Sleep and Lifestyle
Water is an essential nutrient for the human body, making up to 60% of body weight. Losing 10% or more of body water can have severe health consequences. Proper hydration is crucial for supporting bodily functions that keep our bodies performing as they’re meant to. It also helps improve physical, cognitive, emotional, and sleep health. If you're wondering if drinking a glass of water before bed is beneficial or looking for simple ways to improve sleep, here are the pros and cons of drinking water before bed.
Pros of drinking water before bed:
Lowers blood pressure and heart rate
Drinking water before bed can help reduce cardiac workload with a noticeable effect on heart rate and blood pressure. It may activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the body’s rest, digest, and recovery state. It helps the heart pump blood more efficiently, preventing strain on the heart, blood pressure, and heart rate.
Improves mood
Staying hydrated may improve mood, calmness, feelings of satisfaction, and produce other positive emotions, which may help create the right atmosphere for a peaceful night’s rest.
Relieves headache symptoms
Drinking water may help relieve some forms of headache and reduce headache symptoms, severity, and duration. It is a potential remedy for managing headache symptoms.
Prevents dehydration
Drinking a glass of water before bed is a way to rehydrate the body and help you sleep better at night.
Cons of drinking water before bed:
Nocturia
Drinking too much water before bedtime may lead to frequent urination, causing an unnecessary interruption in your sleep. Nocturia occurs in 50 million US adults and can increase the risk of developing insomnia.
Underlying health issues
Nocturia can stem from other underlying health issues such as bladder overactivity, bladder infection, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia.
To prevent or reduce nocturia, limit water intake in the two hours leading up to bedtime, manage caffeine and alcohol consumption throughout the evening, use the restroom one last time right before going to bed, reduce salt intake in daily diet, increase physical activity levels, and perform pelvic floor exercises.
In conclusion, staying hydrated during the day is crucial for sleep health, and drinking water before bed can have both pros and cons. While it can help lower blood pressure, improve mood, relieve headaches, and prevent dehydration, it may cause nocturia, interrupting sleep. Managing water intake and addressing underlying health issues may help improve sleep quality.
