Improving nighttime bathroom trips and sleep for older adults

Who could benefit from this research

What this research studies

This multi-center project offers a cross-specialty behavioral program that targets both sleep habits and bladder-related behaviors to reduce waking at night to urinate. It uses cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia techniques (for example, reducing daytime napping and limiting time in bed) together with bladder self-management strategies. Participants will be followed over time at participating sites to record how often they wake to urinate and how their sleep changes. The approach emphasizes non-drug methods to avoid medication side effects common in older adults.

Why it matters

Where this research is happening

• Emory University
  Atlanta, United States Active

Researchers

• Principal investigator: Vaughan, Elizabeth Camille — Emory University
• Study coordinator: Vaughan, Elizabeth Camille

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

• Neural signals behind nighttime bathroom trips in older adults

  A study investigates how brain signals related to arousal affect nightly bathroom trips in older adults, with a focus on bladder control and sleep disruption.

  NIH research Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · Boston, United States · NIH-11453807

• Addressing Night-time Urination in Older Women with a Brief Mindfulness Plan

  A study tests a short, easy mindfulness program to help older women sleep better and reduce nighttime urination.

  NIH research University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · Pittsburgh, United States · NIH-11215339

• Improving sleep and reducing nighttime urination in older adults

  This study is looking at how a mix of therapy and regular treatments can help older adults who wake up often at night to use the bathroom, aiming to improve their sleep and overall health.

  NIH research Emory University · Atlanta, United States · NIH-10909339

• Compare two bladder medicines and placebo for urgency incontinence in older women

  This study tests whether tolterodine ER or mirabegron help with urinary and aging-related outcomes in older women with urgency-predominant incontinence, compared with placebo.

  Recruiting Phase 4 University of California, San Francisco · San Francisco, California · NCT07829029

• Managing nighttime voiding in older women with sleep strategies

  This study tests whether brief behavioral sleep therapy and mindfulness, alone or together, reduce how often older women wake at night to urinate and how much urine they produce at night.

  Recruiting University of Pittsburgh · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · NCT07760779

• Community-based approach using digital tools and behavioral guidance for nocturia

  This project tests a digital health and behavioral program for adults 55+ with nocturia to see if it reduces night-time voids and improves quality of life.

  Recruiting National Taiwan University Hospital · Douliu · NCT07734207

About this research

1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.