Published on: 5/21/2025
What Can Cause Someone to Wake Up to Pee Every Night?
Waking up to pee at night, called nocturia, can be caused by sleep apnea, aging, or kidney problems.
Explanation
Nocturia is when you wake up at night because you need to pee. One reason for this can be sleep apnea, a condition where breathing stops and starts during sleep. People with sleep apnea might not know they have it, but it can cause nocturia.
Another reason for nocturia is aging. As people get older, their bodies produce more urine at night or their bladders may not hold as much.
Lastly, kidney problems can also lead to nocturia. If the kidneys are not working well, this might cause more urine to be made at night.
In summary, if you wake up often to pee, it might be due to sleep apnea, getting older, or kidney issues.
(References)
- Pressman MR, Figueroa WG, Kendrick-Mohamed J, Greenspon LW, & Peterson DD. (1996). Nocturia. A rarely recognized symptom of sleep apnea and .... Archives of internal medicine, 8604961.
- Kallas HE, Chintanadilok J, Maruenda J, Donahue JL, & Lowenthal DT. (1999). Treatment of nocturia in the elderly. Drugs & aging, 10641954.
- Ridgway A, Cotterill N, Dawson S, Drake MJ, Henderson EJ, Huntley AL, et al. (2022). Nocturia and Chronic Kidney Disease: Systematic Review .... European urology focus, 35031353.
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