Why Water Before Bed Isn’t Enough: Hydration and the Value of ORS

We all know how important hydration is for job performance and working out, but it also plays a key role in getting good quality sleep. Dehydration can cause problems in your normal sleep cycle — known as your circadian rhythm — and result in sleep disturbances, sleep deprivation, and poor sleep quality. It may seem like common sense to drink a glass of water before bed, but that alone won’t solve dehydration-related sleep problems.

The debate on drinking water before bed has focused on the fact that chugging a few glasses of water before hitting the sack can cause sleep disruptions known as nocturia. Essentially, drinking too much fluid before bed can cause increased urination that can interrupt normal sleep cycles and increase the risk of dehydration.

However, that argument misses the point. Drinking water before bed is just one part of staying hydrated. The human body needs more than just water intake to maintain proper hydration levels. It also needs a precise amount of electrolytes such as sodium — that you can’t find in plain old water.

Here, we’ll explain the connection between sleep and fluid loss and why you need more than just a glass of water before bed. Plus, you’ll find tips on how to stay hydrated, including drinking an oral rehydration solution like DripDrop ORS so you can avoid dehydration and get better sleep.

The Connection Between Sleep and Fluid Loss

When you sleep, your body naturally loses fluids leading to an increased risk of dehydration. Dehydration is a condition where your body loses more fluids and electrolytes than it can replace. It typically occurs when you sweat or when you’re sick and have diarrhea or are vomiting.

Medications such as laxatives, antidepressants, diuretics, and weight loss pills also cause side effects including dehydration. However, dehydration can also occur naturally while you sleep. Here’s how:

If you suffer from sleep apnea, snore, or sleep with your mouth open, your chances of fluid loss increase. That’s because moisture in your mouth evaporates as you breathe through it, resulting in a fluid imbalance in your body. Since you’re sleeping, you can’t simply replace this lost fluid right away.

If you sleep in a hot environment, your body temperature increases and produces sweat in an effort to cool down. Your sweat consists of water and electrolytes that are pushed to the skin’s surface where it evaporates and produces a cooling effect. When this happens as you’re sleeping, you can develop dehydration.

Effects of Nighttime Dehydration

As a result of nighttime dehydration, you may wake up the next morning with a dry mouth, scratchy throat, and pounding dehydration headache. Dehydration also causes sleep disruptions such as nocturnal leg cramps and discomfort that can cause you to wake up several times throughout the night.

Dehydration also directly impacts your circadian rhythm by affecting hormone production including vasopressin and melatonin. Melatonin is a natural hormone that signals to your brain when you should feel tired and when you should feel alert. Research shows that dehydration affects the production of amino acids that trigger melatonin release. This means it’s harder for you to feel sleepy before bed, alert the next day, and can even cause excessive daytime sleepiness.

Even mild cases of dehydration can cause tiredness, fatigue, and lack of sleep. Fortunately, there are ways you can remedy dehydration, but it’s more than just drinking water before bed. You need an oral rehydration solution like DripDrop ORS. Read on to learn more about why no amount of water is enough and how an ORS can help.

Why You Need More Than Just Water Before Bed

Hydration isn’t just about drinking enough water — you also need a precise ratio of electrolytes. Your body’s cells — everything from blood cells to skin cells — are filled with fluid that consists of water as well as electrolytes such as potassium and sodium. These electrolytes play a key role in both hydration and normal functioning. Electrolytes help to send neurotransmitter signals, aid the digestive system, streamline blood circulation, support the immune system, and assist water retention.

In fact, sodium is particularly important when it comes to staying properly hydrated. That’s because it’s part of the sodium-glucose cotransport system, which helps your body absorb electrolytes quickly. Glucose enables the movement of sodium, water, and other electrolytes through cell membranes. From there, sodium helps your body retain fluids and also triggers feelings of thirst when you’re dehydrated — it’s the science behind why you wake up thirsty after dehydrated sleep.

When you drink water, you increase your fluid intake but don’t address your electrolyte ratio. Instead of drinking water before bed to avoid dehydration, reach for an oral rehydration solution like DripDrop ORS.

It contains a medically relevant amount of electrolytes, including potassium, magnesium, and sodium, to fend off dehydration. While traditional oral rehydration solutions were unpalatable, DripDrop ORS improved on the World Health Organization’s rigorous standards delivering a medically relevant ORS that tastes amazing.

Establish Good Hydration Routines

Staying hydrated offers a huge range of health benefits. With proper fluid and electrolyte levels, your heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood and fluids through your body, reducing the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. Hydration can also help to improve energy levels, detox the body of unwanted toxins, and support better sleep.

While there are a million reasons to stay hydrated, especially when it comes to overall health, it can be hard to drink enough water and electrolytes. Here are some tips to help you stay hydrated throughout the day.

Drink an ORS Before Bed

To avoid dehydration that occurs when you sleep, it’s important to go to bed properly hydrated. Instead of drinking a glass of water, drink an oral rehydration solution like DripDrop ORS, which also contains electrolytes that are essential for hydration. Try to drink the ORS an hour or two before bed so you don’t wake up in the middle of the night to use the restroom.

Hydrate First Thing in the Morning

Since dehydration naturally occurs when you sleep, it’s important to start your day by restoring normal fluid and electrolyte balances. Replenish lost fluids and electrolytes with DripDrop ORS right when you wake up. You can swap your first cup of coffee with an electrolyte-rich drink or keep a glass on your nightstand for quick and easy hydration.

Think About Drink Temperature

Both warm and cold oral rehydration solutions are equally effective when it comes to managing hydration. When it comes to hydration, sometimes a warm drink just feels better than a cold drink. Warm beverages can help to induce relaxation, making it easier to unwind and hit the sack. Try drinking hot water or warm water with our hot DripDrop ORS flavor — spiced apple cider — before bed. This can also be a comforting way to hydrate when you’re sick.

On the other hand, a cold, refreshing beverage can help you wake up and invigorate your senses thus increasing alertness. Try mixing DripDrop ORS into a glass of cold water first thing in the morning. You can also drink a cold electrolyte-rich drink when you’re working outside in high temperatures on a job site or when you’re exercising.

Plan for All-Day Hydration

You can’t only drink water first thing in the morning and right before bed and maintain proper hydration levels. You need to drink water and electrolytes all day to fend off dehydration. Add a few packets of DripDrop ORS to your go-bag or work bag so you always have a hydration protocol on hand. You can also pack a water bottle to help remind yourself to take small sips throughout the day.

Avoid Dehydration Before Bed With DripDrop ORS

You can’t just drink a glass of water before bed to avoid dehydration. That’s because water alone is not enough when it comes to dehydration. Your body needs a meticulous balance of sodium and glucose to help absorption.

DripDrop ORS is a proven alternative for treating mild to moderate dehydration. It's powerful enough to use in extreme circumstances but safe enough for everyday use. With the precisely balanced ratio, you can replenish vital electrolytes and fluids to relieve dehydration quickly. Plus DripDrop ORS supplies vitamins like zinc, potassium, and magnesium, which are essential to support your overall health.

For cases of mild to moderate dehydration, DripDrop ORS is a fast, effective, and great tasting remedy. With convenient packaging that allows you to have DripDrop ORS when you need it, where you need it. Get started with our most popular multi-flavor pouch for dehydration relief fast. Or, learn more about how you can save up to 25% on every purchase when you subscribe.