Waking up at night to urinate seems commonplace. However, when the urge to pee pulls you out of bed two or three times a night, the message is quite different. Doctors call this nocturia, and studies link this frequency to broken sleep, an increased risk of falls and underlying health problems.
In Spain, the nutritionist María de los Ángeles García García, known as Boticaria García, raised awareness on this subject on the set of the show ZapeandoOctober 6, 2025, relayed by La Vanguardia. She said: “Frequent urination at night that interrupts sleep is considered abnormal when one has to get up two or three times and is associated with decreased quality of life and increased mortality.“, explained Boticaria García on the channel La Sexta. The French standards confirm this vigilance, even if age and the discomfort felt are also taken into account.
Nocturia: why Boticaria García speaks of an anomaly at 2 or 3 nocturnal risings
Nocturia corresponds to being awakened by the urge to urinate, specifies Urofrance. If you are already awake and take the opportunity to go to the bathroom, it’s not the same thing. On La Sexta, Boticaria García has also nuanced this. She added: “Going to the bathroom to pee at night is not harmful if you then go back to sleep“.
Boticaria García listed the possible consequences: “Impaired sleep, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, changes in mood and daily performance. There is a greater risk of falls, especially among older people. Also increases the likelihood of household accidents, broken bones and can be an indicator of other health problems, such as diabetes, heart failure, urinary tract infections and prostate problems“.
Getting up 2 or 3 times to urinate: the view of Ameli and the specialists
For Health Insurance, isolated nocturnal urination may remain acceptable, especially after the age of 60. Urofrance specifies that nocturia becomes abnormal from the first rise if it interferes with sleep, and that patients consult much more readily after two or three rises per night.
Boticaria García also detailed possible causes: “It would also be the consequence of prostate problems in men, pregnancy in women, taking certain diuretic medications, sleep disorders such as apnea or, quite simply, age. The hormone vasopressin acts on the kidneys so that less urine is produced at night. In older people, this hormone becomes less concentrated and relaxes, which is why the desire to go to the toilet increases.“.
What to do if the urge to urinate wakes you up at night?
Experts advise limiting evening drinks such as coffee, tea and alcohol, and discussing diuretic schedules with the doctor.
You can also keep a three-day voiding calendar and consult quickly in case of fever, urinary burning, blood in the urine or nocturnal fall.