Midnight Bathroom Breaks Could Be the Sign of a Sleep Disorder

Disruptions of your sleep by frequent visits to the bathroom to empty the bladder can be quite frustrating. Getting up to go to the bathroom at least once in the night is not a big deal and the individual will easily get back to sleep. Waking up more than two times a night is very sleep disruptive and could be a sign of an underlying sleep disorder.

Dr. Ilene Rosen, a member of the board of directors for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, offers some insights that will help us to better understand why this occurs, potential underlying conditions that could be causing it, and what you can do to control it.

Nocturia is the medical term that refers to condition of frequent night peeing. Nocturia like many other sleep problems has been closely associated with problems in the circadian rhythm. Dr. Rosen says that the circadian clock controls almost all functions in the body. The circadian clock is central to all body functions whereas there are cellular clocks at the cellular level which gives variation to functions of the different organs.

A functional circadian rhythm will lead to less production of urine and hence the lesser urge to go and empty the bladder. A dysfunctional rhythm might mean that your bladder didn't get synchronized to the central circadian clock signaling for sleep. Another cause of nocturia can be as a result of aging which reduces the ability of the bladder to tolerate high volumes of urine. It may explain why an older person will wake up more yet they produce the same amount of urine as a younger person.

Dr. Rosen also points out medical conditions as another cause of nocturia. The most common problem seen in patients is obstructive sleep apnoea. She explains that people with obstructive sleep apnoea have physiologic reasons as to why they have to use the bathroom during the night.

The body during an apnoea episode reacts to a brain signal to breathe and all the chest muscles will work properly to facilitate breathing except that the upper airway is closed off. As the diaphragm contracts, pressure builds up between the lungs because that airway is blocked, and that pressure causes the heart to stretch. When it stretches, it releases the hormone atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), which signals the kidneys to produce more urine.

A patient with nocturia should hence visit their doctor to check for underlying problems such as snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea. These conditions will then have to be treated to effectively deal with and eliminate nocturia. Other interventions would be having consistent sleep and wake time.

Read the full story here:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/midnight-bathroom-breaks-could-be-the-sign-of-a-sleep-disorder/ar-BBklbqv

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