Male Incontinence at Night and How To Help Nightly Incontinence
There’s never a good time for incontinence to strike, but nighttime incontinence tends to be a little more frustrating than anything. Changing the sheets and completely getting out of bed is a nuisance, and it can completely dampen a good night’s rest (no pun intended).
So what can you do about it? It turns out, there are plenty of ways to help fight back against male incontinence at night. Here’s everything you need to know.
What Causes Incontinence at Night?
Enuresis is still prominent in the U.S., especially among older adults. And there are a few causes that might make enuresis occur more often.
For one, it might just be hormones. Your body releases an antidiuretic hormone while you sleep called ADH. This slows the production of urine in the kidneys while you sleep, so you don’t feel the urge to pee while in bed.
But people with enuresis may not produce enough of this hormone, meaning that urinary incontinence tends to be prominent, especially when it comes about with no warning. It might also be structural causes in the prostate, pelvic, or urethra.
Structural causes might include urinary tract infections, kidney stones, prostate cancer, or enlarged prostate, which affect how the bladder functions. Some people might also wet the bed because of smaller bladder capacity or neurological issues.
The bladder may not signal to the brain that it’s time to use the bathroom until it is too late. When you pair this with an overactive bladder or instability of the bladder, it spells out a recipe for leaking.
Finally, nocturnal enuresis can be a side effect of taking certain medications, especially those used for psychiatric purposes like Thioridazine or Clozapine. Not to mention, irritants like caffeine or alcohol before bed can act as diuretics that increase urine production.
How Can I Help Nighttime Incontinence?
Incontinence at night is a frustrating side effect many men deal with but have no relief. Let’s look at some of the best ways to alleviate enuresis at night and stay dry until the morning.
Change Your Behaviors
Sometimes, reducing your nightly incontinence might be as simple as changing behaviors. For one, monitor when you’re drinking fluids and what types of fluids you’re drinking. Limit your intake of fluids in the evening about two hours before going to bed to ensure that you can fully empty your bladder before hitting the hay.
Additionally, try to stick to water at night. Drinking coffee or alcohol in the evening can make you need to urinate more often since they act as diuretics.
You may also want to consider setting alarms at night to be able to wake up and use the restroom, so you don’t risk leaking the bed. Most people like to set one or two alarms at night so they can regularly get out of bed to release before doing it on the sheets.
You might also want to try a technique known as bladder retaining, which involves going to the bathroom at set times during the day and night. Over time, you’ll slowly increase the time between visits to train your bladder to hold more fluid. The goal is that you’ll build up enough bladder strength to make it through the night without wetting.
Use Bedding Pads
If you leak on the bed frequently, it can be a pain to strip the sheets and wash them over and over. While bedding pads won’t stop you from leaking on the bed, they will stop the discomfort, and are therefore helpful..
Bed pads are heavily absorbent materials placed underneath a top sheet to absorb urine before it leaks onto the mattress itself. This can save you a lot of time and effort when cleaning.
Wear an Incontinence Product
Bedding pads can be expensive, and if you just have minor drips and dribbles, there’s no need to make the investment. Instead, incontinence products like MDP are a great alternative that gives you freedom, comfort, and security for light incontinence.
MDP sleeves were designed with the male anatomy in mind to fit right over your penis and can be tightened with an adjustable two-strap system. You can get the perfect fit no matter the size. Since it adheres to your package rather than your underwear, you can wear briefs, boxers, or whatever type of undergarment you like.
It also uses an absorbent, comfortable, breathable material that lets you get back to the activities you love most without worrying. From lifting to running, hiking to just plain walking, you can have confidence that MDP will soak up nearly two ounces of drips and dribbles.
And when you need to replace it, this discreet sleeve can be easily replaced with just a quick trip to the restroom. The best way to see the difference is to try it yourself. Get MDP today and stop worrying about light urinary incontinence.
Get Surgery
As a last resort, you can try getting surgery to help with wetting the bed at night. There are a few different options here:
- Sacral Nerve Stimulation: Sacral nerves in the bladder are stimulated to decrease activity in the bladder muscles. This relaxes them to help them contract less frequently. This is a good option if you have moderate to severe urge incontinence.
- Detrusor Myectomy: A portion of the muscle surrounding the bladder is removed, which reduces the number of bladder contractions while simultaneously strengthening them,
- Clam Cytoplasty: The bladder is cut open, and a patch of the intestine is added to increase bladder capacity. This is a highly invasive procedure that is usually only recommended if you have severe incontinence that has not responded to other treatments.
Getting a Dry Night’s Sleep
Leaking at night is a common problem for many men, and it can be due to a wide range of factors, from structural issues to drinking too much during the day. Regardless, it can be a frustrating side effect when you can’t find relief.
The good news is that through behavioral changes or bedding pads, you might be able to find some relief. You can wear MDP to discreetly absorb light leakage (up to two ounces). It’s a revolutionary product for light male incontinence.
Incontinence has met its match. Buy now to stop stressing about light bladder leaks.
Sources:
Bedwetting (Enuresis) | Johns Hopkins Medicine
Adult Bedwetting (Enuresis) Causes & Symptoms | Beaumont Health.