How to Reduce Nighttime Urination | Dr. Andrew Huberman

Summary

The kidneys filter fluids most efficiently in the first 10 hours after waking due to circadian rhythms. To reduce nighttime urination: properly hydrate during the daytime so you aren't excessively thirsty at night, reduce fluid intake in the evening, and sip fluids slowly after 10 hours of waking rather than gulping. This allows the body's filtration system to process fluids more slowly so less ends up in the bladder overnight.

Takeaways

• 😀 You need about 8 oz or 240 ml of fluid per hour for the first 10 hours after waking to stay hydrated
• 😕 Your kidneys filter fluids most efficiently in the first 10 hours after waking
• 🤔 Circadian clock genes regulate kidney function over 24 hours
• 😊 Drink fluids at whatever rate feels comfortable during the day
• 🚰 Hydrate well during the daytime to reduce nighttime thirst and urine production
• 🌙 Reduce fluid intake 5-8 hours before bedtime to avoid waking up to urinate
• 🍵 Sip fluids slowly in the evening for slower absorption and less urine production
• 😴 Mechanosensors in your body respond to both the volume and rate of fluid intake
• 🤭 Gulping fluids speeds their passage into urine compared to sipping
• 💧 Consider waking up once or twice per night to urinate as totally normal

Q & A

Why is kidney function circadian dependent?

Kidney function is strongly regulated by circadian clock genes that impact whether the kidney will be highly active or have reduced function at different times of day.

What happens to kidney function 10 hours after waking?

At about 10 hours after waking, the kidney starts to significantly reduce its overall level of functioning and becomes less efficient at filtering fluids.

How can you avoid waking up to urinate at night?

Hydrate sufficiently during the daytime, reduce fluid intake at night, and sip any fluids slowly in the evening to avoid excessive nighttime urination.

Why does the rate you drink fluids impact urination?

The body's fluid filtration systems depend not just on fluid volume but on the rate it is ingested due to mechanosensors that signal more rapid excretion if fluids are gulped versus sipped.

What is the recommended evening fluid intake?

Ingest no more than 5-8 ounces of fluid in the evening by sipping slowly to reduce nighttime urination.

What happens if you gulp fluids versus sip them?

Gulping fluids signals the body to excrete those fluids more quickly compared to sipping them slowly.

What hormone regulates fluid retention and release?

The hormone vasopressin, also called antidiuretic hormone, regulates whether the body will retain fluid or release more urine depending on factors like salt levels and hydration status.

What are circadian clock genes?

Circadian clock genes are expressed in cells throughout the body and regulate organ functioning on a 24 hour circadian rhythm, being most active at certain times of day.

What is the purpose of kidney filtration?

The kidneys filter fluids in the body to remove contaminants and regulate fluid and electrolyte balance through mechanisms like hormone release and urination.

What other organs have circadian dependent functioning?

In addition to the kidneys, circadian clock genes impact functioning of organs like the gut which follows a 24 hour cycle.

Outlines

00:00

😀 How much fluid you need per hour and why kidney function changes over the day

You need about 8 ounces or 240 mL of fluid per hour for the first 10 hours after waking because kidney filtration is stronger earlier in the day due to circadian rhythm gene regulation. Kidney function starts reducing 10 hours after waking when cells become less efficient at filtering fluids. This prevents overfiltration while sleeping.

05:01

😀 Tips to reduce nighttime waking to urinate

To reduce waking up at night to urinate: 1) Hydrate properly during the day so you aren't excessively thirsty at night 2) Reduce fluid intake at night to 5-8 ounces total between 10 hours after waking and sleep 3) Sip fluids slowly in the evening rather than gulping.

Keywords

💡hydration

Hydration refers to consuming adequate fluids, especially water, to maintain fluid balance in the body. The video emphasizes staying properly hydrated during the day by drinking at least 8 oz of fluid per hour in the first 10 hours after waking. This helps reduce excessive thirst and over-hydration in the evening, which can lead to frequent urination at night.

💡circadian rhythm

Circadian rhythms are the body's internal clock that regulates various physiological processes over a 24-hour cycle. The video explains how kidney function has a strong circadian rhythm, filtering fluids most efficiently in the first 10 hours after waking before reducing function later in the day/night.

💡kidney filtration

The kidneys filter excess fluids and waste products from the blood to be excreted as urine. According to the video, kidney filtration rates are high in the first 10 hours after waking due to circadian regulation but drop off significantly after that.

💡antidiuretic hormone

Also called vasopressin, this hormone regulates fluid balance by controlling how much water the kidneys reabsorb back into the blood vs. excrete as urine. The video states antidiuretic hormone levels follow a circadian rhythm to regulate nighttime urine production.

💡fluid intake

The video recommends staying well hydrated by drinking fluids consistently through the first 10 hours after waking. It also advises reducing fluid intake at night to avoid frequent urination.

💡gulping vs sipping

The rate of fluid intake affects how quickly it is processed by the body - gulping sends more rapid signals so fluids may be excreted faster than sipping. The video suggests gulping fluids during day but sipping smaller amounts at night.

💡nocturia

Nocturia refers to excessive urination during the night. The video provides tips to avoid wakening multiple times at night to urinate, primarily by better managing fluid intake at different times of day.

💡mechanosensors

Mechanosensors detect physical signals like fluid stretch and pressure. The video states they play a role in controlling the body's fluid filtration response based on the rate of fluid intake.

💡vasopressin

Vasopressin is another term for antidiuretic hormone, which regulates fluid balance partially through circadian rhythms that change levels needed at different times of day.

💡filtration

Filtration refers to the kidney's role in removing excess fluid and waste products from blood so they can be excreted while retaining what the body still needs. This is an important regulated process affected by circadian cycles.

Highlights

Kidney filtration is strongly circadian dependent, with highest function in the first 10 hours after waking

Kidney cells have circadian clock genes that regulate whether the kidney filters fluid at a high or low level over 24 hours

The kidney filters fluid most efficiently in the first 10 hours after waking when circadian genes activate high functioning

After 10 hours of waking, kidney function and fluid filtration starts to significantly decline as circadian genes downregulate

Reduced kidney function overnight prevents excess nighttime urination, which is normal and healthy

To reduce nighttime urination: properly hydrate during the day, reduce evening fluid intake, and sip fluids slowly after 10 hours of waking

Excess nighttime thirst and fluid intake causes more frequent urination, often from under-hydrating during previous daytime hours

The body's fluid filtration and excretion rate depends not just on fluid volume ingested but also the rate it's consumed

Gulping fluids quickly versus sipping slowly causes faster processing through gut, kidney, and bladder resulting in quicker urination

Daytime fluid intake can be gulped or sipped based on personal preference with no major impact on processing rate

Evening fluid intake should be limited to 5-8 ounces total and sipped slowly after 10 hours of waking to minimize night wakings

With proper daytime hydration, reduced and slow evening fluid intake allows for fewer or no nighttime bathroom trips

If dehydrated or very thirsty in evening, it's healthy to drink more fluid as needed rather than restrict intake

Kidney circadian rhythms are critical regulators of fluid homeostasis, intake needs, and sleep quality

Understanding kidney circadian biology provides simple, practical recommendations to improve nighttime sleep by reducing awakenings

Transcripts

You need about eight ounces or 240 milliliters of fluid

per hour for the first 10 hours of your day after waking.

Now, why did I say for the first 10 hours?

Well, it turns out that the filtration

of fluids from your body, which is accomplished, of course,

by your kidneys, and by way of your bladder,

and the excretion of fluid out urethra, so-called urination,

is strongly, strongly circadian dependent,

meaning the cells of your kidney,

and the cells even of your gut,

in fact, all the cells of your body,

but especially the cells of your kidney,

which filter the fluid that comes into your body,

and that make certain hormones like vasopressin,

which is antidiuretic hormone,

all of that functioning of the kidney

is under strong regulation

by so-called circadian clock genes.

Circadian clock genes are genes that are expressed

in every cell, but that in certain cells of the body,

very strongly impact whether or not that organ,

in this case, the kidney, is going to be activated,

meaning functioning at a very high level,

or at a reduced level.

And we can make all

of this very simple by simply stating what's contained

in this beautiful review that I'll provide a link to

if you want to learn more,

called "Circadian Rhythms in the Kidney."

And basically what is known

is that for the first 10 hours after waking,

your kidney is filtering fluid

within your body at a very rapid rate.

There are a number of different cell types that do that,

but they are basically taking that fluid,

pulling out any contaminants,

using hormones such as antidiuretic hormone, vasopressin,

to adjust whether or not you're going to hold onto fluid

or release more fluid from your body

in the form of urine, depending on the salt concentration,

depending on how much fluid you need, your work output,

the conditions you're in, all of that.

However, at about 10 hours after waking,

your kidney really starts to reduce

its overall level of functioning.

Now, that doesn't mean that your kidney

cannot filter fluid 11 or 12 or 16 hours after waking,

but it becomes far less efficient at doing so.

And thank goodness it does,

because you do not want your kidney filtering fluid

at the same rate at midnight,

assuming you wake up at say, seven or eight or 9:00 AM,

that it was filtering fluid at 10:00 AM.

In fact, we can say that if you want

to reduce your nighttime waking in order to urinate,

which is a common, common question and concern

that many people have, how can I avoid waking up

in the middle of the night to urinate?

And there I say it's perfectly normal to wake up once,

maybe twice each night to urinate.

But if you want to reduce the number of times

that you wake up in order to urinate across the night,

maybe even make that number zero times,

you will greatly benefit by doing three things.

First of all, make sure that you're hydrating sufficiently

during the daytime.

That will ensure that you are not excessively thirsty

in the evening, and therefore, consuming a lot more fluid.

Second, and related to that first point,

is that you do want to reduce your fluid intake at night,

provided you hydrated sufficiently throughout the day.

And believe it or not, the rate at which fluid moves

from your gut and into the cells and tissues of your body,

and then from your bladder into urine is determined

not just by the volume of fluid you ingest,

but also the rate at which you ingest that fluid.

Now you might be thinking, that's crazy.

That makes no sense at all, right?

If I drink a ton of fluid slowly,

doesn't it still mean that I'm going to urinate a ton?

Yes and no.

It also stands to reason that you might ask,

if I ingest very little fluid, but I do it very fast,

is it going to be the case that I'm going to urinate it

out very quickly?

Well, yes and no.

The point is that the fluid filtration systems

of your body that range from the gut to the bladder,

and include the kidney, of course,

depend not just on the volume,

but on the rate of fluid that you ingest

because of those mechanosensors

that we talked about earlier.

If you gulp down a bunch of fluids,

you are going to excrete those fluids more quickly

than if you sip them slowly, excuse me, sip them slowly.

So here's what I recommend.

Throughout the day,

when you're trying to get your adequate yield of water

or other beverages, feel free to gulp that fluid or sip it.

I'm a gulper, not a sipper,

but many of you are going to be sippers, not gulpers.

Consume fluid at the rate that feels right to you,

but feel comfortable gulping that fluid.

However, in the evening,

if you are somebody who has challenges

with waking up excessively

in the middle of the night, reduce your fluid intake,

provided you've hydrated properly throughout the day,

and I suggest consuming no more than five,

maybe eight ounces of fluid

between the time of 10 hours after waking

and when you go to sleep.

Again, if you're very thirsty,

or you underhydrated, or it's very hot,

feel free to ingest more fluid, please.

But most people will find that

if they reduce their fluid intake to about five ounces

or less of fluid in that later part of the day,

after 10 hours of having woken up, and before sleep,

and they sip those beverages as opposed to gulping them,

that they will have fewer bouts of waking up in the middle

of the night to go to the restroom, and ideally zero.

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