How often should I pee?

The typical bladder can hold 400-600 ml of urine. A better understanding of 600 ml is 20.29 ounces. Most of us have picked up a 20 ounce soda or coffee before. A moderate urge to urinate typically occurs at 300-500 ml. The initial urge to urinate typically can be ignored since the bladder is not completely full. Most people can ignore this urge by doing kegels or just being distracted with daily activities.

It takes about 3 hours to fill your bladder at a rate of 15 drops per minute. This means you should have to urinate about every 3-4 hours. For most people this equates to urinating 6-7 times per day. Keep in mind, bladder irritants and medications can influence the frequency of urination. If you are not having any concerns with your urination habits, then keep in mind these are just norms.

If you don’t have an urge to urinate about every 3 hours it is possible you are not hydrating yourself well throughout the day. It is recommended to drink ½ ounce per pound of body weight and to drink this amount throughout the day.

Getting up to go pee at night is not typically normal for healthy individuals under the age of 65. During the daytime, voiding more frequently such as every 30 minutes may be an indication of a frequency concern if your intake of fluid does not warrant going this often. Some individuals can create bad habits when they teach their bladder that they will void even when it is not full. Most of us are familiar with the saying, “let’s go to the bathroom before we head out”. If the bladder is not full and we learn to void “just in case”, this can create a habit of frequent urge to void (urgency and frequency).

Ignoring the urge to void can be problematic too. The bladder can hold urine for up to 9-10 hours. Some people are in the habit of working a full day without voiding. This isn’t healthy for the bladder and over time it can fail you or lead to urinary tract infections.

If you have concerns with the way your bladder is working, schedule a Discovery Call with Katy at The Fit Pelvis to see if you could benefit from some behavioral training in physical therapy.