How To Relax Your Bladder At Night

Limit Or Avoid Foods And Drinks That Irritate Your Bladder

6 Secret Ways to STOP Urinary Urgency FAST | Overactive Bladder 101

Certain foods and drinks can irritate your bladder. Examples include foods and drinks with caffeine or chocolate. More examples are listed in the table below.

You might need to change your diet to try to limit the number of these foods and drinks that you have at once. For example, dont have apple juice, cereal with milk, and a banana for breakfast. If you drink coffee, try not to also use milk and a sweetener. Changing your diet can help you need to urinate less often.

Food type

Do Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises

Strong pelvic floor muscles hold in urine better than weak muscles. You can strengthen your pelvic floor muscles by doing Kegel exercises. These exercises involve tightening and relaxing the muscles that control urine flow. Researchers found that women who received pelvic floor muscle training had fewer leaks per day than women who didnt receive training.6 You should not do pelvic floor exercises while youre urinating.

Men can also benefit from pelvic floor muscle exercises. Strengthening these muscles may help a man leak urine less often, especially dribbling after urination.

A health care professional, such as a physical therapist trained in pelvic floor therapy, can help you get the most out of your Kegel exercises by helping you improve your core muscle strength. Your core includes your torso muscles, especially the lower back, pelvic floor muscles, and abdomen. These muscles keep your pelvis lined up with your spine, which helps with good posture and balance. Your physical therapist can show you how to do some exercises during daily activities, such as riding in a car or sitting at a desk.

You dont need special equipment for Kegel exercises. However, if you are unsure whether you are doing the exercises correctly, you can learn how to perform Kegel exercises properly by using biofeedback, electrical stimulation, or both. Biofeedback uses special sensors to measure muscle contractions that control urination.

Losing Weight May Help To Improve Your Bladder Control

Excess weight puts extra stress on your pelvic floor muscles and contributes to an overactive bladder and loss of bladder control. If you can lose even a small amount of weight, it will help with bladder control.

The best weight loss plans are always those that set realistic goals combined with healthy eating habits and physical activity. Fad diets, although often successful short-term, rarely achieve sustainable weight loss, because once you tire of the diet, you often revert to ingrained unhealthy eating habits.

Check out our Obesity and Weight Loss guide for more information.

Also Check: Bladder Control Products At Walmart

Who Does Overactive Bladder Affect

Overactive bladder is most common in people 65 and older. Women may have OAB at a younger age, usually around 45.

How common is overactive bladder?

Overactive bladder is common. It affects up to 33 million adults in the U.S., including as many as 30% of men and 40% of women. However, that number may be higher because many people may feel embarrassed and wont get help.

How does overactive bladder affect my body?

Overactive bladder symptoms can cause stress and affect your quality of life.

Catheters Vs Johnny Or Jane Bottles

Overactive Bladder Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis & Treatment

At some point, many people who aren’t able to go to the bathroom on their own will find the urine just trickled out by itself, leaving them wet. You need to find ways to keep dry. Many patients resign themselves to the fact that they need a catheter in place all the time. Catheters can be intra-urethral or super-pubic .

Some people find that having a catheter in place during a long car ride, plane ride, etc. assisted by a leg or belly bag can be most comfortable and reduce bathroom stops, thus making the driver happy. A Johnny or Jane bottle is also good to keep handy.

As for sleeping, catheters connected to a bed bag , will most certainly eliminate bathroom trips and allow for a full restful night’s sleep.

I use a bed bag every time I get a UTI so that I don’t have to get up and run to the bathroom only to find a few painful drops have eeked out. A catheter is very helpful during treatment of a UTI. I usually use it for two nightsthen, I go back to my ergonomic method above.

Restful sleep is paramount when you are sick like that. You can choose to take the catheter out each morning but it’s best to leave it in for the whole two days/nights.

Also Check: Botox Procedure For Overactive Bladder

What Medications Can I Use For Overactive Bladder

Your doctor may suggest trying behavioral techniques before having you use a medication to treat overactive bladder. However, medications can work very well to return normal function to the bladder. Ask your doctor about the risks and benefits of using the following commonly prescribed medications:

Anticholinergic medications

These medications control muscle spasms in the bladder:

Oxybutynin , oxybutynin XL , oxybutynin TDDS .

Pelvic Floor Muscle Training

Your pelvic floor muscles surround the bladder and urethra and control the flow of urine as you pee.

Weak or damaged pelvic floor muscles can cause urinary incontinence, so exercising these muscles is often recommended.

A GP may refer you to a specialist to start a programme of pelvic floor muscle training.

The specialist will assess whether you’re able to squeeze your pelvic floor muscles and by how much.

If you can contract your pelvic floor muscles, you’ll be given an exercise programme based on your assessment.

Your programme should include a minimum of 8 muscle contractions at least 3 times a day and last for at least 3 months. If the exercises are helping after this time, you can keep on doing them.

Research has shown that pelvic floor muscle training can benefit everyone with urinary incontinence.

Find out more about pelvic floor exercises.

Also Check: Can I Have A Bladder Infection Without Pain

How Many Times Is Normal To Urinate At Night

Not everyone is the same, and there are factors that determine what is normal for most people. For example, nighttime urination is more common if you have something to drink right before bed, and is also more common in older adults. Most people without nocturia can sleep for 6 to 8 hours without having to urinate, but getting up to go to the bathroom once during the night is still within the realm of normal. If you have to use the restroom two or more times per night, it is a good idea to talk to your urologist about nocturia.

What Does My Spinal Cord Have To Do With My Bladder

Pelvic Floor Exercises – Using Your Pelvic Floor to Calm Down Your Bladder

Your brain sends and receives signals through your spinal cord. At the lowest part of your spinal cord is an area called the sacral micturition center that has nerves attached to it that go to and from the bladder. These nerves help to signal the brain when the bladder needs to be emptied. They also control the sphincter.
For example, if you need to hold your urine until a convenient time to empty your bladder, your brain will signal the bladder not to squeeze and the sphincter to tighten so that you can wait. When it is time to release your urine, signals from your brain will then send signals down your spinal cord to squeeze the bladder and relax the sphincter. If an SCI has damaged the spinal cord, the signals from the brain to the bladder do not work correctly and you might not be able to control your urine. You might not be able to stop urine from flowing , or you might not be able to release it .

Also Check: Can Guys Get Bladder Infections

Medical Treatments For Nocturia

Your doctor may prescribe medications when preventive measures and lifestyle changes fail to reduce the frequency of your nighttime urination. Doctors prescribe a class of drugs called anticholinergics to treat symptoms of OAB, if thats the cause of your nocturia. They reduce bladder spasms that create the urge to go.

Your doctor may suggest you take a diuretic for regular urine production. A diuretic can itself cause nocturia. But if you take it early enough in the day, it may help you get rid of excess fluid while youre awake. This should decrease your urine production at night.

Other drugs that may help are:

desmopression in cases of diabetes insipidus to cause the kidneys to produce less urine
tamsulosin , finasteride , or dutasteride to treat prostate enlargement
antibiotics if you have a urinary tract infection

Your doctor may also adjust your diabetic medications to lower your blood sugar if theyre causing nocturia.

Natural Ways To Treat An Overactive Bladder

About a year ago, I began noticing I was getting up several times a night to pee. Once I thought about it, I realized I was peeing a lot during the day, too. The problem escalated and escalated until I was getting up three to five times a night, leading to severe sleep deprivation. Desperate for a solution, I got tested for interstitial cystitis, ovarian cysts, diabetes, kidney stones, you name it. But with all the results negative, I instead got the frustrating diagnosis of overactive bladder .

I describe an OAB diagnosis as frustrating because it doesnât have a simple cure. Your options are to go on medication, to see a physical therapist who can teach you helpful exercises or an osteopath who can manipulate your nerves, to try a more drastic treatment like Bladder Botox injections or electrical bladder stimulation, or to make a bunch of small changes to your lifestyle that can gradually alleviate the problem. âEven though treatment options exist, many patients opt for natural and homeopathic remedies, since no single treatment has been proven to be most effective,â Caleb Backe, Health and Wellness Expert for Maple Holistics, tells Bustle.

There are two main symptoms of OAB,Los Angeles-based urologist S. Adam Ramin, MD tells Bustle: urgency frequency and urgency incontinence . Some people with OAB only have the first symptom, while others have both.

Recommended Reading: How To Help Bladder Incontinence

How Is Enuresis Treated

Doctors can do several things to treat bedwetting, depending on what’s causing it. If an illness is responsible, which is not very common, it will be treated.

If the history and physical exam do not find a medical problem and the urine tests are negative, several behavioral approaches can be used for treatment:

If you’re worried about enuresis, the best thing to do is talk to your doctor for ideas on how to cope with it. Your mom or dad can also give you tips on how to cope, especially if he or she had the problem as a teen.

The good news is that it’s likely that bedwetting will go away on its own.

Oab And Your Sex Life

OAB can interfere with that other bed activity, too. Thereâs nothing that can shut down an intimate moment faster than realizing youâve lost control of your bladder — something that happens for many people with OAB. âSexual activity itself is irritating to the bladder, and you can lose urine during intercourse,â Sanz says. âAbout 15% of my patients report having incontinence during sex.â

âWhen youâre being intimate, youâre used to secretions and moistness, but the thought that itâs actually urine leakage is really upsetting and uncomfortable,â Denson says. âUsually itâs the female patient who has the leakage, and itâs actually more bothersome for her than for her partner.â

Also Check: How Do I Get Rid Of A Bladder Infection

Tips For Suppressing The Urge To Pee

If you know for a fact that your bladder isn’t full, yet you still feel the need to pee, try using one of these strategies to suppress the urge. When the urge finally dissipates, slowly and calmly walk to the bathroom to urinate. This delay can help break the association that’s creating the problem in the first place. If you continue to have urges or notice other bladder control issues, see a PT for help. Suppressing urinary urges can be hard to do on your own and other factors may be contributing to your symptoms.

If you usually have to pee multiple times before going to sleep at night… Wait to go to the bathroom until right before getting into bed.

If you feel a strong urge to go whenever you hear running water… Start going to the bathroom before you turn on the shower or sink.

If your bladder tends to pipe up at other, specific times of day… Try one or more of these strategies:

How Do I Do Kegel Exercises

To do Kegels:

Lie down. It may be easier to learn how to do Kegels correctly while lying down. You dont have to lie down once you learn to do Kegels correctly.

Squeeze the muscles in your genital area as if you were trying to stop the flow of urine or passing gas. Try not to squeeze the muscles in your belly or legs at the same time. Try to squeeze only the pelvic muscles. Be extra careful not to tighten your stomach, legs, or buttocks .

Relax.Squeeze the muscles again and hold for 3 seconds. Then relax for 3 seconds. Work up to 3 sets of 10 each day.

Practice Kegels anywhere. When your muscles get stronger, try doing Kegels while sitting or standing. You can do these exercises at any time, such as while sitting at your desk or in the car, waiting in line, or doing the dishes. Dont do Kegel exercises at the same time you are urinating. This can weaken your pelvic floor muscles over time.10

If you are uncomfortable or uncertain about doing Kegel exercises on your own, a doctor or nurse can also teach you how to do Kegels. A pelvic floor physical therapist or other specialist may also be available in your area to help teach you how to strengthen these muscles.

Whats A Bladder Spasm

Have you heard of the term bladder spasm? If you have an overactive bladder or incontinence, its likely that you have experienced them.

Bladder spasms are when the bladder muscle squeezes suddenly, without warning, making you feel like you need to empty your bladder immediately. This is one of the hallmark symptoms of Overactive Bladder the urgent and frequent needs to urinate, and can sometimes also result in urge incontinence if youre unable to make it to the bathroom in time.

Alternative Treatments For Nocturia

Physical Therapy Bladder Control Exercises for Men

Many people turn to complementary and alternative medicine before seeking medical help. You may also be interested in alternative medications or treatments for nocturia, but there are few studies to support their use. These treatments may work for nocturia, but only if OAB is the cause.

For example, research has found that:

herbal medications have a positive impact on symptoms of OAB and quality of life
acupuncture provides short-term relief for OAB symptoms
homeopathic remedies may have benefits, but need more studies
alternative treatments have fewer side effects than medications
saw palmetto berry extract has no benefit for nocturia

But more research is needed to confirm if CAM works for OAB.

Always talk to your doctor before trying a supplement or alternative treatment. Certain CAM treatments can cause unintended side effects, especially if youre already taking medication.

Home Remedies And Lifestyle Changes

In addition to medical options, you could consider changes to your day-to-day life to improve your nightly urges to go to the loo. These include:

limiting how much your drink right before bed
avoid certain foods and drinks that can irritate your bladder, including:

acidic foods, such as tomatoes

artificial sweeteners

double-void before sleep this means going for a second wee before you get into bed, even if you dont need to

if you experience swelling in your legs, make sure to elevate them during the day or wear support stockings

improve sleep hygiene by making your bedroom the right temperature and dark enough19

quit smoking, as this can cause frequent urination20.

In addition, appropriate continence products, such as iD Pants Maxi, can help capture any leaks. These unisex comfortable and discreet incontinence pants have odour control and are super absorbent, meaning you can put concerns of overnight leaks to bed.

Techniques For Complete Bladder Emptying

Timed voids. Urinate at least every three to four hours. Never hold the urine.

Double void. Before leaving the restroom, try to empty your bladder a second time. Focus on relaxing the muscles of the pelvic floor. You may try running your hands under warm water before your second void to trigger a relaxation response.

Drink plenty of fluids. Fluids keep the urinary tract hydrated and clean.

Have a bowel movement every day. The rectum is just behind the bladder. If it is a full, it can prevent the bladder from functioning properly. Increase your fruit, fiber, water and walking until you have soft bowel movements and dont have to strain. You may add over the counter medications like Senna , Colace or Dulcolax .

Comfort and privacy are necessary to empty completely. Give yourself time to go.

Leaning forward may promote urination.

After you have finished passing urine, squeeze the pelvic floor to try to completely empty.

The sound of water can promote the bladder muscle to contract, but care should be taken not to promote bladder muscle instability with overuse of this technique.

Tapping over the bladder may assist in triggering a contraction in some people.

Stroking or tickling the lower back may stimulate urination and has been reported to be helpful in some patients.

Whistling provides a sustained outward breath with a gentle increase in pressure in the abdomen that may help with emptying your bladder.

Don’t Miss: How Is Immunotherapy Administered For Bladder Cancer

Must Read