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I train in the evenings, sometimes pretty late. The training is typically grappling or weight lifting and so I usually feel the need to drink a lot of water afterwards.
Unfortunately, this means my sleep is broken to go to the bathroom and I can feel the difference vs having an uninterrupted nights sleep.
Should I drink more water before training and then fight the urge to drink after training?
This might get closed for being offtopic, but personally I disagree. Additionally, I don't think this is opinion-based at all, and that people who think that's the case are ignoring the medical evidence for urine production. That said:
You may want to consider adding a small bit of salt to your diet and seeing what that does for you. Salt generally decreases urine production. The author of this block quote is an RN, and this is inline with my understanding of natremia:
To protect against the harmful effects of too much sodium in the bloodstream, the body utilizes a hormone regulation system. When too much sodium accumulates in the circulatory system, the posterior pituitary gland releases antidiuretic hormone. The hormone travels through the blood until it reaches the kidneys. Once it arrives, it triggers the kidneys to stop producing urine and re-absorb water back into the kidneys, which helps dilute the accumulated sodium. When too little sodium circulates in the bloodstream, the production of antidiuretic hormone ceases. As a result, the kidneys increase urine production until sodium concentration returns to a normal level.
This is clearly related to fitness because:
Sleep is directly tied to hormone regulation and production, which is where all catabolic and anabolic activity come from.
A lot of fitness trends tend to focus on staying hydrated and reducing salt.
Your body is doing exactly what it's supposed to do, which is regulating the sodium in your blood. I'm certainly not advising you to eat a spoon full of salt, but I would experiment with something like a few small salted pretzels and see what impact it has.
If you eat some salted popcorn in the evening, I'd wager to guess that you'll have a relatively urine-free night.
I've treated several people with hyponatremia; and while you certainly aren't complaining of those symptoms and there is no reason to suggest you have it, it's worth reading up on to learn how salt, water, sweat, and urine production all work together.
You should be hydrating all day long. This will help your body get the hydration it needs to repair your body after a work out. Drinking a lot a mere hour before working out does almost nothing; it's important to keep drinking.
Do not resist the urge to drink after your workout. If you feel like you need a drink, take a drink. Note that hydrating all day long will allow you to afford to drink less after working out.
You may also want to look into working out earlier in the evening before you go to bed if you can help it. That way you won't have to worry about needing to wake up during the night.
Even the little things can help: use the bathroom right before you go to bed. Also make sure you're getting the doctor's recommended sleep times for your age.
