If you’ve ever had a urinary tract infection (UTI), you’re familiar with the discomfort they cause. The symptoms of a UTImay seem to be more noticeable as you’re winding down to go to bed.
UTIs don’t actually get worse at night, but they do feel worse at night. This is partly because you’re not engaged in other activities that can take your mind off your symptoms. You’re also tired at night, so you may be more likely to feel frustrated and annoyed by the pain and discomfort from a urinary tract infection.
How To Sleep With a UTI?
You can use some simple techniques to reduce symptoms and get better sleep during a UTI:
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydratedcan help with UTI discomfort [1]. Urine that is more diluted may be less likely to result in pain with urination. It can also help flush bacteria out of the urinary tract and speed up recovery. Stick with non-caffeinated beverages, since those can keep you awake. Alcoholic drinks, coffee, and soft drinks that contain caffeine or citrus juice may irritate the bladder and exacerbate symptoms.
Try to taper off your fluid consumption after dinner. Too much water in the evening may mean you’re up multiple times per night to go to the bathroom.
Empty Your Bladder
Along with not drinking water a few hours before sleep, it’s a good idea to make a final bathroom stop before you get into bed. Try to completely empty your bladder. This will reduce the likelihood of the sensation of irritation caused by pressure inside the bladder. Limiting that discomfort and preventing the need for frequent urination can give you more uninterrupted sleep.
Emptying your bladder completely every time you pee may help prevent future UTIs [2].
Heating Pads
A heating pad over your abdomen can offer instant relief from UTI discomfort [3]. The warmth relaxes muscles, reduces fluid retention, and promotes circulation, all of which can help with UTI pain.
You should only use an electric heating pad while you’re awake; keeping a heating pad on during the night is a fire risk. If you want all-night heat relief, you can try a stick-on heat pad from the drugstore. They are designed to provide gentle warmth over many hours.
Over-The-Counter Pain Relievers
Over-the-counter medicine can dampen pain, so you can sleep with a UTI. You can use common pain medicines like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Over-the-counter phenazopyridine is a medication that specifically resists pain in the urinary tract and is a common remedy for UTI pain.
Prescription UTI Treatment
UTIs are usually caused by bacteria. While some UTIs will clear on their own, antibiotics are usually the recommended treatment for them [4]. Prompt treatment with antibiotics can ensure that the infection doesn’t get worse or cause serious complications like kidney damage.
If you have a UTI, you should talk to your doctor about the appropriate treatment. They can prescribe antibiotics that you should take as directed. In addition, your doctor may give you prescription-strength phenazopyridine, which can relieve discomfort more thoroughly than the over-the-counter strength.
At-Home UTI Testing With Diagnox UTI Testing Strips
Early diagnosis and treatment is a good way to shorten thatduration of symptoms from a UTI. The sooner you treat the underlying infection, the sooner the pain and inflammation it causes will resolve. Home testing can confirm that you have a UTI so you can call you doctor for treatments.
The Diagnox Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Test Strips is an at-home version of the same type of dipstick tests used by healthcare professionals to diagnose urinary tract infections. The tests measure the two primary indicators of urinary tract infections: inflammation (via white blood cells) and bacterial activity (via urinary nitrite). Simply dip the UTI home test strip into a urine sample, wait two minutes, and read the results.
