Constantly need the toilet at night

[Drumstick38]

Does anybody else have this problem? I've had it on and off for a couple of years now.
In the hour that I'm going to bed (anywhere between 10pm and midnight) I can go to the toilet around 5 times. I'll go and then within a few minutes I can feel it creeping up on me again.

Always wake up in the night at least once too for the toilet.
I tried to watch a film last night but couldn't relax because of it.
I've already had a blood test for it at the Drs and they ruled out diabetes etc
Does anybody have any other ideas? Anything that could help alleviate it? It's really disturbing my sleep and so uncomfortable.
I'm 30 if that helps.

Also I don't drink any alcohol or caffeinated drinks, I try not to drink too much at night, but even if I have one small drink I'll be up and down to the toilet.

My dad had this problem for a while so went to the GP who ran a few tests. It turned out he was diabetic so it's worth goi g to GP. You might not have diabetes but it's good to rule it out.

I’m the same. I learnt that no matter how many times I go to the toilet before going to bed, I always need it again a few seconds after lying down - perhaps because lying horizontally allows just a tiny bit more wee to move into another part of the bladder system than being vertical does? Anyway, I’ve resigned myself to it and generally just make sure I avoid drinking too much water (or anything) after about 8pm.

I had one gin and tonic one evening last weekend and woke up twice through the night for the loo.

So no advice, just sympathy and solidarity.

I’m similar but slightly different that I will go for a wee before bed, once more before actually going to sleep, then I’m normally up about 3 times a night. Very frustrating.

The OP already said the GP ruled our diabetes. It’s literally in the first post.

Yes that's a good point, I did have tests for diabetes already but they came back negative, it's maybe a UTI so I'm going to try and get another test for that.

It might sound counterintuitive, but I find this is much worse for me when I don't drink much water. When I do drink more than 2.5l water a day, it seems at first that I spend all my time on the loo, then it tapers off.

I think it's because drinking more (water, almost anything else doesn't work) means that my urine is much more dilute and less likely to irritate my 'pipe work'.

@Permanentlygrumpy

My dad had this problem for a while so went to the GP who ran a few tests. It turned out he was diabetic so it's worth goi g to GP. You might not have diabetes but it's good to rule it out.

Did you read the...... oh forget it.

Sorry I skim read but if you test negative once it doesn't mean you can't test positive later on. Also worth checking out for kidley issues as well.

It can also just be a habit you get into too. As pp have said lying down does move urine about too. Worth checking that you aren’t irritating your bladder eg drinking lots of fizzy drinks which are acidic due to the carbon dioxide in them altering the ph of your urine.
There are medications you can take for overactive bladders too if it’s becoming a big problem.

I go a normal amount during the day, but usually have to go a few times during the night (I'm mid-forties), though interestingly when I'm staying somewhere where it's more of a faff I go less often (my toilet is right next to my bedroom and I live alone). I've come to the conclusion I'm just a light sleeper and my body will latch onto anything that disturbs my sleep to make an issue of it .

Yes! I used to have this, would lay down and then get up about 5 times to use the bathroom! I stopped drinking anything hot close to bedtime and this seemed to help. I do sometimes get up in the night for a wee, but nothing like I used to!

I've found that cutting out coffee after about 4pm has reduced my nocturnal peeing.

I had same a few years ago, I'm 57 and went to GP. She advised not to avoid drinking water to stop it... If your thirsty you need to drink!

Changed my own routine to good effect - because I can be up 6x a night too.

I now drink a pint of water in bed on waking, (gets the system going), then 2 litres of coffee/tea/liquid through the morning tailing off by 4 p.m. - and it has largely sorted me out.

When we lie down for bed don’t our internal organs shift to a degree (e.g. lungs shrink a little in bed - i.e. why asthma for example can be worse at nighttime?)....I am thinking that’s also why my bladder might be more active due to tissues giving up liquid perhaps.

Also being careful when I eat strawberries - they seem to cause a similar problem (TMI but after strawberries, 10 x wee stops in bushes on a recent walk!)

Assuming all other things are normal…. do your ankles swell up a bit in the day? (mine do a bit if I’m on my feet all day). That fluid redistributes into the vascular system overnight while you’re lying flat and if you are well hydrated when you go to bed then your kidneys will make more urine hence the need to wee.

I'm not sure if it's been said on here already but our kidneys work better when we are lying flat than they do when we are stood upright. I also struggle with frequent night time urination and it helps massively if I lie down on the couch for an hour before bed while watching TV. I don't drink for two or three hours before bed either. I have also found that using an electronic pelvic floor toner to really help too. Kegrl 8 is a pretty good brand.

Check interstitial cystitis. I have it, it's Hell!

Me too! I need a pee at least once a night, every night. I've been like that ever since I was a child.

The only thing that helps is less caffeine (I need to stop around 3-4pm) and no water after 8pm. I can drink other things (juice, milk) but plain water is guaranteed to keep me up!

I get it too. I think it's habit/anxiety, as soon as I get it into my head that I might need the loo, I need to get up and go or I can't get to sleep.

I'm similar (I'm 36).

I'm in bed by 10 most nights, and have a wee as the last thing I do.

It's very VERY rare that I don't wake up at all for a wee. Most nights it's at least once, and very often twice.

Luckily I fall back asleep again pretty much instantly, so I don't find it too disruptive.

So I have severe bladder problems including an overactive bladder and IC and have suffered from this issue severe.

I think a part of it is anxiety based. I'm guessing you don't really want to wake up at night to pee, especially not more than once, so you're getting up to prevent that. The thing is, that what you are actually doing by getting up so frequently to pee, is actually teaching your bladder that it should tell you even when it's got the smallest bit of urine in there.

What you need to do is to ignore it the best you can. Don't get up unless you've actually realistically got a FULL bladder. You're going to wake up anyway, so a bit of acceptance is needed. Eventually the urge will lessen and you'll be able to ignore it to fall asleep. Think of it as both bladder and sleep retraining.

If you don't do this there's a real possibility you'll end up with a full on overactive bladder.

And restricting fluids isn't always the best thing to do as it concentrates the urine which can irritate a sensitive bladder. Find a balance.

There are also a whole load of overactve bladder meds that exist out there. You could try buying some buscopan to see if that helps as it can work on the bladder, not just the bowel

Can be prolapse meaning your bladder doesn't empty properly.

@Drumstick38

Yes that's a good point, I did have tests for diabetes already but they came back negative, it's maybe a UTI so I'm going to try and get another test for that.

I must have the longest UTI in history then, as I have been like this for years. Long before having children. I am not diabetic either. I just have accepted that I am up and down to the toilet through the night most nights. I do have the odd night I sleep through 🎉💃 and don't need to pee.