Pros of drinking water before bed

• Lowers blood pressure and heart rate: Drinking water before bed can reduce cardiac workload and lower blood pressure and heart rate. It can help the heart pump blood more efficiently, leading to less strain on the heart, blood pressure, and heart rate. When a person's heart rate and blood pressure are lower, they're better able to relax and de-stress, leading to better sleep.

• Improves mood: Dehydration can lead to poor mood, irritability, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue, all of which can hinder sleep. Drinking water before bed may improve mood, calmness, feelings of satisfaction, and produce other positive emotions, leading to a peaceful night's rest.

• Relieves headache symptoms: Drinking water may help relieve some forms of headaches, according to several studies. Taking a glass of water before bedtime may help reduce headache symptoms, severity, and duration.

• Prevents dehydration: Dehydration can lead to thirst, dry mouth, lips, and eyes, increased heart rate and body temperature, poor mood, muscle cramps, and irritability, all of which can impact a person's ability to fall and stay asleep. Drinking water before bed is a way to rehydrate the body and help you sleep better at night.

Cons of drinking water before bed

Drinking too much water before bed may cause unnecessary interruptions in your sleep as you may need to visit the restroom. Frequent bathroom trips at night may increase the risk of nocturia, a condition that causes people to wake up to use the bathroom several times per night. This condition can lead to fragmented sleep, impacting a person's ability to get proper recovery sleep. 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.

In conclusion, staying hydrated is essential for overall health and can improve sleep quality. Drinking water before bed has several benefits, including lowering blood pressure and heart rate, improving mood, relieving headache symptoms, and preventing dehydration. However, drinking too much water before bed may lead to unnecessary interruptions in your sleep. To prevent urination or reduce urination frequency at night, you may limit water intake two hours before bedtime, use the restroom before going to bed, reduce salt intake, increase physical activity levels, and consult with a doctor if you frequently urinate at night.