This condition is also called nocturnal urinary frequency — having to pee more often at night. Nocturia becomes more common as people age (usually older than 60) and occurs in all genders and sexes, sometimes for different reasons.
And it happens more frequently later in life. “It's normal for men as we age to get up to go,” says urologist James Ulchaker, MD. “In fact, it's normal for a 60-year-old man to get up once, a 70-year-old man to get up twice and an 80-year-old man to get up three times a night.”
Normally, the amount of urine your body produces decreases at night. This allows most people to sleep 6 to 8 hours without having to urinate. Some people wake up from sleep more often to urinate during the night.
At night, most people will be able to sleep for six to eight hours without having to pass urine. As we get older we produce more urine overnight and middle aged and older men often find they have to get up once in the night. Changes in your urinary habits may be a sign that you have a problem.
Nighttime urination is very common in men over age 50 and causes significant inconvenience due to lack of restful sleep. An enlarged prostate is the most common reason that men have an urge to pee at night sometimes once or twice a night, but when severe, they may need to wake up to pee as many as 8-10 times a night.
Most kids are fully toilet trained by age 5, but there's really no target date for developing complete bladder control. Between the ages of 5 and 7, bed-wetting remains a problem for some children. After 7 years of age, a small number of children still wet the bed.
While it's not uncommon for people over 60 to urinate once or twice a night, if you urinate more than twice a night you should consider consulting a doctor.
Bed-wetting that starts in adulthood (secondary enuresis) is uncommon and requires medical evaluation. Causes of adult bed-wetting may include: A blockage (obstruction) in part of the urinary tract, such as from a bladder stone or kidney stone. Bladder problems, such as small capacity or overactive nerves.
The most common cause of urinary hesitancy in older men is an enlarged prostate. Almost all older men have some trouble with dribbling, weak urine stream, and starting urination. Another common cause is infection of the prostate or urinary tract.
Nocturia is waking up more than once during the night because you have to pee. Causes can include drinking too much fluid, sleep disorders and bladder obstruction. Treatments for nocturia include restricting fluids and medications that reduce symptoms of overactive bladder.
Ideally, experts said adults should be urinating about every three to four hours while they're awake, though the frequency may change depending on how much and what you're drinking or eating, or whether you're pregnant.
It's considered normal to have to urinate about six to eight times in a 24-hour period. If you're going more often than that, it could simply mean that you may be drinking too much fluid or consuming too much caffeine, which is a diuretic and flushes liquids out of the body.
Urinary incontinence in men is often related to prostate problems. As men age, the prostate gland grows larger, squeezing the urethra and pushing the neck of the bladder out of position. These changes can lead to incontinence.
Nocturia has several possible causes, from drinking too much fluid before going to bed to having an enlarged prostate (benign prostate hyperplasia - BPH). The following are known to cause the condition: Drinking too much fluid before bedtime (especially alcohol and caffeine).
If the prostate is very enlarged, it pushes against the bladder and urethra (the tube that urine leaves your body through). This can cause various problems: The urge to urinate is more frequent and stronger than before, especially at night. It takes a while for the urine to start flowing.
Urinary tract infections (UTI) are the most common cause of frequent urination. These are bacterial infections in your bladder, urethra or other parts of your urinary tract. They include cystitis (bladder infection), urethritis (infection of the urethra) and pyelonephritis (kidney infection).
Benign prostate enlargement (BPE) is the medical term to describe an enlarged prostate, a condition that can affect how you pee (urinate). BPE is common in men aged over 50. It's not a cancer and it's not usually a serious threat to health.
Over two-thirds of men and women over 70 urinate at least once per night, and up to 60 percent go twice or more each night. In a nutshell, the study shows that it is very common for most people to wake up once a night, and it becomes more common as you get older.
Causes & Risk Factors
Inadequate production of vasopressin during sleep. This hormone, also called antidiuretic hormone (ADH), reduces urine production.
As you age, the nerves, tissues, and muscles in your body will tend to become weaker and lose their natural elasticity. In the case of men, it can often affect the functioning of the bladder and produce nighttime incontinence.