Nocturia is a fairly common and very bothersome condition that can be a symptom of several different things. The American Urological Association (AUA) defines it as the need to urinate at least twice during the night. Normally, people sleep uninterrupted for six to eight hours each night. If you suffer from nocturia and wake up more than once to urinate, your normal sleep cycle is disrupted.
Nocturia can occur at any age, although it is less common before age 60. However, it is estimated to occur in more than 50% of men after age 45. It most often occurs due to an enlarged prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia (as the prostate enlarges, it often presses downward on the urethra, increasing the urge to urinate).
Nocturia can also occur due to excessive urine production, limited bladder capacity, or sleep disorders. Other causes of nocturia include taking medications such as diuretics, caffeine or alcohol consumption, high blood pressure, diabetes, some heart conditions, and insomnia.
Nocturia is certainly a very bothersome symptom, but there's good news. A study conducted by Kate Wolin and colleagues at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine seems to indicate that men who engage in regular physical activity are less likely to suffer from it. The study was published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.
The study analyzed data from a clinical trial, the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO), which examined men between the ages of 55 and 74. Among other topics, the study included questions about an enlarged prostate and nocturia. Participants were also asked about their physical activity and lifestyle.
Wolin's analysis included 28,404 men who participated in the previous study and had symptoms of an enlarged prostate before participating (prevalent group); and 4,710 men who had recently developed symptoms (incident group).
In the incident group, men who exercised for an hour or more during the week were 13% less likely to have nocturia than those who reported no physical activity, and 34% less likely to have severe nocturia.
Nocturia was defined as waking up two or more times during the night to urinate, and severe nocturia as waking up three or more times. According to Wolin, the results indicate that physical activity, when combined with other forms of control, can become a strategy for managing the symptoms of an enlarged prostate, particularly nocturia.
Why might physical activity protect you from nocturia? Perhaps because it has other positive effects on the body, such as weight loss, improved sleep, reduced sympathetic nervous system activity, and lower levels of systemic inflammation.
Wolin says future studies exploring physical activity as a strategy for managing the symptoms of an enlarged prostate are needed. According to the researchers, special attention should be paid to the amount of physical activity needed to achieve results.
But while research is underway to confirm the study's findings, you can take some steps to alleviate nocturia. These include reducing fluid intake at night, taking diuretics six hours before bedtime, and taking a nap.
And, of course, some form of exercise, depending on your age and physical condition, can't hurt. Exercise may protect you against nocturia, and it will undoubtedly be very beneficial for your overall health.
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