Interrupted sleep… which “wakes up your bladder”
Sometimes, it’s not the need to urinate that wakes you up, but rather poor sleep quality that disrupts your sleep cycles. Once awake, even slightly, the slightest sensation of a full bladder becomes an alarm bell. It’s a vicious cycle: poor sleep → nighttime awakenings → urge to urinate → even more awakenings…
Hormonal signals that change with age
Over time, our bodies produce less of a key hormone: vasopressin, which helps concentrate urine during the night. The result? Urine volume increases and awakenings become more frequent. This phenomenon affects both women and men from their fifties onward.
When the heart gets involved: the link with circulation
The link between nocturia and cardiovascular health isn’t always obvious… and yet, it definitely exists. In some people, getting up at night to urinate can be a sign of circulatory imbalance , often linked to mild or moderate heart failure , even if undiagnosed.
How does it work?
During the day, when standing, some fluid tends to accumulate in the legs due to gravity. This phenomenon can be exacerbated in cases of poor venous return , heavy legs , or early-stage heart failure .
When we lie down at night, the redistribution of these fluids in the body allows the blood to be filtered more efficiently by the kidneys. As a result, more urine is produced during the night … and therefore, more trips to the toilet.
The rest is on the next page
