Don’t settle for a bad night’s sleep and wake up to nocturia!
Could one be ignoring signs of nocturia? Take a look at these common sleep myths below and find out what to pay attention to:
Myth 1: One can “cheat” on the amount of sleep one is getting.
Truth: A common held belief is that one can catch up on any hours missed during the week by sleeping a few extra hours at the weekend.
Research has shown that one long night of sleep after a prolonged period of decreased sleep, can restore ones performance back to normal levels. However this effect may last as little as 6 hours after waking up. As the day goes on the person’s reaction times become about 10 times slower than what they were earlier in the day, increasing the risk of accidents and errors.
Myth 2: Insomnia is characterised only by difficulty falling asleep.
Truth: Difficulty falling asleep is one of four symptoms generally associated with insomnia. The others include waking up too early and not being able to fall back asleep, frequent awakenings, and waking up feeling unrefreshed. Insomnia can be a symptom of a sleep disorder or other medical or psychological/psychiatric problem, and can often be treated.
Myth 3: The older one becomes, the fewer hours of sleep one needs.
Truth: While sleep patterns change as we age, the amount of sleep we need generally does not. Older people may wake more frequently through the night and may actually get less night time sleep, but their sleep need is no less than younger adults. Because they may sleep less during the night, older people tend to sleep more during the day, which can affect their quality of life.
Myth 4: Drinking less water throughout the day, will decrease the times one goes to the toilet at night.
Truth: Drinking enough water every day is crucial to avoiding infections and keeping the body hydrated. Drinking fewer diuretics, like coffee or tea, as well as limiting fluid intake before bedtime, will help lessen the urge to go.
Myth 5: Going to the bathroom at night isn’t an issue until one has to go more than three times.
Truth: Going to the bathroom once or more a night regularly can be bothersome and is a condition called nocturia.
