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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What is this can’t sleep, constant wees thing?!

34 replies

MyDogsPaws · 31/12/2023 00:56

Sorry that’s such a strange title but no idea what else to call it and also sorry it’s not an aibu by any stretch of the imagination but I need to know of this happens to anyone else and what it is!

Occasionally I have a night where I just constantly need to wee and it keeps me awake all night. It’s been happening since I was a child and my mum used to tell me I’d ‘caught a chill’ but I’ve never heard anyone else saying they have suffered from this, although I think it does happen when it’s cold. But how can that make me need constant wees? It’s not little wees either but proper ones (I’m sorry for all the ‘wee’ details)z. I’ve not had anything to drink other than a small mug of hot water at 7pm so it’s not because I’ve been drinking a lot either. Why does this happen to me? I just want to sleep!

OP posts:
Original poster
MyDogsPaws · 31/12/2023 00:57

Should add it’s definitely not a uti, I’ve had a couple of those in my time and this is completely different!

OP posts:
TitusMoan · 31/12/2023 00:58

Following as I’m desperate to find a solution for the exact same issue!

Allfortheloveofabiscuit · 31/12/2023 00:58

For me it is one of the symptoms of my endometriosis

Artinsurance · 31/12/2023 00:59

I sometimes find it happens when I eat pasta or rice, which have a high water content, but I think there can be other foodstuffs which are known to irritate bladders (but I don’t know off the top of my head). It is very frustrating though, so my sympathies.

steff13 · 31/12/2023 01:00

Blood sugar issues?

clopper · 31/12/2023 01:00

Same for me but I have a pathetic weak pelvic floor and now I also take blood pressure medication which I think has made it worse. I would love to have a full nights sleep with no wees!

I do wonder about blood sugar and also I have regular UTI. My bladder hasn’t been right since giving birth 33 years ago. I have had a tvt fitted and that hasn’t helped in fact it may be the cause of my troubles as well!

Original poster
MyDogsPaws · 31/12/2023 01:01

ifs it was a bladder issue I’d expect it to be just little wees like when I have a UTI, but when this happens I constantly have an actual full bladder even though I’ve not drunk anything.. I can’t even imagine where it all comes from!

OP posts:
Æthelfled · 31/12/2023 01:02

For me it's part of my PMS, the 2 days before I'm due on and the first 2 days of my period I pee out all the water I retain during the rest of the month. By the end of my period I'm typically 7lbs lighter through water loss.

Original poster
MyDogsPaws · 31/12/2023 01:03

@steff13 I have wondered about blood sugar but why only at night? Surely this would happen all day if that was the case!

OP posts:
Artinsurance · 31/12/2023 01:04

Another thought, are you peri menopausal? In a conversation that I had with my GP, she suggested that vaginal atrophy can be linked to bladder problems and estrogen cream can sometimes help in those circumstances. Clearly that wasn’t the issue when you were younger, but perhaps now?

Original poster
MyDogsPaws · 31/12/2023 01:06

@Æthelfled yes that could maybe make sense although it’s not related to my period I don’t think, but maybe it’s to do with changes of where water is being stored in my body. Wish it would sort it out during the day though!

OP posts:
brainworms · 31/12/2023 01:06

This happened to me when I hit perimenopause. Four or five times a night for half a fucking spoonful honestly. Made me feel like my bladder was full but it wasn't even close

clopper · 31/12/2023 01:06

Interesting about vaginal atrophy, hadn’t thought about that. Wish I could speak to a doctor specialising in this type of thing.

Original poster
MyDogsPaws · 31/12/2023 01:08

I’ve had it my entire life every so often, which makes me think it’s not related to hormones.

OP posts:
Spacerader · 31/12/2023 01:10

This happens to me. Drove me insane for many many years. Until last year when I discovered a range of allergies, gave it all all up and many symptoms that i had for years disappeared, including constantly needing to wee at night.

Turns out the food I was allergic to would irritate my bladder, and at night this was more noticeable. I would be up and down all the time, sometimes it would stop me sleeping. Now it's completely gone, and only hapoend if eat things I'm allergic to. (My biggest triggers are corn and barely)

So could be worth keeping a food diary?

Original poster
MyDogsPaws · 31/12/2023 01:12

@Spacerader that’s interesting, I’ll definitely start keeping a note of what I’ve been eating when this happens to see if there any links.

OP posts:
Achillo · 31/12/2023 01:18

Could definitely be related to food intolerance/ allergy if is isn't every night. The body does a huge histamine release at night which you learn about if you have allergy issues (such as MCAS, mast cell activation disorder) so related body areas can be affected. I wake up with urticaria sometimes from this.
A food diary would be a great start.

Catsmere · 31/12/2023 01:21

I get nights like that. Post menopausal and no chance it's a UTI. I am drinking more water now, because I'm dehydrated and my kidneys are starting to suffer, but it happened on occasion anyway.

TheShellBeach · 31/12/2023 01:24

Eating too much carbohydrate can cause your body to try to excrete it via the urinary system.

AutumnFroglets · 31/12/2023 01:24

I've been the same. The menopause brings a regular midsleep wee but every now and then I get a 5-nighter wees session where they are all "worthwhile getting up for" and I end up on 3 hours sleep. I think my mum said they were down to kidney chills too 😯

mumtoboys12 · 31/12/2023 01:29

I have this- prolapse!

imnotsickbutimnotwell · 31/12/2023 01:30

I had this as a side effect of anxiety medication

LonelynSad · 31/12/2023 01:36

Reading this as I'm having my 7th wee of the night. It's 01:36 😑

KnowledgeableMomma · 31/12/2023 02:35

This is a known phenomenon and is typically linked to heart health. It is most often noticed when someone comes into the Sleep lab for sleep apnea (where I work).

When you are upright during the day, your veins have to work against gravity to return fluid to the heart and kidneys. Most bodies are able to compensate for this. But for some, as soon as you lie down, now gravity is less of a factor (no pumping uphill) and all the excess fluid your kidneys should have been getting rid of, now returns in full force. We typically see this in people whose ejection fraction (efficiency of the heart) is lowering.

It is also common with diabetes. The first question would be, do you notice swelling ankles, feet, or fingers on the days/nights when you run to the bathroom a lot? Are you currently diagnosed with diabetes? And lastly, how frequently does it occur at night for you?

JingleSnowmanTree · 31/12/2023 02:46

@MyDogsPaws I'm diabetic & get this when I'm eating too many carbs. I forget the actual process, but your body does different things at night than it does during the day. It's a definite signal that I need to stop being a carby twat. I'd get your HbA1c tested.