Many women are concerned about getting enough sleep so they can stay beautiful. Studies indeed show that getting enough sleep helps with healthy skin, hair, weight, and overall health.
But get this: getting enough beauty sleep (insomnia) can actually reduce your risk of having women’s urinary incontinence.
Now get this. According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF):
- at least 40 million Americans suffer from 70 different types of sleep disorders
- at least 60 percent of those adults have sleep issues multiple nights of the week
- 40% of adults have daytime sleepiness severe enough to interfere with daily activities a few days a month
That’s a lot of adults suffering from insomnia. For the many women affected by lack of sleep, this may lead to an increased risk for symptoms of urinary incontinence, such as urinary urgency, frequency, and leakage.
How Insomnia is Linked to Women’s Urinary Incontinence
If you already suffer from women’s urinary incontinence, then you already understand how symptoms like urinary urgency can interfere with your sleep, especially if you have to get up one or more times per night to urinate.
But did you know that the reverse is also true? Lack of sleep can also lead to women’s urinary incontinence. Here’s why.
1. Overall Physical Weakness
When you don’t get enough sleep, your body suffers as a whole, resulting in physical weakness. According to Frank Ervolino, N.D., L.Ac., “Staying up late at night is a big risk factor for urinary incontinence. Your body needs to rest and reset every night or it will get weaker over time, which can bring on urinary incontinence much quicker.”
2. Poor Food Choices
Certain foods and beverages can irritate the bladder. Specifically, these types of foods and drinks are likely to make your bladder unhappy:
- acidic
- contain caffeine
- have alcohol
- contain tyrosine, tyramine, tryptophan, aspirate, and phenylalanine
- cause allergies in your body
When you are tired, you are less likely to make smart food choices. Instead of paying attention to what you eat and avoiding bladder irritants, you are more apt to reach for whatever food is handy. Or, you might reach for alcohol at night and coffee in the morning, both of which can irritate your bladder. Read more about bladder irritants HERE.
3. Emotional Distress
According to the American Psychological Association, getting less than eight hours of sleep per night, on average, can lead to emotional disorders and distress. Other studies indicate that emotional disturbances can cause or worsen certain symptoms of women’s urinary incontinence, such as urinary urgency and frequency, or even urinary leakage.
Sleeping Beauty is a Healthy Woman
Are you starting to get the picture that getting enough sleep is a very important factor in preventing or reducing your risk of women’s urinary incontinence? Plus, getting enough sleep is just plain healthy for you. Getting enough sleep also reduces your risk of stroke, obesity and diabetes, anxiety and depression, cancer, and heart disease (read more HERE). So go ahead… sleep away. Not only is sleep a luxury that is good for you, but you are actually taking charge of your health when you get enough sleep!
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