Sleep Apnea and the Need to Pee

Have you ever been woken up urgently needing to go to the bathroom? Sometimes, just getting cuddled back down into bed, back to sleep, then needing to get up again, after a few trips, I just stay up because it is no longer worth trying to sleep. 

For me, with sleep apnea, that is the way some nights have gone at times.

Feeling the effects the next day

Then the thoughts come rushing into my mind early in the day. What is wrong with me? Do I have a small bladder? Why can’t I control the need to pee?! With all that going on resulting in still being tired and just wanting a good night's sleep, it seems to be a never-ending circle.

Worn out and totally exhausted, I go on with my day. But to me, it seems on the nights that I'm up, my needing to pee is also more during the day. I cannot always find the balance between being awake these days. The days seem to drag on and have never-ending bathroom runs, making it really hard to get anything accomplished.

Does this sound familiar to anyone else??

Sleep, interrupted

Then night comes, and I am more exhausted than I was the night before. Each night brings new hope of having a good night's sleep. As I crawl into bed, curl up in my favorite sleeping position, I slowly start to drift off. Sometimes I fall totally asleep, resting very well.

But then the whole cycle of needing to get up and pee in between the short naps starts all over again! This is so discouraging.

Using my CPAP for a good night's sleep

I have found there are things I can do to help with the possibility of getting a good night's sleep. One of those things is the regular, nightly use of my sleep apnea machine, my CPAP.

I have found then I must use the machine preferably for 8 hours pretty much every night. But at least 4 hours for 3 of the 7 nights does help a lot.

CPAP reduces my need to pee

As a matter of fact, for me going on this type of schedule and using my CPAP machine, I never get up in the middle of the night to pee. However, if I skip a few nights and don't use the machine at all, then I'm back to the cycle of needing to get up and pee several times during the night.

Benefits of a sleep mask

I also use a sleep mask to help block any light that might be coming in. As my eyelids do not always close completely while sleeping, I personally crocheted myself a sleeping cap and pull it over my whole face – CPAP mask and all! It is amazing!

Time and patience

If you’re a new user, it just takes time and patients to adjust to using a CPAP machine all night.

Whether you're a new user or a more seasoned user, don’t give up on using it. The benefits of more energy and possibly fewer other health problems far outweigh any inconvenience.