How to Treat an Overactive Bladder at Night

If you’re having trouble sleeping because you keep needing to go to the bathroom, you’re not alone. An overactive bladder (OAB) at night, also called nocturia, can be really frustrating. But here’s the good news—there are ways to treat and manage it so you can sleep better. Please continue reading to learn how to treat it.

What Is an Overactive Bladder at Night?

When you have an overactive bladder, your body makes you feel like you need to pee more often than usual, even if your bladder isn’t full. At night, this can be especially annoying. Imagine trying to sleep but feeling like you need to go to the bathroom over and over again. That’s what happens with OAB at night. While it’s common in older adults, anyone can be affected. According to the National Association for Continence, about one in three adults over 30 needs to get up to use the bathroom at least two times each night.

Why Does an Overactive Bladder Happen at Night?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, an overactive bladder at night can be caused by:

  • Dietary Factors: Things like caffeine, alcohol, or spicy foods can irritate the bladder and make you need to pee more often, especially at night.
  • Age-Related Changes: As people get older, the bladder muscles get weaker, and the body makes less of a hormone that helps concentrate urine.
  • Medical Conditions: Conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, restless legs syndrome, edema, prostate, or kidney problems can cause frequent urination at night.
  • Diuretics or water pills.

How You Can Treat an Overactive Bladder at Night

Now, let’s get into the treatment options. Whether it’s changing your habits, using medications, or trying natural remedies, there are steps you can take to reduce those nighttime bathroom trips.

1. Adjust Your Drinking Habits

Adjusting how much you drink and when you drink is often the first way to treat OAB.

  • Limit Evening Drinks: Try to drink less in the two to four hours before bedtime.
  • Skip Irritants: Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and fizzy drinks in the evening because they can make your bladder more active.
  • Stay Hydrated During the Day: Make sure you drink enough water during the day so you don’t need to catch up at night.

2. Bladder Training

Bladder training means slowly increasing the time between bathroom visits. The goal is to help your bladder hold more urine for longer.

  • Scheduled Bathroom Visits: Try to pee at set times, and gradually increase the time between each trip.
  • Practice Waiting: If you feel like you need to pee, try waiting a few minutes before going to the bathroom. This can help your bladder hold more.

3. Pelvic Floor Exercises

Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles can help you reduce how often you need to pee at night.

  • Kegel Exercises: Kegels are exercises where you squeeze and hold your pelvic floor muscles. Doing these regularly can improve bladder control and help with OAB.

4. Medications Might Help

If lifestyle changes don’t help enough, there are medications that can calm an overactive bladder. Talk to your doctor about these options.

  • Anticholinergic Drugs: These can help relax the bladder muscles, making you need to pee less often.
  • Desmopressin: This medicine helps reduce how much urine your body makes at night, so you can sleep without getting up too much.

5. Behavioral Therapy

Behavioral therapy, including relaxation techniques like deep breathing exercises, can help if stress or anxiety is making your OAB worse. Managing stress can make a big difference.

  • Deep Breathing Exercises: Taking slow, deep breaths can help calm your body and reduce the feeling of urgency. Practice deep breathing for a few minutes before bed to help relax.

6. Keep a Healthy Weight

Extra weight can put more pressure on the bladder, which makes OAB worse. Losing weight, if needed, may help relieve some of the pressure and reduce symptoms at night.

7. Change Your Sleep Environment

Sometimes changing your sleeping habits or environment can help a lot. Make sure your bedroom is comfortable for sleeping—this can help if you wake up because of OAB.

  • Elevate Your Legs: If your legs swell and this contributes to OAB, try elevating them in the evening before bed. This helps fluid drain and can reduce the need to pee at night.
  • Try Different Sleep Positions: Experiment with sleep positions that put less pressure on your bladder.

8. Diet Changes Can Help

Some foods can irritate your bladder and make you need to pee more often. Try avoiding these:

  • Acidic Fruits: Like oranges, lemons, and other citrus fruits.
  • Spicy Foods: These can irritate your bladder.
  • Artificial Sweeteners: These can also make the bladder more active for some people.

Instead, try bladder-friendly foods like bananas, pears, and oatmeal.

Natural Remedies for Overactive Bladder at Night

If you prefer natural treatments, some herbal supplements may help with OAB symptoms. Keep in mind that scientific proof for these remedies is limited, and you should always talk to your doctor before trying them.

  • Pumpkin Seed Extract: Some studies suggest pumpkin seeds can help with urinary health.
  • Magnesium: Magnesium may help relieve bladder muscle spasms and reduce trips to the bathroom.
  • Corn Silk: Often used in traditional remedies, corn silk may help calm the urinary tract and support bladder health.

When to See a Doctor About Overactive Bladder at Night

If you’ve tried to manage your overactive bladder on your own without success, or if the symptoms are really affecting your quality of life, it’s time to see a doctor. A doctor can figure out if there is an underlying condition causing your symptoms and suggest a treatment plan that works for you.

If you have pain, blood in your urine, or other symptoms like a fever, you should see your doctor right away. These could be signs of a more serious problem that needs medical help.

The Takeaway

An overactive bladder at night can be really frustrating, but there are many ways to reduce the symptoms and get back to better sleep. Changing your lifestyle, doing pelvic floor exercises, and trying medications or natural remedies can all help. You don’t have to deal with it alone—help is available, talk with your doctor.

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