MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Urination

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Urination - excessive at night

Contents of this page:
Illustrations Alternative names Definition Considerations	Common Causes Home Care Call your health care provider if What to expect at your health care provider's office

Illustrations

Female urinary tract

Male urinary tract

Alternative names Return to top

Nocturia; Nycturia

Definition Return to top

This symptom is a frequent need to urinate at night.

Considerations Return to top

It is normal for urine to decrease in amount and become more concentrated at night. Most people can sleep 6 to 8 hours without having to urinate. Middle aged or older men may normally have to urinate once in the early morning hours.

With nocturia, it is common to awaken one or more times during the night to urinate.

Common Causes Return to top

Drinking too much fluid before bedtime -- particularly coffee, caffeinated beverages, or alcohol
Benign prostatic hyperplasia
Diabetes
Chronic or recurrent urinary tract infection
Chronic renal failure
Congestive heart failure
Cystitis (acute urinary tract infection)
Drugs such as diuretics, cardiac glycosides, demeclocycline, lithium, methoxyflurane, phenytoin, propoxyphene, and excessive vitamin D

Home Care Return to top

Keep a diary of how much fluid you drink, how often you urinate, and urine output. Record your body weight at the same times and on the same scale daily.

Call your health care provider if Return to top

Excessive nighttime urination continues over several days, and is not explained by medications or increase of fluids before bedtime.
You are bothered by the number of times you must urinate during the night.

What to expect at your health care provider's office Return to top

Your health care provider will perform a physical examination and ask questions about your nighttime urination, such as:

When did it start?
How many times does this occur each night?
Has there been a change in the volume of urine produced?
Do you ever have "accidents" or bed wetting?
How much urine is voided each time?
What makes the problem worse? Better?
How much fluid do you drink before bedtime? Have you tried restricting fluids before bedtime?
What other symptoms are also present? Do you have increased thirst, pain or burning on urination, fever, abdominal pain, or back pain?
What medications are being taken?
How much caffeine do you consume each day?
Have you had any bladder infections in the past?
Is there a family history of diabetes?
Does nighttime urination interfere with adequate sleep and rest?
Do you drink alcoholic beverages and, if so, how much each day?
Have you changed your diet recently?

Electrolytes and fluids will be monitored over a period of time.

Diagnostic tests that may be performed include:

Blood urea nitrogen
Serum creatinine or creatinine clearance
Fluid deprivation
Osmolality
Serum electrolytes
Urinalysis
Urine concentration
Urine culture

TREATMENT

Treatment options vary depending on the cause of frequent nighttime urination. If excessive nighttime urination occurs as a result of diuretic medications, you may be advised to take your medication earlier in the day.

Update Date: 2/14/2004

Updated by: Scott M. Gilbert, M.D., Department of Urology, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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