In general, the average person urinates between six and seven times in 24 hours, but those who do so four to ten times can also be considered healthy. Since the frequency of urination depends on various factors, you need to keep track of your habits for at least three days if you want to know if you urinate too often. If you go to the bathroom more than twice a night, you may need to see a urologist or family doctor. You should also get examined if you experience pain when urinating, if you have a fever, if you cannot control your bladder or have difficulty urinating.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Measure the Frequency
Step 1. Buy a measuring cup
You need it to accurately measure your urine output and make a note of it. You can find it in the pharmacy.
Urine measuring cups measure the volume of liquid in cubic centimeters or milliliters
Step 2. Write a fluid diary
Every time you go to the bathroom, write down the time, the amount of urine you pass, the type and amount of fluids you have taken. Measure how many ml you drank between one visit to the bathroom and the next. Record everything for at least 72 hours, not necessarily consecutive. You can choose the days when it will be easier to take notes.
- By measuring the amount of fluids before drinking them, you can accurately calculate your fluid intake. Use measuring containers to do this.
- For example, write: 10:00, 3 cc, 250 ml of tea.
- You can also record how urgently you needed to free yourself on a scale of one to three, where 1 is mild need, 2 is medium, and 3 is intense.
Step 3. Create a table of your bathroom visits
You should note the frequency of urination separately during the day and during the night. You also need to calculate the amount of fluids you are taking. Do this for each 24-hour period. Compare these results with how often an average adult urinates. This way you or your doctor can assess whether urination frequency and volume produced are normal.
For example, urinating eight to nine times in a 24 hour period having taken 2 liters of fluid is considered normal
Step 4. Download an app
Applications like Pee Tracker and iP Voiding Diary can help you keep track of how often you urinate and how much urine you pass, as well as record your fluid intake. Programs are useful alternatives if you don't like the idea of filling out a table by hand or writing a journal.
Even with this method, you will still need to purchase a measuring cup to calculate the volume of the excreted urine
Method 2 of 3: Define Normal
Step 1. Be careful if you urinate more than eight times during the day
The average person urinates about six to seven times in 24 hours. However, it is considered normal to urinate eight times during the day and once at night. However, it is not normal to exceed twice a night.
The average person urinates no more than 500ml every two hours or more than 10 times after drinking two liters of fluid
Step 2. If you are elderly, you should expect to urinate more often
With age, the tissues of the bladder become harder and consequently less flexible. In addition, the bladder muscles become weaker. These two factors combined can lead to those over the age of 55 urinating more often.
See a doctor if you urinate more than twice a night
Step 3. Be aware that medications and diuretics can affect the frequency of urination
If you are on drug therapy, consider the effect the drugs have on urine output. Ask your doctor about side effects. Also, diuretics like caffeine can irritate your bladder and make you urinate more often.
- By reducing your caffeine consumption, you can urinate less frequently.
- Alcohol also irritates your bladder and can lead you to urinate more often.
Step 4. Consider the volume produced
When you take note of the number of visits to the bathroom, you should also record the amount of urine passed. If you urinate more than 2.5 liters per day, you may be producing too much urine, a condition known as polyuria. Ask your doctor for advice, as the underlying cause of the problem can be serious (such as diabetes or kidney disease).
Step 5. Calculate the correct fluid intake
Drinking too much water, fruit juices, and other fluids for your build can lead to frequent urination. The amount of fluids you should drink depends on your weight. You can calculate it by multiplying the weight by 30. The number obtained is the milliliters you should drink per day.
- For example, if you weigh 55 pounds, calculate 55 x 30 = 1650. In this case, you should drink 1.65 liters of fluid per day.
- If you exercise, add 350ml of fluid for every 30 minutes of exercise. Going back to the previous example, if you weigh 55 pounds and train for 30 minutes, you should drink 2 liters in total.
Method 3 of 3: Determine the Causes
Step 1. Consider the amount of caffeinated drinks you consume
Since caffeine is a diuretic, drinking coffee, tea, soda, and others that contain caffeine can make you urinate more often. In addition, some drugs also have diuretic effects, for example those for hypertension.
Alcohol is a substance that can cause you to urinate more often
Step 2. Hold on more
Some people go to the bathroom as soon as they feel the urge, while others wait until they have a full bladder before releasing. If you fall into the first category, you can get your bladder used to holding urine for longer.
- Train your bladder by waiting for the urge to go to the bathroom to get stronger before doing so. If you start to feel pain, you have waited too long. Gradually increase bladder tolerance over a four week period. Follow this advice only if you don't have incontinence problems.
- Kegel exercises can help you train your bladder.
Step 3. Determine if you have an overactive bladder
Symptoms of this problem include frequent urination, inability to postpone the need to urinate, discharge (incontinence), and urinating more than twice a night. See your doctor if you notice these symptoms.
Bladder overactivity can be caused by pelvic muscle weakness, nerve damage, medications, caffeine, a urinary tract infection, overweight, and estrogen deficiency
Step 4. Contact your urologist
If you go to the bathroom so often that you have problems with your daily routine and don't know what causes this symptom, consult your urologist. Take the chart you filled out with you and discuss your symptoms. Your doctor will be able to make a diagnosis based on your symptoms and other factors.
