Night-Time Pee Triggers: Surprising Foods To Consider Avoiding

Groggy, grumpy, and uncomfortable. These are just three words that describe us when we suffer from frequent nighttime loo trips. And, if these words describe you, too, you're in the right place.

Getting up multiple times to pee is not only incredibly annoying, but it can also affect your overall health. This is especially true for your bladder and mental health since it may even be the cause of major bathroom anxiety.

Bladder irritants in our diet can contribute to bladder irritation and frequent nighttime trips to the loo. So, if you want to know what dietary factors to consider for a better night's sleep, this guide is for you.

The Science Behind Night-Time Pee Triggers

When you're waking up several times a night to pee, it's known as nocturia. This can really affect your quality of sleep and the deep sleep that you need for good health. It can also leave you feeling tired and irritable.

As people age, the bladder’s capacity to store urine tends to decrease. This issue is especially prevalent in women due to hormonal changes, particularly during and after menopause when oestrogen levels decline, affecting bladder control..

But did you know that the foods you eat and what you drink can affect your bladder function? In fact, it can even cause overactive bladder symptoms.

Overactive bladder (OAB) is when you need to pee more frequently some may also experience a really strong and sudden urge to pee. It may even cause urinary incontinence or urge incontinence (leaking urine) if you aren't able to reach the bathroom on time. The condition is also characterised by needing to pee more than once during the night.

So, to avoid experiencing the discomfort of overactive bladder triggers, it can be helpful to keep track of the foods and drinks you're consuming throughout the day.

6 Surprising Food and Drink To Avoid Before Bed

Since certain foods (and drinks) can cause bladder irritation, it's important to know what to avoid in those few hours before bed. Generally, the beverages and foods that make you pee more at night include:

1. Water

It's no secret that chugging water right before bed will cause you to run to the loo more often. It's no surprise that drinking too much of any fluid will cause your bladder to produce more urine.

However, what you may not know is that drinking too little liquid can make your symptoms worse since it can lead to overly concentrated urine. As a result, your urine will act as a bladder irritant and make you feel as though you need to run to the loo—even when there is very little urine in your bladder. Therefore drinking too little water can worsen symptoms of urgency and frequency.

The best way to manage this is to ensure you drink plenty of water during the day but then reduce to sips only in the last few hours before bed. Remember that we all need water to survive as well as to keep our urine dilute so prioritise hydration, always.

2. Carbonated beverages

Carbonated drinks like fizzy drinks, sparkling water, and champagne may seem harmless—but they can irritate your bladder and contribute to those pesky nocturia symptoms. This is because the fizz in these drinks comes from carbon dioxide, which increases your bladder sensitivity and may make you feel as though you need to pee more often.

Of course, this is particularly problematic when your bathroom trips start disrupting your sleep.

The sugars in fizzy drinks can also make bladder irritation symptoms worse. Although it adds that deliciously sweet taste that you may love, it also increases the acidity of urine, leading to irritation of the bladder lining.. Even sugar-free drinks can irritate the bladder as e artificial sweeteners like aspartame are well-known bladder irritants.

3. Caffeine

When you think about 'caffeine', you probably associate it with coffee. But there's caffeine in a tonne of other beverages, too. For example, certain teas, energy drinks, and even your favourite fizzy drinks may contain caffeine, which is actually a bladder irritant. Some food also contains caffeine, particularly chocolate.

Caffeine stimulates your bladder muscles and makes them contract and relax more often. As a result, it may feel like you need to pee more often and more urgently. If you're already dealing with an overactive bladder, it can make it feel even worse and cause an intense need to urinate.

Besides being a stimulant, caffeine is also a diuretic, which means it produces more urine.

4. Alcoholic beverages

Another sneaky diuretic (and bladder irritant) you may not know about is alcohol. And it's the dual effect of irritating your bladder and increasing urine production that can cause you to feel as though you're constantly stuck on the loo.

Of course, alcohol also interferes with your brain's ability to communicate with your bladder, meaning it isn't sending the right signals to your bladder that it's full. It may not signal to your bladder in time, either, which can cause unwanted leaks (alcohol incontinence) before you're able to head to the toilet.

So, if you enjoy the occasional glass of wine or a tasty nightcap before you head to bed, it may be more beneficial to avoid or limit your intake closer to bedtime. You can also switch over to non-alcoholic drinks to help manage your symptoms.

5. Acidic food

Acidic foods and drinks are a major problem when it comes to urinary incontinence and overactive bladder. These foods can also increase the acidity in your urine, which will irritate your bladder and make you feel as though you need to pee more frequently. This may be the case even when your bladder isn't full.

Some examples of acidic foods and drinks you want to avoid include:

• Citrus fruits and juices

• Tomatoes and tomato-based foods

• Onions

• Vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and similar condiments

• Chocolate (we wish we were kidding - but it often contains sugar and caffeine too!)

6. Spicy foods

Spicy food like chilli peppers, hot sauce, and wasabi may make your food taste amazing, but they're not too kind to your bladder...

The compounds in spicy foods that cause heat (like capsaicin) can irritate the bladder. This can worsen your normal bladder spasms, sending signals to your brain that you need to urinate. As a result, you'll likely be running to the loo more often.

Most spicy foods are also typically combined with other bladder irritants, like onion and tomato. But rather than avoiding this food altogether, eating it in moderation and earlier in the day may help improve your nocturia symptoms.

Easy Tips For Managing Night-Time Urination

Besides monitoring what you eat and drink in the evenings, there are a few other things you can do to ease your symptoms and get a good night's rest. These include:

• Bladder training: By working under the guidance of a healthcare professional, you can try to increase the time between your trips to the loo during the day. Just be careful not to hold in urine for too long since this can lead to bladder infections. When you take the time to train your bladder, it can improve your bladder control and reduce the feelings of urgency that are waking you up.

• Pelvic floor exercises: Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles is super beneficial for your overall bladder health and bladder control. When you exercise these muscles, you'll be able to hold your bladder for longer and experience fewer leaks.

• Use incontinence products: If you want more peace of mind while you sleep, why not try out products like incontinence pads or leak-proof pants? These products are designed to absorb leaks and keep you feeling dry and comfortable.

• Supplements: Bladder care supplements can help support your bladder and improve your nocturia symptoms. For example, Jude's all-natural supplements have been proven to improve nighttime leaks by up to 69%. It is important to consult your doctor before starting a new supplement.

FAQs

How can I tell if a food is affecting my bladder?

If you want to narrow down which food is causing your nighttime bathroom trips, it may be helpful to keep a bladder diary. That way, you can write down what foods and drinks you've had and how often you went to the loo.

Slowly, you can eliminate different drinks or foods to see whether your symptoms improve. If you notice a difference in the amount of nighttime pees you're making, you've likely found your suspect.

Is it okay to drink water at night?

Yes, it's okay to drink water at night. But how do you balance drinking enough water while not drinking too much or too little?

Ideally, you'll want to stop drinking large amounts of water or other fluids around two hours before bed. Instead, if you're feeling thirsty, try to take smaller sips of water.

Final Thoughts

If your diet is affecting your sleep, the solution to this problem may be as simple as changing your eating and drinking habits before bed. Just be sure to pay close attention to what you're taking in during those critical hours before bed to pinpoint which foods are responsible for your nighttime trips to the bathroom.