Nocturnal bladder symptoms and sleep disruption commonly co-exist in middle-aged and older women. While sleep disruption is often attributed to nocturnal bladder symptoms in women with overactive bladder syndrome, non-bladder factors may also influence sleep in this population. Many women with overactive bladder are eager to identify non-pharmacologic strategies for both bladder symptoms and sleep disruption, given the potential adverse effects of sedative and anticholinergic bladder medications in this population.
To provide greater insight into the complex relationship between nighttime overactive bladder symptoms and sleep disruption, and to evaluate the effects of a guided slow-paced respiration intervention on sleep outcomes in women with overactive bladder.
We conducted an ancillary study within a randomized trial of slow-paced respiration in women with overactive bladder symptoms. Ambulatory community-dwelling women who reported ≥3 episodes/day of urgency-associated voiding or incontinence were randomized to use either a portable biofeedback device (RESPeRATE, Intercure, Ltd) to practice guided slow-paced respiration exercises daily for 12 weeks (N=79) or an identical-appearing device programmed to play non-rhythmic music without guiding breathing (N=82). At baseline and after 12 weeks, bladder symptoms were assessed by voiding diary, sleep duration and disruption were assessed by sleep diary corroborated by wrist actigraphy, and poor sleep quality was determined by a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index global score >5.
Of the 161 women randomized, 31% reported at least twice nightly nocturia, 26% nocturnal incontinence, and 70% poor sleep quality at baseline. Of the 123 reporting any nighttime awakenings, 89% averaged one or more nighttime awakenings, and 83% attributed at least half of awakenings to using the bathroom. Self-reported wake time after sleep onset increased with increasing frequency of nocturnal bladder symptoms (p = 0.01 for linear trend). However, even among women without nocturia, average sleep quality was poor (Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index global score mean of 7.3, 95% confidence interval 6.0-8.6). Over 12 weeks, women assigned to slow-paced respiration (N=79) experienced modest improvements in mean nocturnal voiding frequency (0.4 fewer voids/night), sleep quality (1.1 point score decrease), and sleep disruption (1.5% decreased wake time after sleep onset). However, similar improvements were detected in the music control group (N=81), without significant between-group differences.
Many women with overactive bladder syndrome experience disrupted sleep, but not all nocturnal awakenings are attributable to bladder symptoms and average sleep quality tends to be poor even in women without nocturia. Findings suggest that clinicians should not assume that poor sleep in women with OAB is primarily caused by nocturnal bladder symptoms. Guided slow-paced respiration was associated with modest improvements in nocturia frequency and sleep quality in this trial, but results do not support clinician recommendation to use this technique over other behavioral relaxation techniques for improving sleep.
American journal of obstetrics and gynecology. 2019 Dec 10 [Epub ahead of print]
Marissa B Savoie, Kathryn A Lee, Leslee L Subak, Cesar Hernandez, Michael Schembri, Constance H Fung, Deborah Grady, Alison J Huang
School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco. Electronic address: ., Department of Family Health Care Nursing, University of California San Francisco., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University., Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco., Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco., Department of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles; VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA.