Before we discuss how you can ensure an uninterrupted sleep with urgent UTI symptoms at night, let’s talk about the medical condition briefly.
Urinary Tract Infection occurs due to bacterial growth along the urinary system. The presence of bacteria in the urinary tract is not directly harmful, as long as it gets flushed out of the body by the bladder during urination. Infections arise when the bacteria does not get eliminated by the body, giving them room to grow and spread to the other organs of the urinary system.
Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infection
Below are the common symptoms of UTI:
- Sudden and uncontrollable urges to urinate
- Frequent urge to urinate
- Urinating more than usual
- Difficulty to start urinating
- Pain and/or burning sensation while urinating
- Leaking urine
- Waking up at night to urinate frequently
- Limited flow of urine despite the uncontrollable urge
- Blood in urine
- Pain in the central lower abdomen or pelvic discomfort
- Urine with foul odor
Severe symptoms of urinary tract infections are as follows:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever with or without chills
- Back pain
Tips for undisturbed sleep with such urgent UTI symptoms at night
Abdominal pain and problems related to urination prevent individuals with UTIs from enjoying peaceful, uninterrupted sleep at night.
Apparently, the irritation of the bladder and innumerable visits to the washroom can become a serious cause of worry. Here are a few tips that you should follow for undisrupted sleeping with UTI symptoms.
Limit the intake of water and other fluids in the evening.
Of course staying hydrated throughout the day is essential to alleviate the symptoms of UTI, but so is a good night’s rest. Hence, the secret to a peaceful sleep at night can be ensured when you restrict, but not stop drinking water altogether, post-dinner time.
Stay away from foods/fluids that aggravate the bladder condition.
This is especially relevant for fluids that aggravate the bladder condition. These include diuretics (coffee and tea) along with chocolate and spicy food products.
Some other examples are tomato and tomato-based food items and acidic fruits like oranges, grapefruit, lemon, etc. You can reduce the consumption of these food products a few hours before bedtime.
Make a conscious effort to empty your bladder completely before bedtime.
Going to bed with the feeling that your bladder is not completely empty can keep you up at night. It creates the frequent urge to visit the bathroom every now and then, and also causes nighttime leaks.
Spend some time in the washroom before going to bed and give your bladder a few minutes to empty itself out. It is often advised that you sit on the toilet, bend a little forward and place your hands on your knees or thighs. This position is believed to exert pressure on the bladder to empty itself out.
Schedule your bathroom breaks for the night.
Set alarms every couple of hours for urinating, so that you can sleep peacefully for the rest of the night. These alarms will enable you to empty the bladder at regular intervals and not get disturbed during sleep with the urgent UTI symptoms at night.
This will also be effective in training your bladder to create urges for urination every few hours and not persist throughout the night.
Wear adult pads or diapers.
Urine leaks are a common symptom of UTI and often create a mess while sleeping at night. Clothes and sometimes even bedclothes have to be changed because of this reason. This definitely disrupts sleep.
This can be easily avoided by opting for adult diapers that prevent urine leaks and offer you a much-needed relief from having to visit the washroom often at night.
Other alternatives for adult diapers include absorbent briefs that specialise in controlling leaks. Make sure that you wear cotton underwear that allows your private area sufficient breathing space, reducing the risk of aggravation of the symptoms of UTI.
Take your prescription medications.
Your doctor may prescribe you medications to control nighttime incontinence. These medications usually include alpha blockers, anticholinergics, or mirabegron, which relax the bladder muscles.
Fesoterodine is another medication that has a proven record of effectiveness in controlling nighttime incontinence, thus, ensuring undisrupted sleep.
Your doctor may also suggest OTC (over-the-counter) medications like Azo-Standard or phenazopyridine that control bladder spasms and alleviates pain and the frequent urgency to urinate.
These medications may show some side effects like turning your urine orange or red in color. However, these medications just soothe UTI symptoms and do not directly treat the underlying medical condition.
