Who is healthier, people with nocturia or those without nocturia?

When I was young, I could sleep through the night, but I don’t know since when, I always have to wake up several times at night, making it difficult for me to sleep well the whole night.

Some people say that nocturia is a sign of aging and is normal. Others think that nocturia is normal and that nocturia is a sign of poor kidney function. So is nocturia normal or is it normal to not have nocturia? Let's talk about this today~

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Nocturia vs. Nocturia

Nocturia, as the name suggests, means urinating at night, which refers to the phenomenon of getting up to urinate during sleep at night .

No nocturia may mean that the kidneys have a stronger filtering function, produce less urine, or drink less water at night. Nocturia means that you drink more water at night or your kidneys have a weaker ability to absorb water.

Normal frequency of nocturia and no nocturia both represent health to a certain extent. The key is to find a lifestyle and water intake that suits you so that the frequency of nocturia remains within a normal range.

However, if you urinate too frequently at night, it may indicate a health problem. If necessary, it is recommended to go to the hospital for examination.

Frequent urination at night may be caused by drinking too much water before bedtime, frequent urination, enuresis, diabetes, diabetes insipidus, prostatic hyperplasia, reduced bladder capacity, abnormal bladder muscle contraction function, side effects of diuretics, additional negative emotions or psychological pressure, etc.
Therefore, frequent nocturia is not an independent disease, but may be a symptom caused by multiple factors. For normal people, frequent nocturia not only affects sleep, but also affects the quality of life. For the elderly, frequent nocturia can easily lead to falls, fractures, and even cardiovascular diseases.

How much urination at night is normal?

As for the normal range of nocturia, it varies from person to person, but generally speaking, it is normal for adults to urinate no more than 2 times a night. If the number of nocturia exceeds 2 times , it will generally affect the quality of sleep . If this happens for a long time, it may indicate a problem with your health.

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In 2002, the International Continence Society defined nocturia as patients waking up to urinate ≥1 time at night due to the urge to urinate . The consensus of experts in China recommends urinating ≥2 times per night as the criterion for nocturia. Generally speaking, 0 to 1 nocturia is normal for young people , but 0 to 2 times is also within the normal range for the elderly .

The prevalence of nocturia increases with age. Domestic research results show that 57.5% of people over 18 urinate ≥1 time at night, and 24.7% ≥2 times. Old age, high BMI, smoking, hypertension and diabetes are high-risk factors for nocturia . Excessive nocturia, especially short sleep time from falling asleep to the first urination, has a significant impact on the quality of life.

Different degrees of nocturia have different effects on the patient's quality of life and health. Of course, the frequency of nocturia may also be affected by factors such as water intake and living habits, so when judging whether it is normal, it is necessary to comprehensively consider the individual's actual situation.

For the treatment of nocturia, you first need to identify the cause, keep a urination diary (what time do you urinate every day, and how many milliliters), and go to the hospital in time if necessary. Different treatments are used for different causes. If you are worried about the abnormal frequency of nocturia, you can try to adjust your lifestyle, such as reducing the amount of water you drink at night and avoiding irritating drinks, to reduce the frequency of nocturia .

What are the dangers of waking up frequently at night?

Excessive nocturia, or frequent urination at night, can have a certain impact on the body and daily life, especially for the elderly. Here are some of the dangers of frequent urination at night:

① Impact on sleep quality: Frequent waking up at night will lead to sleep interruption, seriously affecting sleep quality, thus affecting the next day's mental state and work efficiency.

② Increased risk of cardiovascular disease: Frequent waking up at night can easily lead to postural hypotension in the elderly, posing a risk of cardiovascular accidents, and some may accidentally fall and cause multiple fractures.

③ Increased burden on kidneys: Frequent waking up at night may mean increased burden on kidneys, which may lead to damage to kidney function in the long run.

④ Urinary tract infection: Frequently getting up at night to go to the toilet will cause the urinary tract to be open for a long time, which can easily lead to urinary tract infection.

⑤ Osteoporosis: Getting up multiple times at night will affect the absorption of calcium, which may lead to osteoporosis in the long run and easily cause fractures.

⑥ Decreased quality of life: Frequent waking up at night will affect daily life, such as social activities, travel, etc., and bring many inconveniences to life.

⑦ Mood swings: Frequent waking up at night may lead to obvious mood swings, such as anxiety, depression, irritability, etc.

⑧ Hormone disorders: Excessive urine discharge at night may affect hormonal balance and lead to endocrine disorders.

For male friends, frequent waking up at night is often a precursor to prostate disease. To alleviate the problem of frequent waking up at night, first go to a regular hospital to check whether there are diseases such as prostate hyperplasia and chronic prostatitis, do a urinary system B-ultrasound and urine routine to rule out the possibility of urinary tract infection, and at the same time check whether there is a problem of prostate enlargement.

How to relieve frequent waking up at night?

Frequent waking up at night affects the quality of sleep and life, seriously hindering our daily work and life the next day, which is quite distressing. The following tips can help you alleviate the problem of frequent waking up at night:

① Adjust your drinking habits: Avoid drinking too much water, tea, coffee, juice and other beverages at night, especially before going to bed. Reducing water intake can help reduce nighttime urine output.

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② Quit drinking: Alcohol and beverages increase urine production. Controlling the amount of alcohol you drink can help relieve frequent waking up at night.

③ Regular work and rest: Maintain a regular work and rest time and ensure adequate sleep. Developing good work and rest habits will help regulate body functions and reduce the number of times you get up at night.

④ Healthy diet: Maintain a balanced diet, eat more vegetables and fruits, and eat less salty and sugary foods. High-salt foods can cause edema, which in turn affects urine discharge.

⑤ Exercise: Proper exercise can help enhance kidney function and reduce the frequency of nocturia. For example, light exercise such as walking and Tai Chi can help improve kidney function.

⑥ Control your emotions: Maintain a good attitude and avoid negative emotions such as anxiety and depression. Mood swings and insomnia may lead to increased urine output at night, which in turn affects the number of times you get up at night.

In short, nocturia may seem like a minor problem, but it can actually cause multiple damages to the human urogenital system, cardiovascular system, etc. Therefore, if you have frequent nocturia for a long time, it is recommended to seek help from a urologist and receive appropriate symptomatic treatment according to the doctor's advice.

Planning and production

Author: Wu Zhigang, deputy chief physician of the Urology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University

Review丨Xiao Yongshuang, deputy chief physician of urology department, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University

Planning丨Yinuo

Editor: Yinuo