Hammock Camping = More Bathroom Breaks?

[dejoha]

Do you find you have to relieve yourself more when sleeping in a hammock verses sleeping on the ground or in your bed at home? I hadn't thought about the correlation until recently when I took friends out hammock camping and they all commented that they had to go more during the night.

I know the midnight run is not uncommon when camping, but is it worse in a hammock? Does the sleeping position put more pressure on the bladder? Is a hammock so comfortable that you relax more and so you lose bladder control?

[Cannibal]

I think I had to pee more often when I was sleeping in a bed because I was awake more often. "Since I'm already awake, I might as well pee" was the logic. Now that I sleep in hammocks, I sleep deeper and don't wake-up nearly as often. Usually around 4 or 5 in the morning I get a call, but otherwise nothing but snores.

[Catavarie]

Well last night I spent in my hammock to test out my SEEP vignettes addition, because you have test gear any time anything changes, and I didn't have a need to water the leaves all night.

Of course I've also had nights where I was up every few hours to lay down deer repellent. I think its likely due to people drinking more water and less sodas/coffee/tea/adult beverages in the woods.

Of course I could be wrong.

[gargoyle]

I think it has to do with your feet being elevated.
Blood flow (gravity induced) is different, draining toxins back from your legs into your body.
This is not a scientific statement..just a personal one.

[dejoha]

I think its likely due to people drinking more water and less sodas/coffee/tea/adult beverages in the woods.

I'm pretty sure, at least for me, it has to do with being _more_ hydrated on the trail than at home. I went backpacking with my son a few weekends ago and had been drinking a lot of water. Five breaks during the night.

[Fronkey]

Yes! So much so that it gets brought up in pretty much every one of my videos. Between 2-3am I am up to relieve myself.

I always thought it was because of drinking more to stay hydrated too.

Fronkey

[cataraftgirl]

I would say same to slightly less in the hammock than in the tent on a cot. I sleep deeper in the hammock, so less interrupted sleep I think.
KJ

[lazy river road]

When ever I sleep at home in a bed I generally make it through the night without having to get up. However when I am backpacking and sleeping in a hammock I generally wake up at least 2-3 times throughout the night. But when I hammock car camp I easily sleep through the night. So I as well attribute it to keeping myself well hydrated on the trail. Drinking lots of water throughout the day and especially at dinner time. HYOH, YPMV

[CdnDave]

Any kind of camping has me getting up multiple times a night

I think it the additional hydration and sugar

CdnDave

[Bummer72]

I'll go +1 on the "legs slightly elevated", in that it might cause more of the pooled fluids in your legs to be accessible to be eliminated via your circulatory system; I'll also agree with "paying more attention to staying hydrated throughout the day".

Whatever the real cause, I agree that I definitely gotta go more in the hammock vs. sleeping flat.