Water Intake Before Sleeping: Is it Advantageous?

Maintaining proper hydration is vital for overall health, and adequate water intake can improve physical, cognitive, emotional, and sleep health. If you're someone who drinks water regularly, you may be curious about adding a glass of water to your nighttime routine. However, you might wonder if drinking water before bed is beneficial or not. Let's weigh the pros and cons of drinking water before bed and decide if the benefits outweigh the potential downsides.

Advantages of Drinking Water Before Bed

Helps to Reduce Blood Pressure and Heart Rate

According to an article in Scientific Reports, drinking water can decrease cardiac workload and have a noticeable effect on heart rate and blood pressure. It was also noted that the decrease in blood pressure and heart rate may be due to the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the body rest, digest, and recover. A 2020 study also suggests that regularly drinking water before bedtime may reduce blood pressure.

Improves Mood

Research has shown that hydration may improve mood, calmness, feelings of satisfaction, and other positive emotions that create a peaceful atmosphere for a good night's sleep. In contrast, dehydration can lead to poor mood, irritability, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue, all of which can hinder sleep.

Relieves Headache Symptoms

Studies have found that drinking water may help relieve some forms of headache and reduce their severity and duration. Drinking water before bed could help relieve your headache symptoms and allow for better rest.

Prevents Dehydration

Dehydration can have severe health consequences, and drinking a glass of water before bed can help rehydrate the body, prevent thirst, dry mouth, lips, and eyes, reduce heart rate and body temperature, improve mood, prevent muscle cramps, and irritability, all of which may impact sleep.

Disadvantages of Drinking Water Before Bed

One of the main reasons why drinking too much water before bed may not be ideal is that it may cause nocturia, a condition where a person wakes up two or more times to urinate during the night, leading to fragmented sleep and an increased risk of developing insomnia. Other conditions associated with nocturia include bladder overactivity, bladder infection, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and insomnia. To prevent or reduce urination frequency at night, experts recommend limiting water intake two hours before bedtime, managing caffeine and alcohol consumption throughout the evening, using the restroom before going to bed, reducing daily salt intake, and increasing daily physical activity levels, including pelvic floor exercises.

In conclusion, drinking water before bed has both pros and cons, and the decision to drink water before bed depends on your unique needs and preferences. Maintaining proper hydration during the day is crucial for optimal sleep health, and there's evidence that suggests that the longer your sleep duration is, the less dehydrated you may be, which in turn, may support optimal hydration.