This is especially true when we sleep. Throughout the day, the average person has to go to the bathroom every few hours. When we sleep, however, we can go seven or more hours without having to use the bathroom.
But that's not all it does. “While you sleep, levels of ADH increase to keep you from waking up to go to the bathroom,” explains Dr. Yamunadevi Sadasivan, a primary care doctor at Geisinger 65 Forward. That means most people can make it through an entire night — six to eight hours of sleep — without using the bathroom.
Though a healthy bladder can stretch and accommodate larger volumes of urine, it's important to urinate at regular intervals. “Usually I recommend that you empty your bladder every three hours, whether you have the urge to go or not,” says Nazia Bandukwala, D.O., a urologist at Piedmont.
In most cases, holding in urine for a short period of time until there is a time and place to go is not going to be harmful. However, holding in urine is associated with a small increased risk of urinary tract infections or bladder dysfunction (overactive bladder) in the future.
Holding your urine for too long can weaken the bladder muscles over time. This can lead to problems such as incontinence and not being able to fully empty your bladder. Holding your urine for extremely long periods of time can also cause urinary tract infections due to bacteria build-up.
In some cases, holding in pee for too long can cause bacteria to multiply. This may lead to a urinary tract infection (UTI). Many doctors recommend avoiding holding in pee for extended periods of time, as it can increase the risk of UTIs, especially if a person has a history of frequent UTIs.
Holding it in for too long gives bacteria the chance to multiply and settle in the bladder, leading to infection. Holding urine can overstretch the bladder and lead to voiding dysfunction, which is a lack of coordination between the bladder muscle and the urethra.
Pee-gasms, also known as urine or pee orgasms, are a relatively new phenomenon. This sensation occurs when someone intentionally holds their urine for an extended period, resulting in a buildup of pressure in the bladder, which can lead to intense pleasurable sensations when they finally release their urine.
And while a couple extra trips to the bathroom may seem harmless, frequent nighttime urination can lead to fragmented, disrupted sleep, leaving you tired and cranky the next day.
Your body's physical capacity to keep in urine is based on a few things: "Most of the time women can hold urine for three to six hours, but this will vary," says Brucker.
Urinary bladder and urethra
The urinary bladder can store up to 500 ml of urine in women and 700 ml in men.
Over time, your bladder fills up and expands like a balloon, putting tension on the bladder muscles. At a certain point, the body senses that it is reaching a limit, which triggers the urge to urinate.
There's currently no official record set for the longest someone has gone without peeing, but holding it in is not advised. According to msn.com, no serious health problems have been linked to holding urine too long.
Mistake #4: Pushing
You shouldn't have to use your muscles to force urine out. A healthy bladder works best if the body just relaxes so that the bladder muscles naturally contract to let the urine flow, rather than using the abdominal muscles to bear down as with a bowel movement.
In most cases, patients with bladder rupture have gross hematuria (77% to 100%). Other symptoms of bladder rupture include pelvic pain, lower abdominal pain, and difficulty voiding. It is important to note that trauma to the urinary tract is frequently associated with other traumatic injuries.
Call your doctor if your baby or child has a dry mouth, fewer tears than usual, and no wet diapers or hasn't urinated in more than 6 hours. Get emergency help right away if your child or baby is very sleepy and hard to wake up, or if your baby or child hasn't had any wet diapers or hasn't urinated in 12 or more hours.
myth. urinary bladders of both sexes have same capacity of storage.
Nocturnal enuresis or bedwetting is the involuntary release of urine during sleep. Bedwetting can be a symptom of bladder control problems like incontinence or overactive bladder or more severe structural issues, like an enlarged prostate or bladder cancer.
If your bedroom is cool (e.g. due to air conditioning in the home), keep yourself warm by wearing socks and/or a blanket. Cold temperatures tend to stimulate urination.
Sometimes, when a person wakes up during the night they feel a need to urinate, which is referred to as nocturia. For many people, nocturia may be due to drinking too much liquid near bedtime, particularly coffee or alcohol.