Experts warn: If these 3 signs appear at night, your kid.neys may be damaged

If you wake up with heavy legs or noticeable eye puffiness, don’t rush to blame a salty lunch. When the kidneys are damaged, they can’t properly remove excess fluid and sodium from the body.

“As a nephrologist, I often see patients coming in for treatment when it’s already too late and their kidneys are severely damaged. The truth is, kidney disease often progresses silently. However, there are early warning signals, especially at night. Ignoring these signs can make us lose the chance for timely intervention,” shared Dr. Ratan Jha, Clinical Director at Care Hospital, Hyderabad (India).

According to Only My Health, below are the common nighttime symptoms that may indicate kidney problems:

1. Frequent nighttime urination

Waking up at night to urinate is fairly common. However, if you need to wake up every night—or more than once each night—it’s time to pay attention.

“The kidneys are designed to filter and concentrate urine during the day, allowing you to sleep well at night. When kidney function declines, water retention becomes impaired, leading to frequent nighttime urination,” explained Dr. Jha. This condition is often mistaken for an overactive bladder or diabetes.

2. Swollen legs and puffy eyes

If you wake up with heavy legs or clearly swollen eyelids, don’t immediately blame a salty meal.

When the kidneys are damaged, they fail to eliminate excess fluids and sodium. During the day, this fluid tends to pool in the legs, and when lying down at night, it shifts to the face, causing puffiness around the eyes and swelling in the ankles the next morning.

These signs don’t necessarily confirm kidney disease, but they should not be ignored. At the very least, you should get regular checkups, including urine and blood tests, to assess kidney function.

Dr. Jha concluded: “If you notice any of these symptoms, don’t panic but take action. Protecting your kidneys early includes drinking enough water (but not excessively), limiting salt and sugar, managing blood pressure and blood sugar, avoiding overuse of painkillers, and listening to your body at night—because the quietest hours can reveal the most.”

3. Restless or itchy legs at night

“The kidneys’ role is to remove waste from the blood and balance minerals,” said Dr. Jha. When they don’t function properly, toxins build up, causing dry skin, itchiness, or a crawling sensation in the legs—symptoms that often worsen in the evening.

Restless legs syndrome is linked to advanced kidney disease. Symptoms that may seem unrelated to urination can, in fact, be part of the same systemic problem.