Getting up to urinate at night stinks

Midlife crisis is a real thing, and I understand why.

Men over 50 are sleep-deprived.

Most Middle-Aged Men Get Up at Night to Urinate

Image by Ted Erski from Pixabay

Almost 70% of middle-aged men get up at least once at night to urinate, and one-third of men over 30 make two or more trips to the bathroom.¹

Ok, maybe the lack of sleep doesn’t 100% excuse men’s midlife crisis, but it does offer some insight.

This condition is called nocturia — when you have to get up more than once during a 6–8 hour sleep to urinate. I got up 2–3 times in the night before losing 30 pounds, which makes sense as obesity can cause nocturia.² And I was perpetually tired.

The Search for a Solution

Even after losing the weight, I still got up at least once every night. My sleep quality improved remarkably, but I still wondered: Can’t I dream without interruption a few nights a week?

So one Saturday, my wife and I went searching for answers during a road trip. These are the things old couples talk about. And complain about the kids not visiting more often.

We read countless articles and reviews, and my wife is very particular about supplement quality as she’s becoming a subject matter expert. She found a supplement, and the box states in small letters, “Supports healthy prostate & normal urine flow.”

What caught our attention were the reviews. Many men said the probiotic helped them sleep through the night or at least reduced their nighttime bathroom trips.

Yes, a probiotic containing 50 billion CFUs can help with nighttime urination.

I had no idea what a CFU is or why I needed them, but CFU stands for “colony-forming unit,” a term to describe the number of viable microorganisms in a probiotic supplement. Apparently, viable microorganisms are essential to gut health, but you have two more important questions — what is this super supplement, and does it prevent your frequent urination at night?

Did It Help?

The probiotic supplement is Prostate+ by Garden of Life and formulated by Dr. David Perlmutter, whom my wife already trusts. I told you, she’s a health and nutrition nerd.

I’ve been taking it for several years, and it has helped me significantly. I used to get up at least once every night, but now I sleep through most nights and have more energy.

I won’t be able to blame my midlife crisis on a lack of sleep.

Footnotes:

1. https://www.byramhealthcare.com/blogs/what-does-nocturia-mean
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6606941/
3. Featured Image by Viveka Rosin from Pixabay

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