Hydration is essential for health, but what are the benefits and drawbacks of drinking water before going to bed?

The human body needs water to perform normal bodily functions. It is therefore vital for a person to drink water every day. However, there is some debate about whether people should drink water before going to bed.

Fast facts on drinking water before bed:

• Drinking enough water is vital for keeping hydrated and for general health.
• There is little evidence to suggest any specific benefits of drinking water at bedtime.
• If a person loses more water than they consume, they risk becoming dehydrated.

Drinking water before bed

If someone feels dehydrated at night or is at risk of dehydration, then they should drink some water. Beyond this, there are few specific benefits of drinking water before bed.
However, drinking water before going to bed can increase a person's risk of nocturia.

What is nocturia?
Nocturia is the increased need to urinate at night. While asleep, the human body produces more hormones that slow down kidney function and decrease urine production.
This combination reduces the need for people to urinate during the night and helps them sleep uninterrupted. Repeatedly getting up can reduce both the duration and quality of sleep

How much water do people need to drink?

A person should drink fluids whenever they feel dehydrated or if there is a high possibility of dehydration.

Signs of dehydration include:

• thirst
• dry mouth, lips, nasal passages, and eyes
• passing only small amounts of urine
• urinating less than four times a day
• strong-smelling and dark-colored urine

The following things increase the risk of dehydration:

• hot environments or being in the sun too long
• intense physical activity or anything that causes excessive sweating
• diabetes
• diarrhea or vomiting
• drinking too much alcohol
• fever

According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), it can be fatal if a person loses more than 10 percent of their body water. 

There is no consensus on how much water people should drink each day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) say thirst alone is enough to guide most people on how much to drink.

However, the FNB suggest women should take in around 2.7 liters of water daily and men around 3.7 liters.

These amounts include the water obtained from eating, which is estimated to make up 19 to 20 percent of daily intake.