Keep going to the toilet at night? Why watching too much TV could be to blame
- If you watch more than five hours of TV a day, you may need to urinate at night
- If you have to go to the toilet several times during the night, this can affect your sleep patterns
Waking up multiple times during the night to go to the toilet can be incredibly disruptive.
But experts have now discovered that it may be linked to the amount of TV you watch.
A new study suggests that adults who watch TV or videos for five or more hours a day are more likely to urinate multiple times during the night – a condition known as nocturia.
Researchers from Wenzhou Medical University in China analyzed data from more than 13,000 people aged 20 and older.
Nearly a third of participants reported experiencing nocturia, waking up two or more times during the night to go to the toilet.
Researchers found that those who watched five or more hours of TV or videos per day had a 48 percent higher risk of nocturia (going to the toilet several times per night) compared to those who watched TV or videos for less than an hour per day
Analysis found that those who watched five or more hours of TV or videos a day had a 48 percent higher risk of developing nocturia compared to those who watched TV or videos for less than an hour a day.
Writing in the journal Neurology, the researchers said: ‘As individuals increasingly engage in screen-based activities, a comprehensive understanding of the impact of extended TV and/or video time on patterns of nocturia is critical for both healthcare professionals and healthcare professionals.
‘Our research showed that individuals who watched TV and/or videos for five or more hours per day were significantly more likely to develop nocturia.
“For individuals who spend extended periods of time on TV and/or video, healthcare professionals can provide recommendations for behavioral interventions, encouraging appropriate screen time management.”
It’s normal to have to get up once during the night to go to the toilet, but getting up multiple times can affect your sleep patterns and have negative knock-on effects.
It becomes more common as people get older and can also affect men with an enlarged prostate.
Other causes include underlying medical conditions, urinary tract problems such as kidney stones or an overactive bladder, certain medications, sleep disorders, and excessive fluid intake.
Treatment recommendations for nocturia include reducing intake of caffeine, carbonated drinks and alcohol, avoiding drinking large amounts of fluid during the evening hours and avoiding a high-protein diet, especially late in the evening.