Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night badly needing to run to the toilet to relieve yourself? Probably. Have you ever woken up in the morning with a mouth dryer than the Sahara, desperately needing to run to the faucet to gulp down a few glasses of water? Probably again.
Where hydration is concerned, it should come as no surprise that these two problems are in opposition to one another, and that the solution to one seems like the cause of the other. The logical conclusion then is that it is best to strike a delicate balance between staying hydrated throughout the night and not disturbing your sleep by doing exactly that.
Think of the eight glasses of water a day rule. What about nighttime? It is rather difficult to remember to sink eight glasses of water at night if you are literally unconscious. It’s a problem that you might not have thought of, but it is clear that it takes some answering, only becoming more curious the more you think about it.
Well, for one thing, it is true that you need less water when you are asleep. Bodily functions during sleep – while certainly not switched off – are significantly slowed down as you rest. But then along comes a sweltering summer evening and you sweat out water all through the night while being a bit too asleep to do anything about it.
Sleep and Dehydration
And as if this conundrum wasn’t puzzling enough, there is also the effect that dehydration can have on your sleep. As anyone who has ever enjoyed a drink or two is probably aware, dehydration can negatively affect sleep. Alcohol dehydrates you, and that’s why part of a hangover is feeling tired, because you just didn’t sleep well the night before. There is not space to go into all the ways in which a lack of bodily water is can impair biological functions, but sleep is certainly one of them.
When you are asleep, your body is repairing, and this requires a plentiful supply of the most vital substance in the world. Accordingly, even if you manage to drift in and out of consciousness and fail to remember it in the morning, you will not have slept well if you were not hydrated during the night. A day of tiredness, irritability and generally impaired functioning awaits.
Try Alternative Water Products
So, one of the best ways to deal with this problem might be to get as hydrated as possible with the least amount of liquid. Is this possible, is water not already the most hydrating liquid per unit volume? This might be true, but there are different kinds of water out there. Remember, water is not just water – it is not just the H2O molecule. There are in fact many other substances contained within, and many of them greatly beneficial.
Synergy Science, water-based health product experts, recommend hydrogen water for perfect bedtime hydration. This kind of water is co-called because it also contains a pure hydrogen element alongside H2O. This molecule is much smaller and can pass the blood-brain barrier more efficiently, meaning more efficient hydration without gulping down a whole lot of liquid and waking up with your legs squeezed together.
That, therefore, might be the most important thing to remember – it is all about the efficiency of hydration. Your body does not need as much water when it is sleeping, so you can strike that balance. And if you hydrate well, it will last you through to the morning. Moreover, your sleep will be more restorative too.
