3 Tips to Manage Sleep with Bladder Symptoms

The challenge with having a bladder condition, like interstitial cystitis (IC), is not only the physical discomfort, but the mental fatigue from not getting a restful night of sleep. Sleeping soundly through the night is one thing I miss about my life before Interstitial Cystitis. Sleeping with IC is tricky, and trying to sleep when your symptoms are flaring can be extremely frustrating and impossible. When dealing with chronic pain there is that added stress, which makes daily activities more difficult. This means that getting adequate sleep is often interrupted by pain, and frequent trips to the bathroom.

Here are my tips for getting a restful night’s sleep when you suffer from a chronic bladder condition like Interstitial Cystitis. Especially when your symptoms are flaring and you’re having a “bad bladder day.”

Create a bedtime routine and stick to it

It’s nice to have a ritual before bed. Whether it’s reading or meditating, I’ve found that it’s helpful to keep the same sleep routine-going to bed and waking up around the same time.  This is sometimes easier said than done. Here are some things I do to help me transition into sleep mode and establish routine.

• I put my phone on silent and across the room away from my bed. We all know absorbing that blue light before bed has an effect on our circadian rhythms, thus reducing sleep quality.
• Create a cozy atmosphere in your room. I’m a big fan of colored mood lighting. 
• Smell some lavender oil or spray some on your bed.
• Avoid food and beverages close to bedtime.
• Lowering fluid intake before bed can limit trips to the bathroom at night. 
• Before bed and in the morning I roll out my yoga mat and do some pelvic floor stretches.

Calm your mind

Dealing with a flare can be stressful, especially when they happen suddenly and you can’t pinpoint the cause. Stress increases bladder symptoms, and for me it’s immediate. My bladder aches in a different way when I’m overly stressed out, which can make trying to sleep a nightmare. In times like these, finding a way to calm the mind is important.

• Before I fall asleep, I like to do diaphragmatic breathing. This is something a pelvic floor therapist taught me and it’s a good way to calm your body and mind.
• Meditate for 5-10 minutes. There are so many guided meditations you can follow to help get your mind off of your bladder and enable you to draw your attention to breathing and relaxing.
• Visualize your bladder healing.
• Take a warm shower before bed.

Have clear access to a bathroom when getting up in the middle of the night 

Luckily my days of sleeping on the bathroom floor in a sleeping bag are over. At the beginning of my IC journey, my frequency was so bad that you’d find me slumbering on the bathroom floor. (Is it weird that my parents had carpet in their bathroom?!) Sometimes once my bladder wakes me up, I find it hard to fall back asleep right away.

• Maintain a clear path. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tripped over something stumbling to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
• Have a dim night light, so you don’t have to turn on any bright overhead lights.
• Oftentimes I will wake up in the middle of a dream. While I’m on my way back from the restroom, I try to imagine that I’m still in that dream in order to fall back asleep.
• Sleep in a position that doesn’t put pressure on your pelvic floor.

It takes some experimenting to get your bladder symptoms under control. I take Femetry’s Bladder Daily Comfort every morning and it’s not only helped me manage my daily stress, but it’s also strengthened and replenished the lining of my bladder, which has helped with discomfort, urgency, and frequency. The clinical dose of Ashwagandha has also helped improve my sleep.

Bladder pain, frequency, and urgency all trigger anxiety. Sometimes you will find yourself in a vicious cycle of depression, hopelessness, fatigue and sleep disturbance. Always remember that there is a way to ease your symptoms and find what works for you. It may take a long time with obstacles along the way. I now have more good bladder days than bad. Take these tips into consideration and remember to maintain a positive outlook and visualize your bladder healing as you slumber.