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Waking in the night to go to the bathroom can be frustrating, particularly if it leaves you tossing and turning for hours afterwards. Whether it happens once or several times a night, disrupted sleep can significantly impact health and how well you feel the next day.
Luckily, there are several things you can do to help avoid nighttime bathroom trips and enjoy better sleep.
We’ve partnered with bladder healthcare company, Jude, to bring you eight expert tips to avoid nighttime bathroom trips. Jude’s mission is to shatter taboos around bladder health, helping people reclaim control and confidence, and empowering them through open conversations.
Rest Less members can enjoy 25% off of Jude’s science-backed supplements, designed to nourish the pelvic floor using code LESS25.
Do I have nocturia?
Getting up to pee during the night is common. However, if you’re waking up two or more times, according to Jude, you may have nocturia, which is an overactive bladder at night. It can affect anyone, but it’s most common in later life.
According to research, around 42% of women and 59% of men over 60 wake up once or twice during the night to pee. However, while a weakened bladder is often considered a normal part of ageing, conditions like nocturia don’t have to be permanent.
Whether you’re struggling with nighttime pees every so often or suspect you may have nocturia, there are several things that can help.
8 expert tips to avoid nighttime pees
1. Raise your legs in the evening
Spending a lot of time on your feet can cause fluid to pool in the feet, ankles, and lower legs. If not drained properly, this fluid gets reabsorbed into your system when you lie down at night, causing your kidneys to respond by producing more urine.
According to experts at Jude, this type of fluid retention can be a hidden cause of nighttime pees for many people.
To help, they suggest elevating your legs for 30-60 minutes during the early evening. This can be as simple as resting them on a cushion while reading or watching TV. Wearing compression stockings during the day, particularly if you notice swelling in your legs, can also help to prevent fluid build-up.
2. Be mindful of bladder irritants
Diet plays a central role in our bladder health, and there are several irritants worth avoiding if you struggle with an overactive bladder.
Common culprits include caffeine, alcohol, and fizzy drinks. Many of these also serve as diuretics, meaning they increase how often you need to pee and how urgently. More generally, these drinks are also known to disrupt sleep and can further increase your chances of waking during the night. Other research suggests that tomatoes, spicy food, and citrus fruit like oranges and grapefruits can act as irritants, particularly for those with already sensitive bladders.
Limiting your intake of these foods and drinks can help reduce nighttime bathroom trips, or at least help identify symptom triggers. If an evening cuppa is the highlight of your day, don’t worry – there are plenty of alternatives to try. Herbal teas like chamomile or peppermint (which tend to be bladder-friendly) or a glass of warm milk can be soothing and less disruptive, while still offering that cosy feeling.
Because symptoms and triggers can vary from person to person, it can be helpful to keep a bladder diary to track your symptoms.
3. Consider taking bladder health supplements
While some foods and drinks can cause irritation, other nutrients have been linked with better bladder health, helping to improve function and reduce the risk of things like overactive bladder.
A great way to increase your intake of these nutrients and support your bladder is with Jude’s Bladder Health Supplements, which contain science-backed natural ingredients to support your bladder’s natural rhythm.
The Jude formulation includes a 20x concentrated pumpkin seed extract and soy germ extract, carefully selected to contribute to normal bladder function and tissue health. Pumpkin seeds are packed with protein, fibre, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, omega-6, and vitamins A, B, and C…to name a few. These are the nutrients our bladders need to feel safe and secure.
Meanwhile, soy germ extract contains phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are plant-based chemicals that have similar effects to oestrogen, which plays a central role in bladder, pelvic floor, and urinary tract health.
Oestrogen levels naturally drop with age, causing the bladder and pelvic floor to weaken, but the oestrogen-like effects of soy germ extract can help to combat this.
Backed by cutting-edge research and developed with leading nutrition and women’s health experts, Jude’s Bladder Health Supplements are game changing: 95% of women who’ve tried it said they’d continue taking it beyond 12 weeks. Trusted by over 150,000 women across the UK, Jude’s supplements are vegan, gluten-free, and made in the UK.
4. Avoid going for ‘just in case’ pees
Many of us go for ‘just in case’ pees before we sleep, even if we’ve only recently been to the toilet. However, while this might seem like a harmless habit and a way to reduce the risk of nighttime bathroom trips, experts say that unnecessary toilet trips can confuse the bladder.
If it becomes a daily habit, for example, just in case pees can train the bladder to empty at lower volumes and reduce its capacity – increasing your risk of developing an overactive bladder. For this reason, it can be helpful to wait to go to the toilet until just before you sleep.
That said, it’s important not to make a habit of resisting the urge to pee when you actually need to go. Not only can this be uncomfortable, but holding in your pee too often has also been found to weaken the bladder and pelvic floor over time. It can also make you more susceptible to urinary tract infections.
Note: The process of holding in pee is sometimes used to retrain the bladder if you have incontinence, but this should only be done under the supervision of a doctor or pelvic floor specialist.
5. Consider setting a fluid curfew
It’s completely normal to feel thirsty in the evening, particularly if the weather’s warm or you’ve had a busy day. However, if you’re waking up regularly to pee, you might want to consider reducing how much you drink in the two to three hours before bed.
This doesn’t have to mean being hydrated, but it’s an opportunity for your bladder to settle down before sleep. To make sure you’re drinking the recommended six to eight cups of fluid a day, it can be helpful to focus on getting most of your daily fluids in earlier in the day.
If you feel thirsty in the evening, experts recommend small sips rather than gulping large glasses of fluid. If you enjoy structure, setting yourself a gentle ‘fluid curfew’, for example, 7:30pm, can be a helpful tool.
6. Make lighter meals and keep an eye on your salt intake
Eating large, heavy meals in the evening can impact how well we sleep. And surprisingly, experts say it can impact our bladder, too.
It’s particularly worth avoiding salty foods because these increase thirst, leading us to drink more in the hours before sleeping. Experts at Jude recommend eating a balanced evening meal that isn’t overly rich or salty, and to try to finish eating at least two hours before going to sleep.
Building meals around lean protein, fibre, and vegetables can help you to feel satisfied without feeling overly full, supporting better overall sleep.
7. Establish a consistent nighttime routine
Building a consistent bedtime routine doesn’t only benefit our energy levels. We know from research that getting enough good quality sleep is essential for overall health, including bladder health and function.
Having a consistent nighttime routine has been linked with better sleep quality, partly because it allows time to unwind and relax, particularly after a busy or stressful day, and signals to the whole body that it’s time to slow down and switch off.
If you struggle to wind down before bed, things like reducing screen time and enjoying relaxing activities like reading, gentle stretches, deep breathing, and taking a warm bath, can help. It’s also worth considering whether your bedroom environment promotes good quality sleep.
8. Take steps to lose excess weight
Carrying excess weight places pressure on the bladder on pelvic floor muscles and is often linked with causing or worsening conditions like urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, and nocturia.
As a result, taking steps to lose excess weight can make all the difference when it comes to bladder health. Research suggests that being a healthy weight can reduce abdominal pressure and incontinence by up to 30%.
Head over to our fitness and exercise and diet and nutrition sections for healthy lifestyle tips if you’d like to get started.
Final thoughts…
Nighttime bathroom trips can be difficult to manage, particularly if they impact your sleep. Luckily, there are several ways to help improve your bladder health and avoid nighttime trips to the bathroom.
For more bladder care and support, head over to Jude’s website. They offer a range of products to help manage bladder symptoms, including their Bladder Health Supplements, as well as specialised underwear, pads, and liners.
Rest Less members can enjoy 25% off of Jude’s science-backed supplements, designed to nourish the pelvic floor using code LESS25.