Final answer:
A diuretic is a medication that increases urine production by inhibiting the reabsorption of certain ions in the kidney's loop of Henle, and clients on diuretics might experience reduced REM sleep due to increased night-time urination.
Step-by-step explanation:
A diuretic is a medication that increases urine output, and consequently, reduces water conservation in the body, which can be used to treat conditions like hypertension. When a diuretic affects the loop of Henle specifically, it inhibits the reabsorption of sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl-) ions, which leads to increased urine formation. This is why loop diuretics, such as hydrochlorothiazide, increase urination.
In the context of sleep, this increased urination might potentially disrupt sleep cycles by requiring an individual to wake up to urinate more frequently during the night, potentially reducing REM sleep. Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH) works opposite to diuretics to promote water recovery, maintaining plasma osmolarity and blood pressure, by augmenting the insertion of aquaporin channels into the membranes of kidney cells to allow water reabsorption.