Sleep and Lifestyle
Water is an essential nutrient that supports various bodily functions, including regulating body temperature, aiding digestion, and removing waste. Proper hydration is critical for maintaining good health and overall wellbeing. However, there's been a lot of debate about whether or not drinking water before bed is good or bad for you. In this blog, we'll explore the pros and cons of drinking water before bed and whether or not it's a good idea.
Pros of Drinking Water Before Bed
Lowers blood pressure and heart rate: Drinking water before bed can help reduce blood pressure and heart rate, which can lead to a more relaxed state, making it easier to fall asleep. According to an article published in Scientific Reports, water reduces cardiac workload with a noticeable effect on heart rate and blood pressure. Similarly, a 2020 study suggests that drinking water habitually before bedtime may reduce blood pressure.
Improves Mood: Dehydration can negatively impact mood, causing irritability, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue. Conversely, staying hydrated can improve mood, calmness, feelings of satisfaction, and other positive emotions, which may help create the right atmosphere for a peaceful night's rest.
Relieves Headache Symptoms: If you suffer from headaches, drinking water before bed may provide relief. Strong evidence suggests that drinking water may help relieve some forms of headache, according to a study published in Nutrition Reviews. Similarly, a 2020 study found that drinking water may help reduce headache symptoms, severity, and duration.
Prevents Dehydration: Dehydration can cause a host of symptoms that can negatively impact your ability to fall and stay asleep, including thirst, dry mouth, lips, and eyes, increased heart rate and body temperature, poor mood, muscle cramps, and irritability. Drinking water before bed can help rehydrate your body, ensuring you get uninterrupted sleep.
Cons of Drinking Water Before Bed
May Cause Nocturia: One of the biggest downsides of drinking water before bed is that it may cause you to wake up during the night to use the bathroom, also known as nocturia. Nocturia can interrupt your sleep and leave you feeling tired and groggy the next day. Research shows that nocturia affects 2% to 18% of people aged 20 to 40 and increases with age, affecting 28% to 62% of people between 70 to 80 years.
May Increase the Risk of Insomnia: Nocturia can lead to fragmented sleep, which can impact your ability to get proper recovery sleep. Research suggests that nocturia increases a person's risk of developing insomnia, a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early.
May Contribute to Other Health Conditions: Drinking too much water at night may contribute to other health conditions like bladder overactivity, bladder infection, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia.
In conclusion, drinking water before bed can have both pros and cons. While staying hydrated is critical for good health and overall wellbeing, drinking too much water before bed may cause nocturia, increase the risk of insomnia, and contribute to other health conditions. To prevent nocturia, limit your water intake in the two hours leading up to bedtime and manage your caffeine and alcohol consumption throughout the evening. Additionally, try to use the restroom one last time right before going to bed, reduce the amount of salt in your daily diet, and increase your daily physical activity levels. By following these lifestyle recommendations, you can prevent or reduce nocturia and improve your sleep quality, ultimately supporting optimal hydration and good health.
