How to Stop Peeing in the Middle of the Night

Three Tips From a Northwestern Medicine Urologist

Published November 2024

Ever find yourself making multiple pit stops to the bathroom when you should be fast asleep? You’re not alone. Nighttime urination, or nocturia, is a common issue that can impact your sleep quality and overall well-being. Fortunately, it can be treated with some simple lifestyle tweaks.

A lot of it is just education and behavioral modifications,” explains Peter N. Tsambarlis, MD, a urologist at Northwestern Medicine. Your kidneys are designed to maintain your body’s fluid status and homeostasis. Excess fluid that you drink will be excreted in the form of urine.

The most important thing that I like people to minimize is alcohol.

— Peter N. Tsambarlis, MD

What’s Normal, What’s Not?

The average adult pees about six to seven times in a 24-hour period and can sleep between six and eight hours at night without a bathroom break. If you’re getting up more than once a night to empty your bladder, you might be dealing with nocturnal urinary frequency or nocturia.

Causes of Nocturia

Nocturia can affect anyone, but it is more common in certain groups:

Adults 65 or older
Pregnant individuals (about 86% of pregnant people report nocturia)
Those with an enlarged prostate
Those with bladder storage disorders such as overactive bladder
People with other medical conditions including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), heart failure, peripheral edema (retention of fluid in your lower legs and feet), electrolyte or hormonal imbalances and diabetes

Nocturia as a Safety Risk for Older Adults

Nocturia isn’t just about interrupted sleep. It can have other health implications, especially for older adults. About 25% of all the falls in older adults happen in the middle of the night and some are due to nocturia.

3 Tips to Help You Reduce Nighttime Urination

Dr. Tsambarlis shares these three behavioral modifications to help you eliminate nighttime bathroom breaks:

Regulate how much liquid you drink before bedtime.

“The more you drink, the more you will tend to urinate,” says Dr. Tsambarlis. “So, drinking excessive amounts of fluid, even healthy fluids like water late into the evening can lead to multiple nighttime awakenings to void.” In other words, don’t drink two glasses of water right before you go to bed. If you do get up in the middle of the night to urinate, don’t drink another glass of water while up. There is also liquid in the foods that you eat, which can contribute to increased urine production.
Watch what you drink.

Substances like caffeine and alcohol are known as diuretics. They increase the production of your urine. “If you’re drinking something that’s a diuretic, you’re going to produce more urine and that will result in more urinary symptoms within two to four hours after taking that fluid in. It’s best to choose caffeine-free fluids for hydration in the afternoon and leading up to bedtime.

Keep in mind that some of the items that you eat and drink may stimulate the bladder to contract resulting in a sensation of a need to urinate even if the bladder isn’t full, says Dr. Tsambarlis. Examples include alcohol, artificial sweeteners, acidic items such as fruit juice and soda, spicy foods and coffee (even decaf). “The most important thing that I like people to minimize is alcohol,” says Dr. Tsambarlis.
Try wearing knee-high compression socks.

As you age, the veins in your legs can weaken. This can lead to fluid retention in your legs, known as peripheral edema.

When you’re lying down, the fluid in your lower legs equilibrates back into your veins. Your kidneys read this as increased fluid. This can lead to increased urine production at night by the kidneys and a full bladder even in the absence of nighttime fluid intake.

If you notice swelling (look for rings around your sock line), Dr. Tsambarlis recommends wearing knee-high compression socks to apply pressure to the legs. The pressure helps reduce fluid and inflammation and improves blood flow through the veins to the heart. In general, you can wear compression stockings all day and remove them before you go to bed, unless your physician recommends otherwise.

Your physician may also recommend elevating your legs while resting to help drain excess fluid.

When to Seek Medical Attention

If nocturia is impacting your sleep and quality of life, it’s important to talk with a medical professional. They can help determine the underlying cause and recommend appropriate treatment. Prior to a medical visit, consider keeping a “voiding diary” to measure the following in a 24-hour period: