A new study suggests that nocturia may worsen the already poor sleep of older adults with insomnia. Published in the March 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, results show that 54 percent of all log-reported nocturnal awakenings were associated with nocturia. A greater number of trips to the bathroom was associated with worse log-reported perception of feeling rested and poorer sleep efficiency. Awakenings measured by actigraphy were 11.5 percent longer on nights on which there was a trip to the bathroom, and wake after sleep onset was 20.8 percent longer during these nights. The study provides the first objective measurement of sleep disruption and its association with nocturia on nights in which both were documented simultaneously.
