Water is life, not only can we not survive without it, we need a regular amount daily to keep our bodies functioning properly.
Hydration is often associated with only diet and exercise, but more & more research is exploring the link between hydration & sleep. Research is showing us that insufficient sleep leads to dehydration and dehydration may create barriers to sleep.
I know right, you might want to read that again - lol!
Enemies of sleep
Dehydration - can leave us feeling extremely tired, lethargic or fatigued. Other symptoms are headaches, dry mouth and nasal passages, muscle cramps causing discomfort and attributing to poor sleep.
Nocturia - frequent urination at night, especially problematic if you battle to fall asleep after your stumble to the toilet in the middle of the night. This is attributed to excessive hydration.
Enemy of Hydration
Lack of sleep - In an observational study conducted in the USA and China, nearly 20 000 adults who slept for only 6 hours per night were significantly more dehydrated than adults who slept for 8 hours per night.
Biologically we lose water through urination mostly, but also through skin and respiration known as 'insensible water loss'.Did you know that over a full day we lose 300-400 ml of water just through breathing? - and a large portion of that is while we sleep!
Never fear, our amazingly designed body kick's in it's circadian rhythm (body's internal clock) to manage hydration & in the latter part of our sleep, circadian signals cause a hormone called vasopressin that promotes water retention. Cut your sleep short and your body may not have completed this important cycle - hence possible dehydration!
How to avoid Dehydration during Sleep
Focus on good sleep - make sleep a priority, consistently going to bed early enough to get 8 hours in, limiting electronic device time at night, create a relaxing bedtime routine and sleeping on a good quality mattress
Maintain hydration through the day - Get into a healthy hydration routine, i.e. Sipping molecular hydrogen rich water (superior hydration & rapid absorption) from Pure Hydration water Ionizer regularly and using your hydrate flask for ease and mindfulness. Let water be your no.1 drink and limit the rest. Eat plenty of veggies and fruits, these have a good moisture content and hydrate your body too.
Ensure a comfortable bedroom temperature - Sweating (water loss too) should be avoided by wearing loose, cool P.J's, using lighter weight blankets in summer and warmer in winter.
Stay Hydrated without frequent urination - Stop drinking fluids 1-2 hours & elevate your legs before sleep (body reabsorbs fluid from legs when elevated, causing urination), avoid caffeine & alcohol at night (diuretic effects and interrupt sleep cycles), empty your bladder before bed.
You might still have to wake up once during the night to pee, this is normal for most people and common with ageing.
