Nocturia, a treatable medical condition that forces you to wake up multiple times a night to urinate, affects nearly 50 million Americans and is the leading cause of sleep disruption.1,2 However, most Americans have never heard of nocturia and think waking multiple times at night to urinate is normal.
Nocturia can have mental and physical consequences, including: impaired memory3 and concentration, moodiness, depression, obesity, diabetes and a weakened immune system. Based on my experience with patients, sleep disruptions can also lead to increased risk for sexual dysfunction and heart disease. Waking up interrupts your brain’s restoration process at night, which affects mental well-being.
According to a recent Harris Poll, 66 percent of Americans who suffer from nocturia have never spoken about it with their doctor, believing it’s a “normal part of getting older” and there is nothing that can be done about it. Women are also 40 percent less likely to speak to their doctor about nocturia. According to the Harris Poll and several clinical studies, the sleep loss impact from nocturia is hazardous to one’s health:
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Nocturia is associated with increased likelihood of depression, especially among men and women in their 30s, 35 to 40 percent of whom have been diagnosed with depression.4,5
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Most night-time falls in older adults are associated with bathroom trips, of which nocturia increases the risk by 25 percent over three years.6
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Daytime drowsiness, irritability, and lack of ability to concentrate are reported in over 60 percent of nocturia sufferers.
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Adults who wake three or more nights a week to urinate are 37 percent more likely to take sick leave than those who do not.7
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Nocturia is associated with an increased risk of obesity8
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Low sex drive and low testosterone levels are linked to poor quality and disrupted sleep.9
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Sleep loss impacts a woman’s sex drive: one extra hour can increase sex drive by 14 percent.10
Most nocturia sufferers sleep an average of two to three hours before being awoken by the need to urinate. Restorative sleep is crucial and takes place during the first three to four hours of the night. If this period is constantly interrupted, sleep quality will suffer, which can result in decreased daytime energy and overall well-being.
If someone is constantly waking to urinate two or more times during the night, he or she needs to speak with a doctor.
For more information on nocturia, visit www.whatisnocturia.com.
By Susann Varano, M.D.
1 Van Kerrebroeck P, Hashim H, Holm-Larsen T, Robinson D, Stanley N. Thinking beyond the bladder: antidiuretic treatment of nocturia. Int J Clin Pract. 2010;64(6):807-816.
2 Stanley N. The underestimated impact of nocturia on quality of life. Eur Urol. 2005;4(7)(suppl):17-19.
3 Marinkovic SP, Gillen LM, et al. Managing nocturia. BMJ. 2004 May 1; 328(7447): 1063–1066.
4 Kupelian V, Wei JT, O’Leary MP, Norgaard JP, Rosen RC, McKinlay JB. Nocturia and quality of life: results from the Boston Area Community Health Survey. Eur Urol. 2012;61(1):78-84.
5 Van Der Vaart CH, Roovers JP, de Leeuw JR, Heintz AP. Association between urogenital symptoms and depression in community dwelling women aged 20 to 70 years. Urology 2007;69:691–6.
6 Weiss, J. P., Blaivas, J. G., Bliwise, D. L., Dmochowski, R. R., DuBeau, C. E., Lowe, F. C., Petrou, S. P., Van Kerrebroeck, P. E., Rosen, R. C. and Wein, A. J. (2011), The evaluation and treatment of nocturia: a consensus statement. BJU International, 108: 6-21. doi:10.1111/j.1464-410X.2011.10175.
7 Ohayon MM. Nocturnal awakenings and comorbid disorders in the American general population. J Psychiatr Res. 2008;43(1):48-54.
8 Weiss, J. P., Blaivas, J. G., Bliwise, D. L., Dmochowski, R. R., DuBeau, C. E., Lowe, F. C., Petrou, S. P., Van Kerrebroeck, P. E., Rosen, R. C. and Wein, A. J. (2011), The evaluation and treatment of nocturia: a consensus statement. BJU International, 108: 6-21. doi:10.1111/j.1464-410X.2011.10175.
9 Leproult R, van Cauter, E.Effect of 1 Week of Sleep Restriction on Testosterone Levels in Young Healthy Men. JAMA. 2011;305(21):2173-2174.
10 Kalmbach D, Arnedt TJ, et al. The Impact of Sleep on Female Sexual Response and Behavior: A Pilot Study. The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2015;12(5):1221-1232.