5 Bladder-Friendly Tips to Help You Stop Peeing in the Night

Fortunately, there are small, manageable things we can do in the evening that support our bladder to make a better night’s rest more likely.

Here’s five tips to try this evening to ease those frustrating loo trips at 3am:

1. Have a ‘Fluid Curfew’

It’s completely normal to feel thirsty in the evening, especially if we’ve been busy or the weather’s warm. But if we’re regularly waking to pee, it can help to slowly reduce how much we’re drinking in the two to three hours before bed. That doesn’t mean we need to go to bed dehydrated – just that we give our bladder a chance to settle down before sleep.

Try to get most of our daily fluids earlier in the day, aiming for around 1.5 to 2 litres total - or 8 glasses a day. Then, gradually ease off in the early evening - if you do feel thirsty, try sipping gently rather than gulping down glasses and hoping for the best. Some people find that setting a gentle “fluid curfew” – say 7:30pm – makes a noticeable difference by the time they climb into bed.

2. Change up what you drink

Caffeine, alcohol and fizzy drinks can all act as bladder irritants or diuretics, which means they can make us wee more often or more urgently. In the evenings, these drinks are more likely to disrupt our sleep and increase the need to get up at night. 

This means it’s time to ditch your evening cuppa – but don’t worry, because there are plenty of alternatives to try. Still water, herbal teas like chamomile or peppermint (which tend to be bladder-friendly), or a warm milk can be more soothing and less disruptive. Some fruit teas, like cranberry or citrus blends, can irritate the bladder too, so it’s worth keeping track of how certain drinks affect us personally in a bladder diary if you aren’t sure what’s triggering your bladder. 

3. Choose lighter evening meals and watch salty foods

Eating large or heavy meals late in the evening can affect how well we sleep – and surprisingly, it can also have an impact on our bladder. Salty foods, in particular, can increase thirst, leading us to drink more in the hours before bed. This can then result in more urine production overnight.

Aim for a balanced evening meal that isn’t overly rich or salty, and try to finish eating at least two hours before going to bed. Including lean protein, fibre and vegetables can help us feel satisfied without being overly full, and supports better sleep overall.

4. Give our bladder a proper wind-down

A consistent bedtime routine doesn’t just benefit our mind – it also helps our body, including our bladder. Taking time to unwind signals to our whole system that it’s time to slow down. Try including a relaxing activity in the hour before bed, such as reading, a warm (not too hot) bath, gentle stretches, or deep breathing.

It’s also helpful to go for a final pee just before getting into bed – but not earlier. “Just in case” trips too soon before bed can actually confuse our bladder and lead to the feeling of needing to go again too quickly.

5. Raise our legs in the evening – yes, really

If we spend a lot of time on our feet during the day, fluid can pool in our lower legs, ankles and feet. When we lie down at night, that fluid gets reabsorbed into our system – and our kidneys respond by producing more urine. This can be a hidden cause of night-time wees.

To help, try elevating our legs for 30–60 minutes in the early evening – resting them on a cushion while we watch TV or read is perfect. Wearing compression stockings during the day (especially if we notice swelling in our legs) can also reduce this fluid build-up and make a difference at night.

If we’ve tried all of the above consistently and are still waking more than once a night to wee, it’s time to speak to your GP and ask to be referred to a bladder specialist. There can be underlying causes – such as hormonal changes, certain medications, or a even a condition such as nocturnal polyuria – that may need tailored support.

But for many of us, a few small changes in our evening routine can be all it takes to give our bladder a break, and finally enjoy the deeper sleep we all deserve.