It can be a Major annoyance when your uninterrupted sleep is disturbed by the urge to urinate, forcing you to make frequent trips to the bathroom. This should not be normalised. Frequent nighttime urination, medically known as nocturia, should not always be dismissed as an inevitable part of ageing, as it may sometimes point to an underlying health condition. ALSO READ: Ankles swelling in the evening? Urologist explains why it may signal kidney problems
Dr Aditya K Sharma, Director and head of department – urology, uro-oncology and kidney transplant at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Lucknow, cautioned that, particularly in men, frequent nighttime urination may be associated with a prostate problem, such as an enlarged prostate.
As men age, the prostate gland may gradually increase in size. Dr Sharma called this condition, known as benign prostatic hyperplasia BPH), non-cancerous, but it can affect urination by obstructing the normal flow of urine.
Dr Sharma explained, “When an enlarged prostate partially blocks the urethra, the bladder may need to work harder to empty itself. Over time, this can contribute to increased urinary frequency and urgency. A man may wake up several times at night even when he has not consumed excessive amounts of fluid."
So obstruction can place stress on the bladder and make the urge to urinate occur more frequently. Because of this, people may wake up several times during the night to use the bathroom, even if he has not drunk too much water before bed.
Prostate-related urinary problems generally do not appear as nocturia alone. Other possible signs, as per the expert, include:
The doctor clarified, denying that nocturia can have several causes besides an enlarged prostate. These may include excessive fluid consumption in the evening, caffeine, alcohol, an overactive bladder, urinary tract infections, diabetes, certain medications, and increased urine production at night.
He added, “Sleep problems can also play a role — some people wake for another reason and then use the bathroom because they are already awake.”
The urologist suggested monitoring the pattern of your symptoms. He said, “How many times are you waking? Are you passing a large or small amount of urine? Has your urine stream changed? Do you have urgency during the day? Do you feel that your bladder is not completely empty?”
These Details can help a urologist understand whether the problem may involve the prostate, bladder, urinary tract, or another underlying condition.
Depending on the symptoms, evaluation may include a urine test, blood tests, an ultrasound, an assessment of urinary flow, and a prostate evaluation. Treatment is then selected according to the cause and severity of the symptoms rather than simply treating nighttime urination itself.
The urologist suggests people seek medical advice if they are repeatedly waking up to urinate and have a weak stream, difficulty starting urination, urgency, dribbling, or incomplete bladder emptying.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
Adrija Dey’s proclivity for observation fuels her storytelling instinct. As a lifestyle journalist, she crafts compelling, relatable narratives across diverse touchpoints of the human experience, including wellness, mental health, relationships, interior design, home decor, food, travel, and fashion that gently nudge readers toward living a little better. For her, stories exist in flesh and bones, carried by human vessels and shaped through everyday endeavours. It is the small stories we live and share that make us human. After all, humans and their lores are the most natural and raw repositories of stories, and uncovering them, for her, is akin to peeling an orange under a winter afternoon sun. Always up for a chat, she believes the best stories come from unfiltered yapping, where "too much information" is kind of the point. A graduate of Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, and an alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, Adrija spends her idle hours cocooned with herbal tea and a gripping thriller, scribbling inner monologues she loosely calls poetic pieces, often with her succulents in attendance. On lazier days, she can be found binge-watching, for the nth time, one from her comfort-show holy trinity: The Office (US), Brooklyn Nine-Nine, or Modern Family. Dancing by herself to her peppy playlists, however, is an everyday ritual she swears by religiously. Read More
