Nature neuroscience: Why your body isn't thirsty at night

In an article published in Nature Neuroscience, neurophysiologists Eric Trudel and Charles Bourque at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre propose a mechanism by which the body's circadian system, or internal clock, controls water regulation. The body's internal clock helps to regulate a water-storing hormone so that nightly dehydration or trips to the toilet are not the norm, research suggests. By allowing cells that sense water levels to activate cells that release vasopressin, a hormone that instructs the body to store water, the circadian system keeps the body hydrated during sleep.

Click here to view the article on the Nature Neuroscience website.