Frequent Urination at Night...or if you prefer...needing to wee a lot when you'd rather be asleep. Frequent night urination is a common problem. No, I'm not being judgemental.
It's most notable at night (nocturia), just when you've got yourself all comfy and snug and you're dreaming about chocolate...
Bladder bells! You can't believe it. Not again!
Frequent Urination CausesWell, it usually means you've got too much sugar swishing around in your blood.
Kidneys absorb excess sugar, but they can only cope with so much...poor little beany organs. When they've reached their quota, the extra sugar passes through their little tubules... Quick digression: You remember school, don't ya? Biology. Ah. Do you remember scribbling love hearts on the back of your exercise book? Or maybe you were just getting the hang of drawing those big block letters that looked great if you shaded around the edges. Ok, I know you were busy, but that bod at the front with a daft beard and corduroy jacket--Missus What's-her-name--was banging on about something or other. Remember?
OSMOSIS
For a detailed explanation of osmosis, you can root out your old text books, ask a teenager or visit THIS PAGE. But, basically:
Buckets of water flood to the kidneys, helpless against the powerful lure of all this concentrated sugar solution. This water then slooshes into your bladder until it feels ready to burst and...
Ding ding
Time to shift out of bed and visit the loo...again!
As you know, frequent urination at night leaves you feeling pretty lousy. You're probably thirsty, starving and tired!
Sometimes, it's tempting to think you'll be ok if you just avoid that last drink before bed.
Wrong.
If your sugars are high, you'll produce impressive quantities of urine whether or not you take a drink.
Avoid dehydration. Take some water to bed with you. I prefer to use a bottle or a glass, but you're free to choose any type of container you like. If you're thirsty, have a swig. Your bladder won't even notice the difference.
Dried FruitHave you heard about the benefits of DRIED FRUITS? Well, scientists have studied their effects and reckon you can reduce the frequency of loo visits.So, how do you do it? Ok, perhaps you could thread them with string to make a tourniquet or pad out a pair of rubber pants with sultanas, but I hear the most effective method is this:
Nobody's sure how it works, but--going back to osmosis--a guess is that the dried fruit sucks water to itself, alieviating the symptoms. Worth a try, but don't eat too many! Dried fruit contains concentrated sugar (slow release, mind).
SnoringOk, I know you don't snore, but anybody's snoring will do. If something or someone wakes you during the night, you're more likely to need a wee. So, quick tips for the snorer:
A look on the bright side, if I may...
I think frequent toilet visits compare more favourably to the alternative:
So much extra work involved.
Anyway, if you wanna overcome the problem of frequent urination at night, get your sugars sorted. If you have a Diabetes Specialist Nurse at your local medical centre, make good use her/him/it. They just love talking about wee.
finished with frequent urination at night, go back to symptoms :)
|
