As the name implies, frequent night urination can disturb your sleeping pattern and it can be a nuisance for many people. The process of urination (frequently) can be due to underlying health problem. In medical terms, passing urine frequently at night is known as Polyuria. There are people who urinate frequently during day also and for some this problem arises only during night. In the long run, it may not only affect your sleep but also cause adverse effect on your health and lifestyle.
It is easy to identify the real cause of repeated urination during night and rectify it. But many people ignore this problem postponing their visits to doctor and sometimes they are scared that it may be due to some serious health issues.
It is quite common for pregnant women to urinate many times (both day and night) because the uterus size is quite enlarged and it starts pressing the bladder. However for healthy individuals urinating frequently at night can be a sign of underlying medical condition. The sooner you visit your doctor the greater is the chance of recovering from illness.
What Is Urine and How It Is Produced ?
Urine is an excretory product produced by the kidneys and is passed through the ureters (tube) into the bladder. When the bladder becomes full, urine is expelled through urethra. When you eat and drink foods, the nutrients present in it are absorbed into the blood and other waste products are sent into the intestine. This would gradually pass into the kidney where urine and stool is produced from the waste food products. The nerve that controls the process of urination is complex and travels widely on your body reaching up to brain and spinal cord.
Normally an adult will require sleep for about 6-8 hours without urinating. But there are many people who get up several times during night for relieving themselves. This process of urinating at night is known as nocturia and there are several factors relating to it.
Causes :
Diabetes mellitus is one of the major causes which urge you to pass urine frequently at night. Drinking too much of water or any other fluids can induce you to get up many times during night. Caffeine present in coffee or many beverages can trigger producing more of urine by the kidneys.
Some medicines given for depression and anxiety can increase the urination at night. Diuretic drugs given for managing blood pressure can induce you to get up many times. Any other nervous problem like stroke or epileptic medicines can trigger discharge of urine frequently.
If there is tumor in the pelvis or stones in the gall bladder it can cause frequent urination. Enlarged prostate glands and infection in the kidneys, bladder cancer, and cyst formation in the ovary or inflammation of the bladder wall are some of the other factors that increase urine output.
Treatment :
You need to consult your doctor who will help you to find out the underlying factor for frequent urination. You can control passing urine many times by contracting and stretching pelvic exercises and by holding the urine for long time. Further you need to modify your diet and reduce the quantity of drinking any fluids before 5 hours you go to sleep.
In case the underlying medical causes like diabetes or diuretic medicines are the reason your doctor will alter the drugs for controlling frequent urination at night.