Your Large Prostate is Disrupting Your Sleep

Did you know that May is Better Sleep Month? Did you know that some men with BPH (prostate enlargement) have to get up many times a night to go to the bathroom, and therefore are losing out on a good night's sleep? That's why if you have BPH, it's important for you to think about how to get a better night's sleep, and what better month to think about that than now? The goal of BPH treatment is to help manage and reduce symptoms that disrupt your day to day life. You may also know frequent urination as nocturia. So how can you combat nocturia associated with BPH?

If you're getting up many times a night and experiencing nocturia, make sure you've talked to your doctor to know if it's BPH. There are a few urinary and prostatic conditions that display similar symptoms, so it's important to know if what you have is BPH. 

You should drink more fluids during the day and less at night. Drinking fluids regularly will help you make the urine less thick in the bladder and help reduce irritation. However, you should avoid or reduce irritants to the bladder like caffeine, spices, and alcohol.

Here are some additional tips from Dr. Tan:
You should try to...
- Elevate your legs before going to sleep so that fluids don't accumulate in the lower body and increase urinary urges. 

- Go to the bathroom just before you go to sleep so you can sleep with an empty bladder and reduce the trips early on in your sleep cycle. 

If you'd like tips for getting back to sleep when getting up in the middle of the night for a bathroom trip, you can try these tips:
- If you have trouble getting back to sleep after getting up, try a white noise machine or ambient music to help lull you to sleep.
- Install a dim light in your toilet bowl or use a dim light setting to reduce the sensation of being awake from bright lights. 
- Keep a bed pan or pee bottle near your bed so you can relieve yourself and get back to sleep sooner.

- Ensure your mattress is still in good quality in terms of your preferred firmness or softness to help you fall asleep.   

You know that sleep is important to maintain your immune system and get through the day with less stress and more energy. Don't let BPH get in the way of your sleep or your quality of life!