There are some common practices that people follow before going to bed, like keeping a glass of water next to them while sleeping. However, is this actually a healthy habit? In this article, we will explore the reasons why experts suggest that you should avoid keeping water near your head while sleeping.
Quick Answers
Here are some quick answers to common questions around this topic:
Is it bad to sleep with water near your head?
Yes, sleeping with water near your head is generally not recommended by health experts.
Why is it unsafe to sleep with water nearby?
It can lead to choking hazards, risk of spilling, chance of electrocution, growth of germs and bacteria, and disrupted sleep.
What are the dangers of drinking water before bed?
Drinking water before bed can interrupt sleep cycles due to frequent urination, cause heartburn, and exacerbate sleep disorders like sleep apnea.
What are alternatives to keeping water near the bed?
Better options include keeping water on a nightstand away from the bed, using a water bottle with a straw, and drinking enough water during the daytime.
Risk of Choking
One of the main reasons not to keep a glass of water right next to your bed is that it poses a choking hazard. If you accidentally knock over the glass while sleeping, the water could spill onto your face. Trying to quickly drink the water could cause it to enter your trachea instead of your esophagus, resulting in choking. This can be especially dangerous for young children and the elderly.
Even just turning the wrong way while the glass is next to your face could cause water to enter your nose or mouth, which can make you choke. Choking on liquid or water while sleeping can be very dangerous because you are less aware and likely to aspirate it into your lungs. This could lead to complications like pneumonia or pulmonary edema. Clearly, having an open container of water so close to your head while you sleep significantly increases the risks of choking.
Risk of Accidental Spills
Along with the choking hazard, there is also an increased risk of accidental spilling if you keep water right by your bed at night. Reaching for the glass while half asleep, knocking it over, or rolling onto it can easily lead to water spilling onto your bed and floor.
This can ruin your mattress, bedding, carpet, and lead to mold growth. Cleaning up spills in the middle of the night can also disrupt your sleep. The further away you keep the water from the bed, the lower the chances of it spilling.
Risk of Electric Shock
Many people use electronic devices like smart phones, tablets, or ereaders in bed before sleeping. If you keep a glass of water too close to such electronics and it spills, there is a real risk of electric shock as well as damage to your expensive devices.
Even a few drops of water in the wrong places near electronics can be dangerous. So having an open container of water right next to your head, where you often use devices before sleeping, significantly increases the chances of electrical hazards and shocks.
Growth of Harmful Bacteria
When water is left sitting open and stagnant for hours, such as next to your bed overnight, it provides an ideal environment for microbes to multiply. Bacteria and mold can quickly grow in the standing water.
Some of the harmful organisms that can grow in untreated water left overnight are Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aeromonas hydrophila, Bacillus cereus, and Candida albicans. Over time, the concentration of these and other potentially pathogenic bacteria can grow to dangerous levels in water left open by your bed.
Drinking such contaminated water can lead to digestive issues, nausea, vomiting, and infections. This is why overnight water near your bed is generally not recommended by health authorities. The risk of it becoming microbiologically unsafe is quite high.
Presence of Biofilm
On top of multiplying bacteria, water left to stagnate can also develop biofilm on its surface over time. Biofilms are slimy coatings containing dense clusters of microbes that form on the sides of vessels containing stale water.
Research shows biofilms can harbor up to 1000 times higher concentrations of bacteria compared to free-floating microbes in water. They also often contain pathogens more resistant to disinfection. So the biofilm that could form in water left open by your bedside overnight has the potential to contain very high loads of dangerous bacteria.
Interrupted Sleep Cycles
Having water right next to your bed can also negatively impact sleep quality and duration. Firstly, the urge to wake up and go to the bathroom is stronger if you can see a glass of water in front of you. Research indicates the visual cue of water can prompt the urge to urinate.
Frequently getting up to go to the bathroom interrupts your sleep cycles. Your sleep will become fragmented, preventing you from reaching deeper stages of restorative sleep.
Secondly, if you take sips of water through the night, the extra fluid intake will again make you get up more often to urinate. This too disrupts uninterrupted sleep.
Thus, the presence of water near your bed can negatively impact your sleep quality by prompting frequent urination. It’s best to hydrate well during the daytime and limit fluid intake in the hours before bed.
Increased Risk of Sleep Disorders
For people already suffering from certain sleep disorders like sleep apnea, keeping water nearby at night can exacerbate their condition.
Sleep apnea is a disorder where the throat muscles intermittently relax and block the airway during sleep. Having extra fluid before lying down can increase throat mucus and further block the airways. This worsens the breathing interruptions of sleep apnea.
Those with sleep apnea are also advised not to drink alcohol before bed for the same reason. Similarly, limiting excess fluid intake in the evening is recommended for such people.
So if you suffer from sleep apnea or other breathing-related sleep disorders, it’s best not to keep that tempting glass of water right by your bedside.
Increased Acid Reflux
Drinking water right before sleeping can also worsen acid reflux or heartburn symptoms at night for some people. Lying down with a full stomach after drinking water can cause stomach acid to back up into your esophagus. This leads to the burning discomfort of acid reflux.
Doctors generally advise avoiding large meals, caffeinated beverages, alcohol, and other triggers within 2-3 hours of bedtime to prevent nighttime heartburn. Similarly, limiting fluid intake in the evening, and not having water by your bedside, can minimize recumbent acid reflux at night.
Tips for Safer Hydration at Night
So clearly water kept close to your head while sleeping has risks. But what are some safer ways to stay hydrated at night? Here are some tips:
Have Water Away From Your Bed
Keep water on a nightstand or table that is some distance away from your bed. This reduces risks of accidentally knocking it over and minimizes temptation to take frequent sips that interrupt sleep. Reaching for it from a slight distance also promotes more awake drinking rather than unconscious gulping.
Use Bottles With Straws
Water bottles that come with straws allow you to drink while lying down more safely. They prevent the need to lift your head up and tip a glass, which could lead to choking or spills. The straw lets you hydrate as needed without majorly disrupting your sleep position.
Hydrate Well During Daytime
Drink plenty of water and fluids during daylight hours before bedtime. This prevents extreme thirst that compels you to drink more in the middle of the night. Time your water intake so you are well hydrated many hours before sleep.
Set a Nighttime Reminder
If you get thirsty at night but want to avoid water near the bed, set an alarm or reminder to drink some water from the kitchen or bathroom instead. Get into the habit of responding to the reminder by getting a small drink away from your bedside before going back to sleep.
Use a Humidifier
Dry air can also lead to thirst and prompting you to drink more overnight. Using a humidifier in your room keeps the air adequately moisturized. This prevents excessive nighttime thirst that tempts you to gulp down water in bed.
Conclusion
While keeping water on your nightstand may seem convenient, it poses a surprising number of hazards and downsides for your sleep and health. The risks of choking, spills, electric shocks, germ growth, disrupted sleep cycles, exacerbated sleep disorders, and heartburn clearly outweigh the benefits.
Making easy adjustments like keeping your water glass on a table away from bed, setting a hydration reminder, or using a straw bottle can let you stay safely hydrated at night. Ultimately, cultivating good hydration throughout the rest of your day is optimal. Remember to drink plenty of water from morning to evening so that you don’t feel compelled to gulp down fluids right before bed. With these tips, you can hydrate healthfully while avoiding the risks of water near your head at night.
