Nocturia is a medical term that simply means the excessive need to urinate at night. Nighttime urination often disrupts sleep and can be much more bothersome than having to urinate frequently during the day. Many people also recognize that a change in urination patterns may signal an important underlying medical problem.
In men, an enlarged prostate can cause nocturia by blocking the bladder and preventing it from emptying completely. This is one of the typical symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy, or BPH. Other common symptoms include difficulty starting urination, slowing of the urinary stream, and dribbling.
However, there are many other reasons why both men and women might experience an increased need to urinate at night. A partial list includes:
Urinary tract infections such as cystitis or prostatitis;
Diabetes, since sugar that “spills� into the urine increases the need to urinate;
Medications such as diuretics;
Caffeine and alcohol, especially if consumed in the evening;
Heart problems such as congestive heart failure or arrhythmias;
Edema (swelling of the legs), since fluid that accumulates in the legs during the daytime may move to the kidneys at night;
Excessive fluid intake, especially with or after dinner.
Be sure to speak with your doctor if you need to urinate more than once or twice per night, particularly if this is a new pattern for you.
