If you often find yourself waking up around 3am to use the bathroom, you might think it’s just a sign of ageing or a small bladder.
But according to a US-based family dentist, there’s a surprising connection between those middle-of-the-night bathroom trips and the way you breathe in your sleep.
Dr Mark Burhenne, the creator of the hugely popular Ask the Dentist series, has stunned his followers after revealing that nighttime urination is often a sign of airway problems, not bladder issues.
‘I can’t tell you how many patients used to come in for a regular teeth cleaning, and when I’d ask about nighttime urination, their eyes would go wide: “Wait…how did you know?!”‘ he wrote in a recent Instagram post.
The reason, he explained, comes down to what happens when your airway collapses while you sleep.
When this occurs, your body continues trying to breathe against a closed airway, which ‘creates massive negative pressure in your chest that stretches your heart muscle’.
This stretch triggers the release of a hormone called ANP (atrial natriuretic peptide), which tells your kidneys to ‘dump sodium and water’, according to Dr Burhenne.
Normally, your brain releases ADH (antidiuretic hormone) during sleep to help your body conserve water, allowing you to sleep through the night without needing to urinate.
Dr Mark Burhenne (pictured), has stunned his followers after revealing that nighttime urination is often a sign of airway problems, not bladder issues
But when ANP floods your system, it suppresses that protective ADH signal.
‘So you’re not just making more urine, your body’s brake system gets shut off too,’ Dr Burhenne said.
‘Your body is both actively making more urine (via ANP) and blocking the signal that would conserve water (suppressed ADH). Double whammy.’
He said this cascade of hormonal disruption has nothing to do with the bladder itself, but everything to do with how your airway affects your heart, hormones and overall sleep quality.
‘This isn’t just getting older or having a small bladder. This is your airway affecting your heart, disrupting your hormones, and ruining your sleep,’ he said.
Dr Burhenne warns that waking more than once a night to urinate can be a red flag that something deeper is going on.
If you also snore, wake up feeling exhausted, or have features such as a recessed jaw, crowded teeth, or a history of orthodontic work that’s altered your bite, these could all point to airway issues that are disrupting your sleep cycle.
Rather than brushing it off as a normal part of ageing, he urges people to seek help from a dentist who specialises in sleep medicine, rather than only speaking to a GP.
Dr Burhenne warns that waking more than once a night to urinate can be a red flag that something deeper is going on
Dr Burhenne has also been very vocal about mouth taping as a solution to overall better health, stating in a recent post that our ‘airway affects everything’ from our sleep, heart, hormones, and brain health.
Over his 20 years helping people sleep and breathe better, he says most of us are completely unaware of how much damage we’re doing overnight.
‘If you wake up with a dry mouth, you’re not just thirsty – you’re mouth breathing all night,’ he warned.
‘That means more cavities, bad breath, and way less oxygen to your brain. Tape your mouth. Train your nose. It will change your life.’
According to experts, mouth breathing during sleep doesn’t just make you wake up groggy, it dries out saliva, which plays a crucial role in protecting against tooth decay and gum disease.
He also promotes mouth taping for better sleep and health, noting that mouth breathing at night dries out saliva, which increases tooth decay risk and reduces oxygen, affecting energy and heart health over all
It can also reduce oxygen flow, which in turn affects energy levels, concentration and heart health.
And if you grind your teeth in your sleep, Dr Burhenne said stress may not be to blame.
‘Grinding your teeth at night isn’t just stress, it’s your airway trying to stay open.
‘Stop wearing down your enamel and start fixing the root cause: your sleep and breathing.’
Teeth grinding, or bruxism, is often a sign of restricted airflow, forcing the body to unconsciously push the jaw forward to keep the airway clear – which over time can damage enamel, lead to jaw pain and contribute to sleep disruptions.
Snoring, meanwhile, is one of the most commonly ignored warning signs.
‘It’s your body begging for help, [so] treat it now, or you’re fast-tracking high blood pressure, brain fog, and heart issues,’ he said.
Health authorities agree that regular snoring can be a symptom of sleep apnoea, a potentially serious disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts overnight, increasing the risk of cardiovascular problems, daytime fatigue, and even cognitive decline if left untreated.
‘[It] doesn’t matter how many supplements, ice baths, or gadgets you use – if your airway collapses at night, you’re stuck in survival mode.’
For those who experience persistent snoring, dry mouth, teeth grinding or unexplained daytime fatigue, Mark urged them to seek advice from a GP or sleep specialist like himself.
Treatments can range from simple nasal training and mouth taping to dental devices, lifestyle changes or CPAP therapy (uses a machine to provide a continuous flow of air through a mask) for more serious conditions.
