I have insomnia, I also pee A LOT. I wake up 5-6 times a night and go to the bathroom. I have no idea if i'm waking up because I have to pee, or if I'd wake up anyway. I'm not sure what to do. I don't think I overload on liquids during the day or before bedtime, but when I go I do pee. It's not like a UTI where it just feels like you have to go but don't. Sometimes I"ve wondered how my body can pee out more liquid than I take in (i'm sure that's not true, it just feels that way. There are definitely times where this is worse then others. It does not really seem to be tied to where I'm at in my cycle. I'll have a really bad month and then two not so bad months....... It can get embarassing during the day. At the optometrists office the other day I had to pee every 10 minutes. Tiny bladder that can't handle much?

I almost always get up a1/2 times a night. Every once in a while, I'll have a night like you're describing and it seems like I'm running to the br all night. It all started after I had my kids (I had them late - first at age 41, 2nd at age 44.)

I read somewhere that as we get older our bladders are not as elastic, so we have to urinate more frequently. If it becomes a noticably, more frequent issue, it could signal an underlying problem. With my mom, she was discovered to have diabetes after extreme thirst, loss of weight and VERY frequent urination.

As far as the insomnia, if I wake up during the night, I go to the br out of habit.

Oh for the days when I fell asleep five mins after my head hit the pillow and didn't wake up till morning (and I don't mean 2AM ).

Chris: In my family, I'm known as The Tinkle Queen! I pee at least 3/4 times a night...it started after I gave birth to my daughter. I just accept it as part of my normal night. I'm not sleeping much these days anyways.

Is this a new occurence for you? If so, I would consult a doctor, becaue it could mean you have a low level UTI. I find that if restrict liquids after 7 pm, I won't go as much, but I have such a problem with allergies, that I like to have a glass of water next to the bed so I can sip all night (otherwise I wake up with a scratchy throat.)

And I completey understand your question: am I waking up to pee, or peeing because I wake up? If I wake up for any reason, I always visit the BR. It's like an obsessive quirk with me. I think a lot of women are like this....and men too. I dated a guy who would get up to pee at least 10 times every night...and he didn't have any prostrate, or urinary issues. I'm a nervous person--I think we pee more often.

Also, in the morning, if I have coffee and anything with diurectic properties to it (like grapefruit), I will pee every 10 minutes for 2 hours. When I first started my company, I was on the road, cold calling every day. I knew every clean bathroom in a 40 mile radius. And I am embarrassed to just go into a restaurant (like McDonald's) and just use the bathroom, so I end up buying something I don't want, just to justify my use of their facilities. It got to be expensive. Now I get up earlier so I can get this phase over with as soon as possible.

Hope I answered your questions...

Ever since peri I have found that I need to go about every 10 minutes for a couple of hours after I awake in the morning. If we are travelling at that time my husband has to stop at every sevice station ! I think its part and parcel of aging. My mum is in her 70s and she is exactly the same so its not just a meno thing.
I find doing pelvic floor exercises essential to keep the bladder strong. I dont want to be a lady who has to use those horrid pads!
I certainly have to get up a couple of times in the night and I also find I need to go about 10 minutes after getting in to bed. I wonder if its a positional thing.
I used to have insomnia during peri and of course you have to keep going if you are awake. I think that's a woman thing anyway.
Since I started using testosterone following my hyst I dont get insomnia any more! But I remember it well!
janet c

Hi Chris
Please do pop along to your Doctors for a Diabetes test...... You may just have an irritable bladder but I have lots of family members who have diabetes and frequent peeing is the main first sign.
Uncontrolled high blood sugar can damage your body so its best to be checked out.
As I said its likely you just have an irritable bladder but please do go along and get checked and rule out the diabetes.. just in case
((((((((Hugs)))))))) Lindy

I pee a lot too...especially all morning before lunch....cause I drink a real lot of coffee and water. Please keep in mind that excessive urinating can be a symptom of a blood sugar problem and should be looked into.

Off I go to the bathroom.............hahahahaha

Thank you!! As always, knowing that it's not just me makes a lot of difference. I've noticed in the past, and again today, that the frequency really is worse before noon and then eases up for the rest of the day. I do drink coffee first thing and I've been feeling pretty petulant about the idea giving it up. I think it's definitely gotten psychological for me. I "pre-emptively" pee if I happen to be in a place with a bathroom. I've gotten in the habit of going so much that I almost don't know if I'm going because I have to or because I have an opportunity to. Aaargh. Maybe I"ll read some about bladder re-training.

I'm pretty sure it's not diabetes. This has been going on for a couple of years, although getting worse, and i've had a couple of fasting bloodworks done in the interim. There's never been any indication of diabetes or pre-diabetes or anything. My next physical is in January so I'll have a chance to check it out again then. I've told my family nurse practicioner about the frequency thing and it always seems to draw a blank.

Just a couple of days ago, at my request, my FNP increased my estradiol patch from .05 to .1. My last blood test showed that my serum estradiol was 37 with the patch ON. Dr. Vliet thinks that levels lower than 60 will definitely impact the urinary tract/bladder. I'll do another blood test in a month and see what the higher dose patch gets my blood level up to. I'm hoping to see an improvement both with the insomnia and the frequent peeing.

I also just started cycling 100 mg prometrium to see if it helps with sleep. I know that 100 mg is low for cycling, but I'm still having something akin to periods on my own and I wanted to see how the prometrium effected me starting with a low dose. I've read that some women react really badly to it. So far it does not seem to be helping with the insomnia, but it has not made me feel bad either, so I'll give it a chance for a couple of months.

I've noticed that I have to pee more too. I never had kids, if that info is relevant at all ! I've never had any UTIs or any other problems.

Sometimes I wonder if it's a psychological thing ! I can sit at my desk at work for hours, drinking coffee and water, and only go like 3 times during 8 hours. But when I go shopping or drive the car, why is it that I feel like I have to pee 10 minutes after I leave the house ???

I don't think it is your imaginations. I think you do have to urinate more often. I had to urinate more often before I used the estriol vaginal cream which seemed to reverse the vaginal dryness and atrophy that I had. Now I am back to how I used to be--not waking in the night--having to urinate first thing in the morning.

Miss Tibbs