How to Drink More Water Without Peeing All the Time

Co-authored by Robert Dhir, MD and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: July 23, 2024 Fact Checked

Staying well-hydrated is important for your overall health, but increasing your fluid intake may have the unwanted side effect of extra trips to the bathroom.^{[1]
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Robert Dhir, MD
Board Certified Urologist & Urological Surgeon

Expert Interview. 23 September 2020.} This can be frustrating, but there are some simple strategies that may help to remedy the situation. Try some of these techniques to reduce the number of trips you’re taking to the bathroom while still drinking plenty of water every day.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Adjusting Your Fluid Intake

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1
Drink water when you’re thirsty. There’s no magic number of glasses of water that everyone should drink each day. This is because your fluid requirements vary based on your weight, sex, activity level, and even environmental factors like the temperature and humidity. If you’re thirsty, have a glass of water. If you’re still thirsty, have another!^{[2]
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Health information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a division of the U.S. National Institutes of Health

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- Try keeping a bottle of water nearby at all times so you can sip on it throughout the day.
Tip: If you’re unsure about how much water to drink or if you’re drinking enough, check your urine. If it’s clear or pale yellow, you’re drinking just the right amount. According to certified dietician-nutritionist Lisa Jubilee, if your pee is a “dark yellow or orange color and you haven’t been taking a B-complex vitamin (which can turn your pee yellow), you’re not hydrating enough.”^{[3]
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Lisa Jubilee
Certified Dietician-Nutritionist

Expert Interview. 10 January 2023.}
2
Stop drinking fluids 2-3 hours before bedtime. Obviously, if you’re really thirsty before bedtime, have a drink of water. However, avoid drinking multiple glasses of water, mugs of herbal tea, or other fluids right before bedtime. This may help to reduce the urge to urinate at night, which can disturb your sleep.^{[4]
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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- For example, if you normally turn in at 10:00 pm, then stop drinking fluids around 7:00 or 8:00 pm.
- Make sure that you go to the bathroom right before you go to bed, too!
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3
Limit diuretics like caffeine and alcohol. Diuretics are food and beverages that cause you to urinate more, which can dehydrate you.^{[5]
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Robert Dhir, MD
Board Certified Urologist & Urological Surgeon

Expert Interview. 23 September 2020.} Coffee, tea, and cola are diuretics because of their caffeine.^{[6]
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PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health

Go to source} Beer, wine, and spirits are all diuretics because of the alcohol they contain.^{[7]
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Research source} Other foods that may contribute to urine leaks include artificial sweeteners, corn syrup, citrus fruits, spicy foods, carbonated beverages, and honey.^{[8]
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Johns Hopkins Medicine
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- Try to limit yourself to no more than 1-2 caffeinated beverages daily.
- If you drink alcohol, don’t exceed 1 drink per day if you’re a woman or 2 drinks per day if you’re a man. One alcoholic beverage is equal to 12 fl oz (350 mL) of beer, 5 fl oz (150 mL) of wine, or 1.5 fl oz (44 mL) of spirits.^{[9]
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- Certain cardiovascular medications may also increase your urge to pee.^{[10]
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  Expert Source
  
  Robert Dhir, MD
  Board Certified Urologist & Urological Surgeon
  
  Expert Interview. 23 September 2020.}
If you’ve noticed that you’re urinating much more frequently than usual after increasing your fluid intake, and your body does not adjust within 1-2 weeks, talk to your doctor. In some situations, frequent urination may indicate a problem with bladder control or a urinary tract infection.^{[11]
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Cleveland Clinic
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Training Your Bladder

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1
Go to the bathroom on a regular schedule every 3-4 hours. Sticking to a bathroom schedule can help to train your bladder to hold a certain amount of fluid and reduce your sense of urgency. Identify 4-5 evenly-spaced times during the day when you will go to the bathroom and try to go at each of these times.^{[12]
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University of California San Francisco Health Center
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- For example, if you wake up at 7:00 am, you might go right after waking up, then again at 10:00 am, 1:00 pm, 4:00pm, and 7:00 pm.
- If you’re having trouble following this schedule, gradually work your way up to larger gaps between urination.
2
Try to wait 15 minutes after you get the urge to go. It’s important to go to the bathroom when you have to go. However, if you have frequent urges to urinate and it’s disruptive to your daily activities, try adding 15 minutes each time you get the urge to go until you are only going to the bathroom once every 3-4 hours. While waiting too long to urinate can be a bad thing, waiting 15 minutes past when you get the urge to urinate is okay. Over time, this may make it easier for you to control your bladder.^{[13]
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University of California San Francisco Health Center
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- Over time, this may help to reduce your sense of urgency and allow you to wait longer.
3
Urinate twice every time you go to the bathroom. Urinate as you normally would, but sit on the toilet or stand in front of the toilet or urinal for a few minutes after you go. Then, try to urinate again. By this time, you may be able to release more urine from your bladder.^{[14]
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- This is called double voiding and it may help you to go longer between bathroom visits by ensuring that your bladder is totally empty.
4
Do Kegel exercises daily to help control your bladder. Also known as pelvic floor exercises, Kegels can help to strengthen your ability to control your bladder when it’s full. This may help to reduce your sense of urgency and increase your confidence if you’re unable to get to the bathroom when you have the urge to go.^{[15]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

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- To do a Kegel, squeeze your pelvic floor muscles and hold them for at least 3 seconds. Then, release for 3 seconds and repeat 10 more times. Do this 3 times daily.
- Feel free to do Kegels wherever you’d like.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Lifestyle Changes

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Exercise for 30 minutes on most days of the week. Although exercising won’t increase the capacity of your bladder, it provides many other health benefits, which may help to prevent issues that could lead to a lack of bladder control. Exercising may even help to reduce the number of times you have to visit the restroom each day.^{[16]
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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- If you’re concerned about being too far from a bathroom while exercising outdoors, choose a location with lots of nearby bathrooms, such as a park, gym, or mall.
2
Lose weight if you’re overweight. Excess body weight can interfere with your bladder function; if you’re overweight or obese, you’re also more likely to develop incontinence. Talk to your doctor about what a healthy weight might be for you. Then, work on losing weight by cutting back on the number of calories you eat each day.^{[17]
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National Health Service (UK)
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- Don’t start a weight loss program without consulting your doctor first, especially if you’re not sure how much weight to lose or if you have other health issues.
3
Eat plenty of fiber to prevent constipation. Constipation can contribute to bladder issues.^{[18]
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Research source} It can also lead to other issues like anal fissures (tears) and hemorrhoids. Drinking water can help to prevent constipation, but make sure to eat plenty of fibrous foods every day as well, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains.^{[19]
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Mayo Clinic
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- Making simple swaps for whole grain versions of the foods you normally eat can help, such as by switching from white bread to whole wheat bread, or opting for brown rice instead of white rice.
Talk to your doctor about smoking cessation aids that may help make it easier for you to quit if you’re a smoker. Smoking cigarettes can cause a whole host of health problems, and it may also make issues with bladder control worse. Smokers may even develop stress incontinence due to chronic coughing.^{[20]
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Health information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a division of the U.S. National Institutes of Health

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Warning: If you don’t smoke, don’t start! Smoking has been linked to most cases of bladder cancer along with other forms of cancer and health issues like emphysema and COPD.

Sample Water Intake Schedule

Expert Q&A

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Question

Is peeing 20 times a day normal?

Robert Dhir, MD
Board Certified Urologist & Urological Surgeon
Dr. Robert Dhir is a board certified Urologist, Urological Surgeon, and the Founder of HTX Urology in Houston, Texas. With over 10 years of experience, Dr. Dhir’s expertise includes minimally-invasive treatments for enlarged prostate (UroLift), kidney stone disease, surgical management of urological cancers, and men’s health (erectile dysfunction, low testosterone, and infertility). His practice has been named a Center of Excellence for the UroLift procedure, and is a pioneer in non-surgical procedures for ED using his patented Wave Therapy. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Georgetown University and was awarded honors in pre-medical studies, urology, orthopedics, and ophthalmology. Dr. Dhir served as chief resident during his urological surgical residency at University of Texas at Houston / MD Anderson Cancer Center in addition to completing his internship in general surgery. Dr. Dhir was voted Top Doctor in Urology for 2018 to 2019, one of the top three Best Rated Urologists in 2019 & 2020 for Houston Texas, and Texas Monthly has named him to the 2019 & 2020 Texas Super Doctors Rising Stars list.

Robert Dhir, MD

Board Certified Urologist & Urological Surgeon

Expert Answer

Peeing 20 times a day is definitely a sign of urinary frequency, or the need to pee more frequently than normal. The average person can hold their bladder for at least 3-4 hours at a time.

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Question

How can I stop frequent urination naturally?

Robert Dhir, MD
Board Certified Urologist & Urological Surgeon
Dr. Robert Dhir is a board certified Urologist, Urological Surgeon, and the Founder of HTX Urology in Houston, Texas. With over 10 years of experience, Dr. Dhir’s expertise includes minimally-invasive treatments for enlarged prostate (UroLift), kidney stone disease, surgical management of urological cancers, and men’s health (erectile dysfunction, low testosterone, and infertility). His practice has been named a Center of Excellence for the UroLift procedure, and is a pioneer in non-surgical procedures for ED using his patented Wave Therapy. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Georgetown University and was awarded honors in pre-medical studies, urology, orthopedics, and ophthalmology. Dr. Dhir served as chief resident during his urological surgical residency at University of Texas at Houston / MD Anderson Cancer Center in addition to completing his internship in general surgery. Dr. Dhir was voted Top Doctor in Urology for 2018 to 2019, one of the top three Best Rated Urologists in 2019 & 2020 for Houston Texas, and Texas Monthly has named him to the 2019 & 2020 Texas Super Doctors Rising Stars list.

Robert Dhir, MD

Board Certified Urologist & Urological Surgeon

Expert Answer

Adjust your bedtime routine! Try not to drink too many fluids before bed, as this may increase your urge to pee.

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Question

Should I be worried about frequent urination?

Robert Dhir, MD
Board Certified Urologist & Urological Surgeon
Dr. Robert Dhir is a board certified Urologist, Urological Surgeon, and the Founder of HTX Urology in Houston, Texas. With over 10 years of experience, Dr. Dhir’s expertise includes minimally-invasive treatments for enlarged prostate (UroLift), kidney stone disease, surgical management of urological cancers, and men’s health (erectile dysfunction, low testosterone, and infertility). His practice has been named a Center of Excellence for the UroLift procedure, and is a pioneer in non-surgical procedures for ED using his patented Wave Therapy. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Georgetown University and was awarded honors in pre-medical studies, urology, orthopedics, and ophthalmology. Dr. Dhir served as chief resident during his urological surgical residency at University of Texas at Houston / MD Anderson Cancer Center in addition to completing his internship in general surgery. Dr. Dhir was voted Top Doctor in Urology for 2018 to 2019, one of the top three Best Rated Urologists in 2019 & 2020 for Houston Texas, and Texas Monthly has named him to the 2019 & 2020 Texas Super Doctors Rising Stars list.

Robert Dhir, MD

Board Certified Urologist & Urological Surgeon

Expert Answer

You should definitely see a urologist if your symptoms get worse over time. Frequent urination may be caused by something mild and preventable, like drinking too much fluid before bed, or it can be a sign of a more serious issue, like diabetes or a neurological condition.

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There are treatment options available if frequent urination becomes a regular problem for you. Talk to your doctor about your options.^{[21]
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