Time. You can sleep six to eight hours without having to urinate, but it’s also not a big deal if you get up once a night to do so. Caffeine, alcohol or just drinking too much liquid before sleeping can cause it.
Excessive nighttime urination can also be caused by medications; diabetes; or kidney, heart, prostate, or other health problems, so it’s worth getting checked out.
Glasses. It is okay to drink lots of water to keep you well-hydrated and flush toxins from your body, but you don’t need to be a water tanker to keep your bladder happy. So how much is okay. When your pee is light yellow or almost clear, you are good. When your pee turns dark gold, you’re probably not. Pee pink? It could be an infection, so see your doctor.
Germ. While in the bladder, urine is pretty free of germ. [Think people who drink their urine for therapy]. But on the way out of your body, urine is exposed to bacteria.
Shy. There is something as a shy bladder. It is called paruresis. Some people do have trouble peeing with other people around. The exact cause is still a debate; it is still considered a phobia or social anxiety disorder.
Too long. Hold your pee too long and you could increase your risk of bladder infections and other urinary tract infections, especially for women.
Women get more of them because their shorter urethra makes it easier for bacteria to reach the bladder. Men are at low risk, but also at greater risk of repeat infections—because when they get infections, bacteria can lurk deep inside prostate tissue
D-word. You work, get thirsty, drink a couple of bottles of water and run to the bathroom—that’s normal. But being thirsty frequently and peeing a lot, over days or weeks, may be sign of a problem: it can be a symptom of diabetes. If you’ve noticed other symptoms of diabetes, see a doctor right away.
Clearance. Urinating after intercourse can help clear bacteria from the urinary tract. Women who use spermicidal foam and diaphragms have a higher risk of UTIs, so if you’re prone to UTIs, you may want to consider other birth control options.
Sneeze-a-pee. Lots of people — especially women — leak urine when they sneeze, cough, or lift something heavy. It’s called stress incontinence because it happens when your bladder is under pressure. It can happen during pregnancy and may go away — or not — after your baby is born. It can also happen after menopause.
Water. The sound of running can trigger the need to pee, and that’s normal. But if you notice going from not having to, “Oh oh, out of my way,” you may have urge incontinence. Medications, thyroid problems and diabetes and conditions affecting the nervous can cause it.
