[Spindledog]

I wake up about every 2 hours, usually short awakenings that I can go back to sleep with, but now my bladder thinks it’s time for urine every 2 hours. So I don’t know why I am waking up anymore!

[hiker]

Hi Spindledog, I am coming up on 72 and can relate to the bladder issue. It is certainly one of the ways to wander into Insomnialand: even if you go right back to sleep, just getting up more and more increases the chance of staying awake, and then after a few nights you can think insomnia is here to stay.

When I think of it during the day, I practice Koegel (sp?–pronounced: “Kay-gel,” hard g, like gate) exercises. This involves practicing “holding it” if you will, best done where you have a bathroom close by, if you still need to go pronto. This can help your bladder unlearn the lesson it has picked up recently.

Another thing to check out at our age is prostate. This means going to the doctor. A primary care physician can check it, with a referral to a urologist only if complications. As for the exam, it is not the most pleasant, but women have to deal with a lot more procedures than we do. I know that if you tell a woman that you don’t want to get a prostate exam, she will probably give you a hard look and tell you to deal with it.

And maybe stating the obvious here, but limiting the liquids, especially alcohol, a couple hours before bed can cut down the wake-up calls.

If this is the only thing driving your insomnia, it could be a fairly short and easy fix. Although there is no denying that aging plays a part. By now, you have probably heard the expression, “Aging’s not for wimps.”

Good luck on this, hope you sleep longer soon.

[Author]

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