What part does the pelvic floor play in your pre-bedtime and sleeping habits? Not by much, but I swear I’ll find the connection.I teach that having to wake up in the middle of the night to urinate is not a good indicator as a pelvic floor physical therapist.

As a patient admits to waking up once, twice, or three times a night to use the restroom, I told them about bladder irritants, the importance of being hydrated before bed, and the way to “retrain” their bladder through habits.While all of these things are important to keep focusing on, there’s also another reason we shouldn’t be getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom: it indicates that we aren’t entering the crucial REM (rapid eye movement) cycle!

Our bodies, throughout REM, go through a number of amazing things. It is a crucial sleep stage that affects mood, memory, and learning.

During this period, antidiuretic hormone (ADH) is also secreted. The primary function of ADH is to minimize the amount of water excreted through urine, thus conserving your body’s fluid capacity.

When we wake up in the middle of the night to pee, it disrupts this important REM cycle, leading to potential negative impacts on our overall health and well-being. Not only are we missing out on the restorative benefits of REM sleep, but we may also be putting extra strain on our pelvic floor muscles.

Constantly interrupting our sleep to go to the bathroom can contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction, which can lead to issues such as urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, and even pelvic organ prolapse. Our pelvic floor muscles play a crucial role in supporting our bladder and other pelvic organs, so it’s important to keep them strong and healthy.

So, what can we do to avoid getting up to pee in the middle of the night and protect our pelvic floor health? First and foremost, it’s important to practice good sleep hygiene. This includes avoiding caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime, limiting fluid intake in the evening, and establishing a regular bedtime routine.

Additionally, it may be beneficial to work on strengthening your pelvic floor muscles through exercises such as Kegels. By maintaining strong and healthy pelvic floor muscles, you can improve bladder control and reduce the frequency of nighttime bathroom trips.

If you continue to struggle with nighttime urination despite making these changes, it’s important to speak with a healthcare provider. There may be underlying medical conditions, such as an overactive bladder or urinary tract infection, that need to be addressed.

In conclusion, while it may be tempting to get up to pee in the middle of the night, it’s important to consider the impact it can have on our overall health and well-being. By prioritizing our REM sleep and taking steps to support our pelvic floor health, we can improve our quality of sleep and overall quality of life. So next time you feel the urge to go, try to resist the temptation and prioritize your health instead.