In short, there’s no best time to stop drinking water before bed since your water intake is dependent on a number of factors. If you’re dehydrated, drinking water may improve your mood, which influences your sleep-wake cycle, according to a 2014 study. In fact, drinking water before bed may help with hydration, and potentially reduce pain and cramping (via Healthline). However, if you’re waking up in the middle of the night with the urge to use the bathroom, this is a subtle cue you’re drinking too much.
Instead, focus on hydrating throughout the day to prevent drinking too much water during the evening. It’s recommended that women drink around 11.5 cups of water a day, whereas men need 15.5 cups a day, according to the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (via Mayo Clinic). Keep in mind, water intake can change with activity level and age.
As a general rule of thumb, try to stop drinking water 3 to 4 hours before bed, suggests urologist Vannita Simma-Chiang to MindBodyGreen. However, “any time you feel thirsty or your throat is dry, it’s a good idea to drink water,” Simma-Chiang concedes. If this happens, take one last bathroom pit stop before hitting the hay.