Proper sleep and hydration are two cornerstones of a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, significant portions of the population are deficient in one (or both). In fact, 35% of adults in the U.S. don’t get the recommended amount of sleep for health and well-being.[1] An estimated 25–33% of adults in the USA and Europe are dehydrated as well.[2]
What many individuals don’t realize is that your ability to sleep soundly is affected by hydration status. A comprehensive study found that hydration status directly impacts sleep duration and efficiency. Specifically, dehydrated individuals experienced more fragmented sleep patterns[3], which can lead to low energy levels, fatigue, brain fog, poor performance and irritability.
Today, we’ll look into how to hydrate for better sleep as well as which is better for nighttime hydration -- water or electrolytes.
Let’s get started by first looking at how sleep impacts hydration levels to better understand how you can approach nighttime fluid intakes for better sleep.
The Science of Nighttime Hydration
During sleep, your body is in a fasting state lasting 6–9 hours (depending on how close you ate to sleep and how long you sleep). While you sleep, your body still uses its water carrying out various processes, including respiration, perspiration, energy (ATP) production and urinary output. In case you weren’t aware, vasopressin, a hormone, rises at night to concentrate urine and minimize trips to the bathroom, thereby allowing you to sleep longer/better. However, if you are dehydrated when you go to bed, this mechanism doesn’t work as well.
Water vs Electrolytes Before Bed
Proper hydration requires adequate water intake and sufficient electrolyte replacement. What this means is that drinking plain water may not be adequate for ensuring proper hydration. This is due to the fact that plain tap water contains trace amounts of essential electrolytes. Something else to consider is that, depending on the type of water filter you use, it may contain little to no electrolytes at all!
In practical terms, drinking large amounts of plain water in a short time can cause the kidneys to rapidly excrete the excess water it doesn’t need in order to maintain blood osmolality (the body's electrolyte–water balance). At night, this can lead to increased nocturia (nighttime urination). In fact, a 2018 study found that drinking 500 mL of water 90 minutes before bed increased nighttime urination by 50% in healthy adults compared to no fluid intake.
Electrolytes, primarily sodium, added to water creates a solution that is isotonic (similar to the osmotic pressure or concentration of your plasma) or slightly hypertonics (higher concentration than your plasma). This helps to slow gastric emptying and reduce urination frequency. It also does a better job of rehydrating the body compared to plain water due to the increased mineral content. Research also demonstrates that beverages containing electrolytes are more effectively retained in the body than plain water.[4]
Now, we know that both water and electrolytes are important for achieving proper hydration. At the same time, we don’t want to drink a whole bunch of fluids right before bed.
So, what’s the solution?
Best Hydration for Sleep
Hydration is very individual as it is affected by many factors, including environment, genetics, age, height, weight, lean muscle mass, diet and physical activity levels. However, there are some general guidelines you can follow to help decide what works best for you.
If you’re relatively sedentary, drinking plain water throughout the day (alongside a nutritious diet) should take care of your hydration needs. If, however, you are physically active, you may need to consume added electrolytes in the form of adding extra salt to your food and/or using an electrolytes supplement
An easy way to see if you’re consuming enough fluids is to check the color of your urine. If it is light yellow or clear, you are hydrated. If it is dark yellow, then you need to consume more fluids (water and electrolytes).
Avoid consuming large amounts of fluid at a single time, due to what we discussed above. Instead, make sure to consume fluids regularly throughout the day. And, if you’re training hard and sweating, then you will need to consume additional fluids around your workout to replace the lost water and electrolytes.
What is the Best Hydration Supplement?
1UP Hydration Plus is specifically formulated to address the body’s electrolyte needs. Every serving supplies a precise blend of essential minerals, including sodium, potassium, magnesium and chloride. We’ve also gone an extra step by including other proven hydration aids in taurine and coconut water alongside important vitamins (B6, B12, and C).
Add a scoop to your water bottle and sip throughout the day (and night) to stay hydrated, recover faster, and sleep more soundly.
References
- https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/sleep-health
- Ky, A.T., Giersch, G.E.W., Sekiguchi, Y. et al. Mild Dehydration by 24-h Fluid Restriction Led to Difficulty Falling Sleeping and Increased Sleep Duration. SN Compr. Clin. Med. 7, 67 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42399-025-01828-0
- Pross N, Demazières A, Girard N, Barnouin R, Metzger D, Klein A, Perrier E, Guelinckx I. Effects of changes in water intake on mood of high and low drinkers. PLoS One. 2014 Apr 11;9(4):e94754. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094754. PMID: 24728141; PMCID: PMC3984246.
- Maughan RJ, Watson P, Cordery PA, Walsh NP, Oliver SJ, Dolci A, Rodriguez-Sanchez N, Galloway SD. A randomized trial to assess the potential of different beverages to affect hydration status: development of a beverage hydration index. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Mar;103(3):717-23. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.115.114769. Epub 2015 Dec 23. PMID: 26702122.
