‘Sleep Normal’ is a collaboration between Avadel Pharmaceuticals and the recently formed Nocturia Council, which includes American Alliance for Healthy Sleep, Caregiver Action Network, HealthyWomen, Men’s Health Education Council, Men’s Health Network, Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, National Association for Continence, National Sleep Foundation, Simon Foundation for Continence and ZERO – The End of Prostate Cancer.
This playful campaign engages people with clever puns and stark neon lights to play off a nightlife motif. The campaign centers on the ‘Sleep Normal’ website, which provides information on nocturia and its impact on sleep, and a Sleep Whizzz quiz to test knowledge on the condition.
“Although it is a serious issue affecting the sleep and well-being of millions of Americans, nocturia is still relatively unknown to the public,” says Susann Varano, M.D., a Yale University-trained physician, double board certified in Geriatrics and Internal Medicine, and medical consultant to the Nocturia Council. “We are pleased to collaborate and provide guidance on such an important issue. We hope the Sleep Normal campaign will give patients the confidence they need to have open and honest conversations with their doctors about nocturia.”Nocturia affects nearly 50 million Americans1,2 and is a leading cause of sleep disruption.3,4 Waking up two or more times each night to go to the bathroom is not normal and can lead to nighttime falls,5,6 daytime drowsiness and irritability.7 Nocturia leads to insufficient or low-quality sleep, which can lead to impaired cognitive and physical function, especially if the first four hours are not restful.8 This, in turn, can lead to an increased risk of being in a traffic accident,9 depression,10,11 cardiovascular disease,12 obesity,13 Type 2 diabetes,14 colon cancer15 and even death in older men.16
The most common cause of nocturia is a condition called nocturnal polyuria, which happens when the kidneys produce too much urine at night,17 however, only 18 percent of doctors treat nocturia with therapies that address this issue.18
“Nocturia is not a well-known condition even though it affects so many people,” says Kathleen C. Kobashi, M.D., Department of Urology, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle. “The Sleep Normal campaign is exciting because it seeks to reduce the stigma around discussing urinary habits. I would encourage anyone who is losing sleep because of nocturia to speak with their doctor. There is no need to suffer in silence when treatment options are available.”
Talking to your doctor is the first step to addressing frequent nighttime urination and may help you sleep normally. Visit www.sleepnormal.com to learn more about nocturia.
References:
1. Fitzgerald MP, Litman HJ, Link CL, McKinlay JB; BACH Survey Investigators. The association of nocturia with cardiac disease, diabetes, body mass index, age and diuretic use: results from the BACH survey. J Urol. 2007;177(4):1385-1389.
2. Population distribution by age. Kaiser Family Foundation website. https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/distribution-by-age. Accessed December 16, 2017.
3. Van Kerrebroeck P, Hashim H, Holm-Larsen T, Robinson D, Stanley N. Thinking beyond the bladder: antidiuretic treatment of nocturia. Int J Clin Pract. 2010;64(6):807-816.
4. Stanley N. The underestimated impact of nocturia on quality of life. Eur Urol. 2005;4(7)(suppl):17-19.
5. Fine ND, Weiss JP, et al. Nocturia: consequences, classification, and management. F1000Res. 2017 Sep 1;6:1627.
6. Weiss JP. Blaivas JG, et al. The evaluation and treatment of nocturia: a consensus statement. BJU Int. 2011 Jul;108(1):6-21.
7. Data on file (Harris Poll).
8. Stanley N. The underestimated impact of nocturia on quality of life. Eur Urol. 2005;4(7)(suppl):17-19.
9.National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2017, October). Drowsy Driving 2015 (Crash Stats Brief Statistical Summary. Report No. DOT HS 812 446). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
10. Kupelian V, Wei JT, O’Leary MP, Norgaard JP, Rosen RC, McKinlay JB. Nocturia and quality of life: results from the Boston Area Community Health Survey. Eur Urol. 2012;61(1):78-84.
11. van der Vaart CH, Roovers JP, de Leeuw JR, Heintz AP. Association between urogenital symptoms and depression in community-dwelling women aged 20 to 70 years. Urology 2007;69:691–6.
12. Medic G, Wille M. et al. Short- and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption, Nature and Science of Sleep. 2017.
13. Weiss, J. P., Blaivas, J. G., Bliwise, D. L., Dmochowski, R. R., DuBeau, C. E., Lowe, F. C., Petrou, S. P., Van Kerrebroeck, P. E., Rosen, R. C. and Wein, A. J. (2011), The evaluation and treatment of nocturia: a consensus statement. BJU International, 108: 6-21. doi:10.1111/j.1464-410X.2011.10175.
14. Cappuccio FP, Strazzullo P, D’Ellia L, Miller, MA. Quantity and Quality of Sleep and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2010;33(2):414-420.
15. Medic G, Wille M. et al. Short- and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption, Nature and Science of Sleep. 2017.
16. Lightner DJ, Krambeck AE, et al. Nocturia is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease and death. BJU Int. 2012 Sep; 110(6): 848–853.
17. Weiss JP, van Kerrebroeck PE, Klein BM, Nørgaard JP. Excessive nocturnal urine production is a major contributing factor to the etiology of nocturia. J Urol. 2011;186(4):1358-1363.
18. Oelke M, et al. Int J Clin Pract. 2016;70(11):940-949.
Further Related Content:
Listen:The Medical Condition 72 Percent of Americans Don’t Know About is Stealing Sleep and Disrupting Lives - Interview with Benjamin Brucker
Listen: Nocturia in the Aging Patient, Assessment, and Treatment- Susann Varano