Our level of hydration does not only have a positive effect on physical health, but also affects our sleep. The impact of lack of fluid in the body will make you sluggish, irritable, and not allow you to give the best performance in work.
Negative effects of dehydration
Dehydration, no matter how little, can interfere with sleep. This is because dehydration makes the mouth and nasal passages dry, causing snore and dry throat, and hoarseness in the morning.
Lack of fluid before sleep can also cause leg cramps at night which of course can keep you awake. In addition, dehydration at night also jeopardizes our alertness, energy, and cognitive performance the next day.
Sleep-related fluid loss
Even if we start the night quite well hydrated, we will still lose some body fluids just by breathing during sleep. This is especially true if we breathe through the mouth, if we snore, or even experiencing sleep apnea. When we breathe through our nose as we sleep, it does not take much body fluids.
Bedroom condition, either too dry or too warm, can also cause more fluid loss at night. Similarly, intense exercise at the end of the day without adequate re-hydration. Excessive drinking can exacerbate these fluid reduction scenarios and can cause us to feel tired or lethargic the next day.
Proper hydration
Good hydration requires more than a bottle of water before going to bed. Stay focused on drinking lots of non-caffeine liquids regularly throughout the day.
Women need around 91 ounces of liquid a day from drinks and food, while men need to reach around 125 ounces. Waiting until bedtime to drink will interfere with sleep as you need to visit the toilet frequently. Get used to maintaining proper hydration all day to support the best sleep quality.
