Drinking water before sleeping

I want to know if drinking water before sleeping at night good or bad.

Chdozie (by SMS)

The answer depends completely on the quantity and on your personal biological factors. You do need water intake regardless of the time of day. The major reason against it is that drinking water before bedtime can lead to the occurrence of nocturia – waking up to relieve oneself in the middle of sleeping.

The consequence is an interrupted process of sleep and increased fatigue because it affects deep sleep phases when our body is actively restored. It can cause hormonal and cognitive problems if this state occurs continuously. In addition, if you are already experiencing frequent awakenings during the night because of this exact condition, then it’s best to skip water intake before sleep, indeed.

Here comes the point many people ignore: while sleeping, the body undergoes significant dehydration caused by water loss during exhalation processes and sweating.

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The consequence is waking up feeling thirsty or suffering from headaches and dehydration-induced brain fogginess. A few sips of water before sleep may compensate for this effect. Of course, the issue appears only in cases when this water won’t cause you to visit the toilet.

It goes without saying that for some people, like those with certain kidney diseases or people who have edema, such behaviour would be risky indeed. But for others, it would make sense to drink regularly during the day and avoid making up for lost water consumption before going to bed.