Frequent Night Time Urination Can Be the Sign of a Life Threatening Ailment

Did you know that sleep apnea increases your risk of an early death by as much as 300 percent? Did you also know that those of you who are awaken two or more times a night to go urinate may be suffering from a severe form of sleep apnea? Apnea is the lack of breathing for a brief period. Sufferers' with sleep apnea generally experience multiple episodes of apnea during their nightly sleep period.

There are many cause of sleep apnea. Mild alcohol use is one of them. If consumed in the evening, it can trigger or worsen snoring and sleep apnea. Researchers observed alcohol consumption exacerbates apnea because it causes the throat muscles to relax and suspend the brain's awakening response mechanism. This prolongs the time it takes the sleeper to stir in their sleep and draw a breath.

Mixing alcohol with sedatives is a truly dangerous and sometimes deadly combination for sleep apnea sufferers. The alcohol modifies the drinker's central nervous system so that it reacts slower, cutting down their breathing rate and heart beat. Sleeping pills are depressants. Mixing a depressant together with the all ready present debilitation effects of the alcohol, into a system suffering from a handicapped breathing condition can be fatal. Sleep apnea sufferers' should never take any type of sleeping pills unless prescribed by your primary care physician with full knowledge of your sleeping dysfunction.

For you sleep apnea sufferers whom also suffer from frequent night time urination, in additions to your pauses in breathing, sleep apnea may be triggering a rise in your blood pressure. This increase in blood pressure is usually your body's way to compensate for the oxygen shortage caused by your pauses in breathing.

When your blood pressure level rises beyond a certain level, your kidneys react involuntarily and begin to draw water from your blood stream to reduce blood volume. This water is absorbed into your system. Excessive and unnecessary water is passed on to the bladder for removal. The result is your night time arousal to go empty it through urination. If frequent episodes of this situation occur nightly and you have been experiencing this problem for a long time, you may have a severe form of sleep apnea.

There are test your doctor can perform to test for sleep apnea. If your bladder is causing you to lose sleep on a regular basis, ask your doctor for a polysomnogram. Sleep apnea, like all other sleep disorders affect the quality of your life. Sleep is as important to your physical and mental health as nutritious food is. You would change your diet if it were making you ill; do the same for your sleep discomfort.

Resource: Snooze Clues, Part2 - Men's Health Magazine - October, 2008