‘Sleep Normal’ Campaign Urges Americans to End Frequent Nighttime Urination and Stop Settling for Nights of Bad Sleep

Nearly 50 million Americans wake up to urinate more than once per night due to a treatable medical condition called nocturia. A new awareness campaign called ‘Sleep Normal’ launched on Monday to raise awareness of nocturia, an underdiagnosed, treatable, medical condition that forces a person to wake more than once a night to urinate. Most people have never heard of nocturia and think it is a normal part of aging, despite the negative impact interrupted sleep can have on health. The ‘Sleep Normal’ campaign urges people to talk with their doctors about addressing frequent nighttime urination. ‘Sleep Normal’ is a collaboration between Avadel Pharmaceuticals and the recently formed Nocturia Council, which includes American Alliance for Healthy Sleep, Caregiver Action Network, HealthyWomen, Men’s Health Education Council, Men’s Health Network, Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, National Association for Continence, National Sleep Foundation, Simon Foundation for Continence and ZERO – The End of Prostate Cancer. Read more.

Source: UroToday, January 24, 2019

Nocturia, Overactive Bladder Improved With PTNS

Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) improves overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms and decreases the number of nocturia episodes in patients who do not respond well to medication therapy, new study findings suggest. In a retrospective study of 183 female patients (mean age 74 years; 83% white) treated at a urogynecology center, 12 weeks of PTNS (30 minutes per week) reduced voiding frequency by 1 hour, nocturia episodes by 0.8, and urge incontinence by 10 episodes per week, Shilpa Iyer, MD, of the University of Chicago, and colleagues reported in International Urogynecology Journal. Previously, patients voided every 1.6 hours, awoke 2 to 3 times nightly to void, and averaged 3 urge incontinence episodes daily. Read more.

Source: Renal & Urology News, December 12, 2018

As Waking Up Multiple Times a Night to Urinate Can Lead to Memory Deficits, Obesity, Lowered Sex Drive, Falls and Depression, a New Council Urges Awareness and Action

Nov. 25-30 acknowledges Nocturia Awareness Week, part of Bladder Health Month, which encourages people to take control of their urinary health. Nocturia, a treatable medical condition that forces you to wake up multiple times a night to urinate, affects nearly 50 million Americans and is a leading cause of sleep disruption.¹^,[2] Nocturia can have mental and physical consequences, including: impaired memory³ and concentration, moodiness, depression, obesity, diabetes and a weakened immune system. However, most Americans have never heard of nocturia and think waking multiple times at night to urinate is normal. To help inform Americans so they do not unknowingly endure the consequences of nocturia, Avadel Pharmaceuticals, a leader in urological health and education, has brought together the most influential patient advocacy groups across specialty areas to form the Nocturia Council: American Alliance for Healthy Sleep, Caregiver Action Network, Healthy Women, Men’s Health Education Council, Men’s Health Network, Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, National Association for Continence, National Sleep Foundation, Simon Foundation for Continence and ZERO – The End of Prostate Cancer. Over the next few months, the Nocturia Council, with support from Avadel Pharmaceuticals, will kick off several educational initiatives to lessen the stigma of night-time urination and promote conversations with a healthcare professional about managing nocturia. Read more.

Source: Globe Newswire: November 29, 2018

The Medical Condition 72 Percent of Americans Don’t Know About Is Stealing Sleep and Disrupting Lives, Survey Shows

Sleepless nights can be costly. They interfere with daily activities and work productivity and leave one feeling tired and irritable. If left untreated, sleep loss can result in serious medical consequences. A leading cause of sleep loss is a medical condition called nocturia,¹ which a staggering 72 percent of Americans have never heard about, according to a new national online survey of 2,040 U.S. adults conducted by The Harris Poll, and endorsed by Caregiver Action Network, National Association for Continence, Prostate Conditions Education Council, and The Simon Foundation for Continence. Nocturia forces individuals to get up more than once per night to urinate. Nocturia has many contributing causes, but in most cases, it is caused by the kidneys producing too much urine at night, known as nocturnal polyuria. The poll shows that while nocturia may affect more than a third of U.S. adults, 64 percent of Americans have no idea it is a diagnosable, treatable medical condition. Worse yet, 66 percent of nocturia sufferers² surveyed have never talked to their doctor or healthcare professional about it. Half of those patients reported they thought it was a normal part of aging; 27 percent said they believed that nothing could be done about it. Read more.

Source: Global Newswire, September 12, 2018

Nonpharmacologic Therapy Ups Sleep Quality in Women With Nocturia

Both tibial nerve stimulation (TNS) and pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) can improve sleep quality in women with nocturia, according to new study findings. In a randomized trial, 40 women with self-reported nocturia were blindly assigned to transcutaneous electrical TNS or PFMT with behavioral therapy for 30 minutes each week for 3 months. PFMT inhibits detrusor contraction, and TNS eases lower urinary tract symptoms. Women with neurogenic bladder or on antimuscarinic or antidiuretic therapy were among the excluded patients. Read more.

Source: Renal and Urology News, April 11, 2018

Trouble Urinating? New Technique Can Help Men with Enlarged Prostate (BPH)

Men: As you age, there’s a good chance you may get up several times a night to empty your bladder. The problem is that your bladder doesn’t empty completely. No matter how hard to you try, you can only deliver a trickle before returning to bed. In a few hours, you are up again. The process repeats itself all night. For many men, this frustrating scenario is the result of an enlarged prostate that is squeezing the urethra, which prevents the bladder from emptying completely. When the problem is caused by a noncancerous condition, it’s called benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Until recently, the only way to free the urethra and restore urine flow was to have a physician cut or vaporize the prostate. But this surgery can leave men with a degree of incontinence or impotence. A new alternative that uses steam holds promise in treating BPH. Researchers developed an entirely new approach to treating BPH by using steam to kill prostate cells and shrink the prostate. The outpatient procedure is performed in about five minutes using a local anesthetic. Most men see improved urine flow in three to six weeks and dramatic improvement in three months. Read more.

Source: Cleveland Clinic, October 20, 2017

FDA Approves First Treatment for Frequent Urination at Night Due to Overproduction of Urine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Noctiva (desmopressin acetate) nasal spray for adults who awaken at least two times per night to urinate due to a condition known as nocturnal polyuria (overproduction of urine during the night). Noctiva is the first FDA-approved treatment for this condition. “Today’s approval provides adults who overproduce urine at night with the first FDA-approved therapeutic option to help reduce the number of times a night they wake up to urinate,” said Hylton V. Joffe, M.D., M.M.Sc., director of the Division of Bone, Reproductive, and Urologic Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “It is important to know that Noctiva is not approved for all causes of night-time urination, so patients should discuss their symptoms with their health care provider who can determine the underlying cause of the night-time urination and whether Noctiva is right for them.” Read more.

Source: US FDA, March 3, 2017

When Bathroom Runs Rule the Day (and Night)

I have only one regret about not having been born a male, and it concerns plumbing, namely how easy it is for men to eliminate liquid waste, whether by avoiding long bathroom lines or being able to relieve themselves discreetly when no facility is available. My male envy grew after I contracted poison ivy on unmentionable parts when nature called during a hike in the woods. Urination has long been a vexing problem for women. Read more.

Source: New York Times, December 12, 2016

Nocturia – Nighttime Trips to the Bathroom

If you find yourself having to wake up several times during the night to go to the bathroom, you have a condition that is called nocturia.

While most adults are able to sleep 6 – 8 hours a night, you may find yourself having to wake up several times during the night to go to the bathroom. This is a condition called nocturia.*

Nocturia can leave you feeling like you were up all night long, and you may feel extremely tired when morning arrives. Nocturia negatively affects a person’s quality of life by interrupting sleep, increasing the risk of nighttime falls, causing fatigue and/or depression, and decreasing work efficiency, among other possible problems. Men are much more frequently affected by nocturia than women are, and those who have difficulty walking are at increased risk of injury. Nocturia is also highly prevalent in individuals over 60 years of age.Continue reading→