A good night’s sleep is essential for both physical and mental health. Ideally, every person should aim for at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep during the night. However, quality sleep is not just about the hours you spend in bed. Broken sleep can interfere with the body’s normal sleep cycles, making rest less effective. Even if you sleep eight hours, light or restless sleep can still leave you feeling tired in the morning.

A number of people wake up during the night in order to use the bathroom, and that’s one of the reasons their sleep gets disturbed.

While some don’t have issues falling asleep after getting up, others struggle.

Nighttime trips to the bathroom more than once due to the urge to urinate are known as nocturia. Some of the known causes for this condition are diabetes, an enlarged prostate, or even certain heart conditions.

However, frequent trips to the bathroom during the night can also be harmless and fixed by changing some simple habits.

1. Drinking “hidden” fluids before bed

Even though some people make the conscious decision to stop drinking water a few hours before going to bed in order to avoid using the bathroom during the night, but they continue consuming foods that are rich in fluids such as soups, melons, celery, cucumber, and similar foods that act as natural diuretics.

Try to set a “fluid cutoff” at least three hours before bed, including water, tea, and foods with high water content.

2. Eating dinner too late

The timing of having your last meal plays a role at the quality of your sleep. Having dinner shortly before going to bed keeps your digestive system active, which also stimulates the kidneys and increases nighttime urination.

3. Using the bathroom “just in case”

A lot of people use the bathroom right before going to bed “just in case,” not knowing that this habit can make the bladder signal “need to go” even when it’s barely filled.

4. Sleeping in poor positions or with the wrong pillows

Sleeping on your stomach or using too many pillows can put pressure on the abdomen and bladder, triggering a false urge to urinate. Poor sleep posture can also interfere with the body’s normal fluid redistribution overnight.

5. Keeping the bedroom too warm

If your bedroom is too hot during the night, or you wear heavy pajamas, it can interfere with the body’s ability to regulate temperature and with hormones such as vasopressin, which normally helps limit urine production at night. It would be for the best to keep your bedroom temperature between 18°C and 20°C, wear light, breathable sleepwear made from materials like cotton, linen, or bamboo, and make sure the room has good airflow.

Don’t forget that better sleep means a better life.