Frequent urination at night: Major causes, treatments and preventive measures   

Frequent urination at night, medically termed nocturia or nocturnal polyuria, is a condition where you wake up more than once during the night to urinate. While the condition is more common among seniors, it can occur to anyone at any age.

Most people don’t wake up at night to urinate and sleep for 6-8 hours, but some people may need to pee more often during the night time. While it may be irritating, the good news is that certain treatments and lifestyle changes can help you get rid of the problem.

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How many times is normal to urinate at night?

If you wake up to pee 2 to 3 times a night or even more, then it’s not normal. (Photo via Pexels/Miriam Alonso)

If you wake up to pee 2-3 times a night or even more, it’s not normal.

It's important that you see a doctor immediately, as there can be underlying problems. If left untreated, the condition can exacerbate and cause serious health issues in the future.

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Frequent urination at night: What are the major causes?

Frequent urination can happen as a result of underlying health conditions, certain medications or lifestyle choices.

Medical conditions

Several medical problems can lead to frequent urination at night. While the common ones include a bladder infection or a urinary tract infection, other medical conditions like bladder prolapse, enlargement of prostate, overactive bladder, kidney infection, obstructive sleep apnea, multiple sclerosis and diabetes are also some common causes why you're peeing a lot at night.

It's important to note that an overactive bladder at night is also common in people with organ failure.

Medications

Certain medications like diuretics can also cause frequent urination at night as a side effect. Doctors generally prescribe these medications for high blood pressure, fluid retention, or heart failure.

If you take diuretics and frequently wake up to pee, you should seek medical care immediately.

Lifestyle choices

Drinking alcohol before bed can lead to overactive bladder at night. (Photo via Pexels/Charlotte May)

Lifestyle habits like drinking caffeinated beverages and alcohol can also lead to nighttime waking and frequent urination at night. These are diuretics that cause the body to produce more urine.

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What causes frequent urination in females at night?

In females, particularly, frequent urination at night is a common symptom of pregnancy.

It can happen during the initial days of pregnancy and can increase later when the fetus grows and causes the womb to press against the bladder.

Nocturia in females can also happen due to certain medications and lifestyle choices as discussed above.

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How to stop frequent urination at night?

Treatment for frequent urination at night can include certain medications, including diuretics, anticholinergics and desmopressin.

While diuretic medications like lasix and bumex can help in controlling how much urine you produce, anticholinergics like mirabegron and detrol can reduce symptoms of overactive bladder. Desmopressin, meanwhile, can assist the kidneys in producing less pee.

However, before taking any medication, you should always consult your doctor about what options will work best for you. That's especially important if you're already on any kind of medication.

Apart from medications, treating underlying causes can also help manage frequent urination at night. For example, if you have UTI, you may need medications to treat that condition. If you're pregnant, though, you may need to avoid medications and look for some home remedies as suggested by your doctor.

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Preventive tips

While medications and all can help manage your condition, there are preventive steps you can take to reduce its impact on your daily life. These include:

• reducing amount of water or other liquids you drink before going to bed
• avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed
• avoiding some bladder irritant foods, like acidic foods, chocolate, artificial sweeteners and spicy foods
• practicing kegel exercises to improve bladder control and strengthen pelvic muscles

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Avoid caffeine before bed. (Photo via Pexels/Engin Akyurt)

It's important that you pay attention to what triggers frequent urination at night and exacerbate your symptoms. Knowing that can help you manage your habits and activities accordingly.

Remember that nocturia is a treatable condition, so talk to your doctor if you find yourself waking up 2-3 times or more at night to pee. Your doctor might run some tests to determine the underlying cause.