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Urination - excessive at night

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Urination - excessive at night

Definition:

Waking up several times a night to urinate is called nocturia.

Alternative Names:
Nocturia

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Considerations:

Normally, urine decreases in amount and become more concentrated at night. That means, most people can sleep 6 to 8 hours without having to urinate.

But, persons with nocturia get up more than once during the night to urinate. Because of this, those who have excessive urination at night often have disrupted sleep cycles.

Common Causes:

• Drinking too much fluid before bedtime -- particularly coffee, caffeinated beverages, or alcohol
• Benign prostatic hyperplasia
• Diabetes
• Chronic or recurrent urinary tract infection
• Chronic renal failure
• Congestive heart failure
• Cystitis (acute urinary tract infection)
• Drugs such as diuretics, cardiac glycosides, demeclocycline, lithium, methoxyflurane, phenytoin, propoxyphene, and excessive vitamin D
• Obstructive sleep apnea

References:

Asplund R. Nocturia, nocturnal polyuria, and sleep quality in the elderly. J Psychosom Res. 2004 May;56(5):517-25.

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