How to prevent dehydration during sleep?

When you wake up in the morning with a dry mouth and throat; you got dehydrated and might not be aware. You and I lose water while sleeping. If you are not careful, dehydration can harm you immediately. Taking action is a must to avoid dehydration during sleep. As the text explains, the best strategy is to drink enough water to prevent dehydration. But you drink water a few times a day, isn’t it enough?

By finishing reading this text, you know smart and efficient ways to avoid dehydration during sleep. You have nothing to worry about. It’s as easy as pie. You just need information and a plan to start.

Sleep and dehydration; are they connected?

Hydration is essential for your body. Even a slight amount of dehydration can harm your body. According to the Sleep Foundation, dehydration causes fatigue and tiredness.

The other symptoms of dehydration could lead to not having a good night sleep and :

• Dry mouth or skin
• Headaches
• Muscle cramps

The studies of Sleep Foundation indicate that dehydration and sleep are related. If you are dehydrated, you may not have a good night’s sleep. That is why you need to avoid dehydration during sleep.

In case you drink too much water, your sleep cycle can be interrupted. When you have to wake up and visit the bathroom in the middle of the night, you’ll get less sleep than usual.

What Causes Severe Dehydration While Sleeping?

Severe dehydration during sleep can occur due to various factors, including insufficient hydration before bedtime and the consumption of alcohol or caffeine close to sleep. Dry indoor air and medical conditions like sleep apnea or night sweats can exacerbate the problem by increasing moisture loss. Medications with diuretic effects or illness-related fluid loss can also contribute to nighttime dehydration. It’s crucial to maintain proper hydration during the day, especially if you’re prone to night sweats or specific medical conditions. Creating a comfortable sleep environment with optimal humidity levels can help mitigate the risk of severe dehydration while sleeping. If the issue persists, consult a healthcare professional for guidance and evaluation.

Do I need water for night sleep?

While you are resting, your need for water isn’t taking a break. Perspiration, digestion, and breathing use water while you sleep. In case you sleep in a warm room, you will lose more water.

Drinking alcohol or caffeinated drinks will lead to more dehydration. That is why you wake up with a dry mouth or throat. You are dehydrated and don’t know about it.

What Is the Fastest Way to Cure Dehydration?

The fastest way to cure dehydration is to drink oral rehydration solutions (ORS) or consume clear fluids like water, clear broths, or diluted fruit juices. ORS contains a balanced mixture of electrolytes and sugars to restore lost fluids and electrolytes quickly. It’s essential to sip these fluids gradually to avoid overwhelming the stomach. In severe cases of dehydration, especially if there are signs of heatstroke or heat exhaustion, seeking immediate medical attention and receiving intravenous (IV) fluids may be necessary for rapid rehydration.

How can you avoid dehydration during sleep?

The below strategies will help you to avoid dehydration during sleep.

Stay hydrated during the day

Are you often thirsty at night? It might be because you don’t drink enough water during the day. When you keep yourself well hydrated during the day, you will have fewer worries over hydration at night. You can implement different strategies to stay hydrated during the day.

The easiest thing you can do is to drink enough water. If you are busy or forget to do it, set reminders on your cellphone. There are also water applications available that remind you to drink water.

I use my computer reminder to set reminders for everything, including water.

Rolf Dobeli explains it well in his book “The Art of thinking clearly” that setting a plan and writing it down helps you eliminate the Zeigarnik effect.

Try different water options.

You can also take advantage of different water options to avoid dehydration at night. Alkaline water is a type of water that provides further hydration and boosts your energy. Spring mountain water or purified water is also available in the market if you don’t like the taste of tap water. The point is that you can make your water type. For instance,  you can make your alkaline water.

Water-rich fruit and vegetables

Look again at your daily diet. Does it include fruits, vegetables, or water-rich food? If the answer is a disappointing “No,” try to include cucumber, cabbage, milk, apple, and other water-rich food in your diet. The list of water-rich food and drink is a long one. You need to know that you get 20% of your water intake from such food and drinks.

Healthy and sugar-free drinks such as milk and juice are also a good option. However, they are not a water replacement.

Alcohol

According to Healthline, alcohol tends to make you dehydrated. When you drink, your body eliminates water. Providing that you don’t drink enough water, your body tends to get dehydrated quickly. In case you drink water at night, you might wake up in the middle of the night to ease your nature. It may be hard to get back to sleep. So it would break your sleep pattern. Getting less sleep, tiredness in the morning, and less efficiency. It’s the compound effect that Darren Hardy explains in his book. So it’s better to skip alcohol or don’t drink enough water to avoid dehydration during sleep.

A glass of water in the morning

As explained, you and I lose water during sleep. So a wise choice is to first have a glass of water in the morning. Its temperature the same as the room would be better for you. The morning water will increase your energy and boost your metabolism.

Keeping one point in mind is necessary. The morning water might not work for everyone. Determine if you feel well during the day or not. If not, consult with a doctor or stop the morning water.

In case you don’t like the taste of plain water in the morning, use flavors to make it tasty. Lemon, ginger, various fruits give you a good reason to drink that glass of water in the morning. However, as we said, they should work for you well. If you feel bad after them, ask for advice from an expert.

Water before Bed

Water right before bed is another way to avoid dehydration during sleep. It holds several benefits as well:

• Better mood
• Cleaning body naturally
• Better heart performance
• Healthier skin
• Better control of body temperature

Water before bed could be an efficient way to avoid dehydration during sleep. But you could wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. In this case, you would better avoid it. However, if you keep having a good night’s sleep, it will help avoid dehydration during sleep.

The key point is to limit drink intake 1-2 hours before bed. It could raise the possibility to visit the bathroom in the middle of the night.

The amount of water depends on you. If you didn’t wake up with one cup, stick with it.

Room temperature

A hot bedroom makes it more likely that you wake up dehydrated. So health experts recommend keeping the temperature to the cooler side. Try to wear light clothes that stop overheating.

Another condition that makes you dehydrated in your room is dry air. You get to bed in a room with dry air; you are more likely to wake up thirsty. In hot areas like Las Vegas, mountain climates, and winters dry air is common. It might sap moisture from your mouth and nasal passages. Decreasing your performance or disrupting your sleep is another result of dry air. Humid air also tends to make you dehydrated.

Leaving the door open, having a plant, or using the appropriate air conditioning helps you eliminate dry and moisture bedrooms.

Can sleep affect dehydration?

You have heard that you need to drink enough water and ensure your hydration to get a good night’s sleep. But a new study says that you need to get enough sleep to ensure your hydration.

Sleep deprivation can cause many health problems in the short term and long term:

• type 2 diabetes
• high blood pressure
• obesity
• respiratory disease.

It’s quite interesting for researchers and scientists that lack of enough sleep could cause dehydration.

The new research tried to focus on the impact of not sleeping enough on hydration and kidneys.

Asher Rosinger, an assistant professor of biobehavioral health, working at Pennsylvania State University in State College, was the leader of the research.

The title of the research was: Short sleep duration is associated with inadequate hydration: cross-cultural evidence from the US and Chinese adults. It was published in Sleep Research Society.

The team tried to find a link between hydration and the duration of sleep. The participants who had slept less during the night were more likely to suffer from dehydration.

“People who slept for 6 hours or less each night regularly were 16-89% highly to suffer from dehydration than those who slept for 8 hours a night”, according to Medical News Today. The findings of the research were true for both of the population samples of the group.

In case you are getting less than 6 hours of sleep per night, it is likely that you suffer from hydration during the day.

Drinking sufficient water during the day and adding water-rich fruits and vegetables can increase hydration level and ensure your health regarding hydration.

Although the mentioned research is new, experts highlight the importance of getting enough sleep every night.

Sleep and dehydration are connected.

According to Sleep Foundation, sleep and dehydration are connected. Asher Y Rosinger, Anne-Marie Chang, and their teams studied about 20.000 adults in China and the US. It was revealed that people who got a six-hour sleep might have higher levels of dehydration than those who got an eight-hour sleep.

Now that they are connected, how can you have a good night’s sleep? Mark Manson’s Tweet here can be useful. He is one of my favorite authors, and I have just finished “Will,” the life of Will Smith by Manson.

This is a “morning routine” that people don’t talk much about. But it can be hugely useful for a good night’s sleep and a better day.

Number one is to “Eat a reasonable dinner, no caffeine or alcohol.” You can test this to see that you have a better night’s sleep when you avoid caffeine or alcohol in the evening. I have some bad dreams when I have a heavy meal. You could try and see if you feel better in the morning or not.

Number two is to “stop looking at screens around 9 PM”. Several studies say that looking at a screen late at night could disrupt your night’s sleep. So you would better find an alternative for it.

Number three is to “get into bed by 10 PM”. I can not do it at 10, but maybe 11 is fine. I am trying to stick to 11 pm sleep, and I feel better in the morning. Experts say you would better have a sleep pattern that begins and ends in a particular time frame.

Number four is to “relax, meditate, do some light reading.” It can help you to have a heavy sleep and makes you tired.

The result would be waking up fresh and ready to have a great day.

What Happens If You Go to Sleep Dehydrated?

If you go to sleep dehydrated, several negative effects can occur during the night and when you wake up. Dehydration can lead to:

• Dry Mouth and Throat: Dehydration can cause your mouth and throat to become dry, making it uncomfortable to sleep and potentially leading to snoring or a sore throat in the morning.
• Increased Nighttime Awakenings: Dehydration can disrupt your sleep by causing you to wake up more frequently during the night to drink water or use the restroom.
• Muscle Cramps: Dehydration may increase the likelihood of experiencing muscle cramps or spasms during the night, which can be painful and disruptive to your sleep.
• Reduced Cognitive Function: Chronic dehydration can impair cognitive function, so if you go to sleep dehydrated and wake up in the same state, you may experience reduced alertness and difficulty concentrating the next day.
• Increased Heart Rate: Dehydration can lead to an increased heart rate, potentially affecting your sleep quality and overall health.
• To avoid these negative consequences, it’s important to stay adequately hydrated throughout the day and consider having a glass of water before bedtime if you’re prone to dehydration.

Bottom line

Since you are asleep and don’t have physical activity at night, it doesn’t mean you don’t lose water. Your body loses water through perspiration and breathing. So you need to know how to stop dehydration during sleep.

The text explained strategies to avoid getting dehydrated during sleep. You found out that room temperature, dry climate, and alcohol also make you dehydrated at night.

As explained, the ideal way is to drink enough water throughout the day.

In case you don’t like the taste of tap water and are looking for a water company, Tahoe Springs Water is at your service.

Tahoe Springs Water has been providing water services in Las Vegas since 1994. We have been with you over the hot seasons of the valley.

Give us a call at +702-903-1433 to order from alkaline, spring mountain, or purified water.

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FAQs

Can you get dehydrated during sleep?

Yes, if you don’t drink enough water during the day.

Are sleep and hydration connected?

Yes, the studies indicate that they are connected.

Should you be drinking water for your night’s sleep?

Yes, you need to drink water during the day and for your night sleep as you lose water during sleep.

Is it helpful to drink water first thing in the morning?

Yes, you don’t drink for a few hours and lose water during sleep, so it is helpful.