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How To Stop Waking Up To Pee At Night
In this article we’ll be exploring:
- Why Do I Wake Up to Pee at Night?
- Circadian Rhythm Disruption
- How to Develop a Proper Circadian Rhythm
- Addressing Nutrient Deficiencies
- Getting Enough Sodium (Salt)
- Summary
Why Do I Wake Up to Pee at Night?
At night when we sleep, our body releases a hormone known as ADH (Antidiuretic Hormone) in higher amounts. The release of ADH at night is responsible for reducing your need to urinate during sleep, promoting uninterrupted rest. If you’re constantly waking up to pee at night, there’s likely an issue impacting your ADH hormone. The three key areas to address are:
- Circadian Rhythm Disruption
- Addressing Nutrient Deficiencies For ADH Production
- Getting Enough Sodium (Salt)
Circadian Rhythm Disruption
The production and release of ADH is regulated by our body’s circadian rhythm. If our circadian rhythm is off, then the amount of ADH released at night or the timing of release can be impacted. If your body isn’t releasing enough ADH, or releasing ADH at the wrong times, you’re more more likely to feel the need to urinate in the middle of the night.
Our body and internal organs all operate on a 24-hour clock (circadian rhythm). At different times of the day, our body, hormones and organs function differently. Our circadian rhythm is synced primarily to our lighting environment - especially the sun during the day, and darkness at night. If your circadian rhythm is off sync, the way your body functions will also be disrupted.
- Getting 7 - 9 hours sleep each night?
- Waking up in the morning?
These alone DO NOT mean you have a properly functioning circadian rhythm. A properly functioning circadian rhythm is when:
- You feel sleepy at a similar time each night
- You automatically wake up (without an alarm) at a similar time each morning
Dark days (being indoors all day) and bright nights (being under bright LED lights and electronic screens) are the major cause of circadian rhythm disruption.
How to Develop a Proper Circadian Rhythm:
- Get sunlight first thing in the morning Within 30 - 60 mins of waking up. Even as little as 3 minutes has significant benefits. If there’s no sun, being outdoors under the sky still syncs your circadian rhythm. Bonus points: get outdoors during midday (between 10am - 3pm) and close to sunset (anytime within an hour of sunset)
- Have breakfast in the morning after your outdoors time This sets your peripheral clocks (organs circadian rhythm)
- Have your final meal at least 2 - 3 hours before bed Eating too close to bedtime can disrupt your circadian rhythm
- After sunset, dim down your lighting environment Especially a few hours before bed. Blasting your eyes and environment with bright lights (LED lights overhead, screen use, etc) will disrupt your circadian rhythm
- Avoid screens ~2 hours before bed If you’re going to use screens within ~2 hours before bed, wear blue light blocking glasses.
Addressing Nutrient Deficiencies
The production and function of ADH (Antidiuretic Hormone) requires four key nutrients:
- Vitamin C
- Copper
- Zinc
- Glycine
Being deficient in any of these nutrients means your body doesn’t have the required building blocks to create and support the function of ADH:
- If you don’t eat red meats or animal products often, you’re likely deficient in copper, zinc, glycine
- If you eat a lot of plant-based foods together with zinc-rich foods, you’re likely not absorbing much zinc
- If you don’t eat fruits daily, you’re likely deficient in Vitamin C 1. Great Sources of Vitamin C:
- Acerola cherry (powdered form is also excellent)
- Camu camu (powdered form is also excellent)
- Guavas
- Kiwifruit
- Papayas
- Oranges
- Strawberries
- Pineapple
- Lemons
2. Great Sources of Copper:
- Liver (beef, goose, lamb, duck)
- Shellfish: oysters, clams, mussels, etc
- Red meats
- Mushrooms: especially shiitake
- Seaweed: especially spirulina
- Cacao
- Legumes: especially lentils and chickpeas
- Potatoes
3. Great Sources of Zinc:
- Oysters
- Red meats
- Poultry (darker meats contain more zinc that lighter meats)
- Egg yolks
- Cheese
- Seeds* (sesame, sunflower, flax, pumpkin, squash)
- Nuts* (cashews, pecans, brazil nuts, pine nuts)
4. Great Sources of Glycine:
- Meat
- Fish
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- Gelatin
- Bone broth
- Glycine supplement ← important if you don’t consume animal products
Getting Enough Sodium (Salt)
Sodium (salt) helps to stimulate the release of ADH. Instead of worrying about your salt intake and risking getting too little, focus on increasing the amount of potassium rich foods in your diet. This will allow you to salt your foods to your desire. Great Sources of Potassium:
- Coconut water
- Banana
- Potatoes & sweet potatoes
- Legumes
- Dried fruits (prunes, raisins, dried apricots, medjool dates)
- Beans
- Fish (salmon, mackerel, halibut, etc)
At night before bed, consuming a small amount of sodium (salt) may also help boost ADH levels.
Summary
To wrap up, here’s a summary of the steps you can take to address the issues impacting your ADH (Antidiuretic Hormone) that cause you to wake up in the middle of the night to pee:
- Fix your circadian rhythm
- Address nutrient deficiencies (Vitamin C, Copper, Zinc, Glycine)
- Get enough salt in your diet
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