If you’re starting to go to the toilet a lot at night, you’d better see a doctor. Nocturia is the medical term for excessive urination at night.
WHAT IS NOCTURE?
Nocturia refers to one or more awakenings at night with the need to urinate. Night; If you go to the toilet when you wake up because of thirst, loud noise, anxiety and pain, it is not called nocturia. If you go to the toilet first thing in the morning when you wake up, it is not nocturia.
INFLUENCES YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE
Waking up once a night with the sensation of urinating is common and usually not bothersome. But if you regularly wake up two or more times a night, it affects your quality of life and overall health. The more you get up at night, the more affected you will be.
Nocturia interrupts your sleep and can make you more tired during the day. This makes it difficult to concentrate on work and daily activities. Your low energy level will affect your social life. Although it is known as night urination, it can occur during the day in people who work night shifts and sleep during the day.
ATTENTION WOMEN UNDER 30 AND MEN OVER 50
Nocturia affects both men and women, and its incidence increases with age. In adults under the age of 30, women are more likely to suffer from Nocturia, while over the age of 50 it more often affects men. The effect of nocturia increases rapidly in both men and women over the age of 60 and is similar.
THINGS TO DO TO AVOID NOCTURIA
General lifestyle changes can help improve your symptoms and improve your quality of life:
- Maintain good sleep habits: Go to sleep and wake up at the same times seven days a week, getting enough sleep to be active and alert the next day. If you stay in bed longer or less, your sleep quality will deteriorate, avoid napping during the day, sleep in an environment with suitable temperature, no noise and disturbing light.
- Drink less fluids in the evening and in the evening to avoid waking up with the sensation of urinating at night.
- Consume at least 1-1.5 liters of water a day and consult your doctor to drink more water.
- Reduce alcohol and caffeine consumption as these increase your urine output and can stimulate your bladder. Although they are stated to be decaffeinated, some beverages, such as tea and coffee, may also contain caffeine, even in small amounts.
- Avoid heavy meals before bed. Certain foods can make your nocturia worse. First, reducing spices and chocolate in the evening may help.
- Avoid smoking because nicotine is a stimulant and can affect your sleep.
- When you feel a sudden urge to urinate, encourage yourself to hold your urine longer with the advice of your doctor. This will train your bladder to hold more urine and therefore cause you to urinate less frequently.
- Reduce swelling in your legs and ankles. During the day, fluid in your body causes swelling down the legs. This condition is called peripheral edema. The fluid returns to the kidneys in a lying position or by elevating your feet for a few hours. This fluid is excreted from the body with urine. If this event occurs at night, nocturia occurs. Lying down in the afternoon or raising your feet up allows you to sleep longer at night without interruption.