Trust Your Instincts: Emptying Your Bag at Night

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7
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275
cjotl2019
Apr 23, 2025 6:09 pm

As far as getting up to empty your bag in the middle of the night, if you feel like you have the urge to do so, you should get up. Personally, I sleep with one hand placed on my bag and feel if I am starting to balloon; I just get up. Of course, every night is a new adventure with each bag that I have on, depending on what I have to eat that day. The bottom line is, if you feel like you should get up, you probably need to empty.

Morning glory
Apr 23, 2025 6:47 pm

Mine seems to wake me up automatically to empty.

Ben38
Apr 23, 2025 6:55 pm

Yes, you're right; any newbies that don't listen to your advice and get up will soon learn the hard way. I'm lucky it's only my other end I need to get up in the night for, old age and a prostate that's seen better days.

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mild_mannered_super_hero

Great place for newbies to learn, I have helped many folks on here learn to irrigate, plus learned a few tricks myself. Great informative site.

TerryLT
Apr 23, 2025 9:11 pm

I often wake up with a pretty tight balloon stuck to my belly, and I often wonder just how close I've come to it being too late. Fingers crossed that never happens.

Terry

IGGIE
Apr 24, 2025 2:15 am

G-Day cjotl2019,

I find it's like a second sense that I seem to wake up just as I need to empty.

Never ignore it.

Regards, IGGIE

 

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Smitty4516
Apr 25, 2025 5:35 am

I'm glad I read this. The human brain is an interesting and amazing thing. I believe that as we feel the pressure of the gas or effluent putting pressure on our abdomen, we are awakened. That our brains rewrite and adapt like this is… well, amazing.

gentlejohn
Apr 27, 2025 4:41 pm

There are advantages to having to get up and urinate during the night. My ileostomy, so far, has not been too full and usually needs to be emptied.

infinitycastle52777
May 05, 2025 8:10 pm

I set an alarm for midnight and 5 a.m. and get up and empty. I can usually get back to sleep after midnight, but for the 5 a.m. one, I am usually awake, just laying in bed until 6 or 7 a.m. when I decide to get up.