Are you frequent urinating at night? Is it normal or abnormal?

Everybody might wake up from sleep at night to pass urine or it is called nocturia. But if it is more often than 1-2 times/night or disrupted sleep, this might be a clue suggests systemic disease. Pathology is due to the loss of ability to concentrate urine content in the nighttime hours.

One of a usual cause is sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition which a person could not breathe during sleep due to there is an obstruction of upper airway from the upper airway structures and mostly from an upper airway collapsing. The upper airway is included nasal cavity, oral cavity, and in a throat.

Sleep disorders and sleep apnea effect whole body system such as induce heart disease, hypertension, stroke, headache, metabolic syndromes includes diabetes, dyslipidemia, etc. and also decline general health and emotion.

Once the upper airway is blocked during sleep, this causes a higher pressure in chest and high blood flow in to heart. The body tries to reduce blood flow by increasing water excretion from blood to be urine and finally induces nocturia.

So, the person who has nocturia should also pay an attention to sleep disorder and sleep apnea symptoms such as choking air during sleep, intermittently wake up at night, wake up with dry mouth and dry throat, daytime fatigue, daytime sleepiness, and daytime headache. Snoring is a common symptom which might be loud or even light, but some sleep apnea person is not necessary to have snoring.
The investigation for these issues is called Polysomnogram study or usually called in general as Sleep test.

Do not forget that waking up during sleep to pass urine, nocturia, more often than 1-2 times/night is not normal in all persons. Consultation a sleep specialist should be considered especially if other sleep disorder symptoms are noticed.

Arrangement by Niratchada SapAnan, M.D.
Diploma board of neurology, sub-specialty certified in epilepsy and sleep medicine
Bangkok Hospital Pattaya