·                     Water is very important for good health and the basic need of life. The patients with frequent nocturnal urination should take more fluids in the early hours. Possibly stop drinking fluids two hours before going to bed.