Why do I pee so much? Frequent urination and nocturia in men

How many times a day is it normal to pee?

According to the Bladder & Bowel Community, most people pee 6 to 7 times in 24 hours, and anywhere between 4 and 10 times can be normal if you are well and it doesn’t bother you. Waking once or twice a night can also be normal, particularly as you get older.

What counts as “too often” depends on how much you drink. If you are going more than seven times a day while drinking around 2 litres of fluid, or the pattern has changed recently, it is worth looking into.

Why do I pee so much?

Most of the time the cause is simple. The common reasons in men include:

• Drinking more: more fluid in means more urine out – including water from food, soup and fruit.
• Caffeine and alcohol: tea, coffee, cola, energy drinks and alcohol can all make you pee more.
• Overactive bladder: the bladder muscle squeezes before the bladder is full, giving you sudden urges to go, sometimes with leaks.
• Urinary tract infection (UTI): usually with burning or stinging when you pee, cloudy or smelly urine, and sometimes a high temperature.
• Diabetes: peeing more than usual is one of the symptoms of diabetes. Look out for feeling thirsty all the time, feeling very tired or losing weight without trying.
• Enlarged prostate: a bigger prostate can stop the bladder emptying fully, so it fills up again sooner. It is one of the most common causes in men over 50 – see our guide to enlarged prostate symptoms.
• Medicines: diuretics (“water tablets”) for blood pressure or heart conditions are a common cause. Don’t stop a prescribed medicine without talking to your doctor.
• Constipation: a full bowel can press on the bladder.

Why do I need to pee at night (nocturia)?

Waking up at night to pee is called nocturia. It becomes more common with age for several reasons:

• The body makes less of a hormone that slows urine production at night, so the kidneys keep working while you sleep.
• Fluid that collects in the ankles during the day is reabsorbed when you lie down, and the kidneys turn it into urine.
• The prostate grows with age. More than half of men over 60 have an enlarged prostate, which can stop the bladder emptying fully before bed.
• Drinking a lot in the evening – especially tea, coffee and alcohol – and some medicines.
• Conditions such as diabetes, heart problems, an overactive bladder and sleep apnoea.

Waking once or twice a night to pee can be quite normal. If you are up more often than that, it has come on recently, or it is affecting your sleep and how you feel during the day, talk to your GP – there may be a treatable cause.

What can I do myself to pee less often?

• Keep a bladder diary for at least three days: write down what and how much you drink, when you pee and roughly how much. It often shows a pattern straight away, and your GP will find it useful.
• Time your drinks: drink normally through the day (the NHS suggests 6 to 8 cups or glasses), but drink less before bed or before going out. Don’t cut your total intake too much – the NHS warns this can cause problems such as urinary tract infections.
• Cut down on caffeine and alcohol, or swap to decaffeinated drinks.
• Empty fully: take your time, and try “double voiding” – wait a moment after finishing and try again.
• Bladder training: with your GP’s or a continence nurse’s guidance, gradually stretch the time between trips to the toilet to retrain an overactive bladder.
• Stay a healthy weight and avoid constipation – both reduce pressure on the bladder.

When should I worry about frequent urination?

See your GP if peeing more often is new, getting worse, waking you regularly at night or affecting your daily life – or if you also feel thirsty all the time, very tired or are losing weight without trying. The same symptoms can come from an enlarged prostate, diabetes or, less often, prostate cancer, and your GP may suggest a urine test, blood tests and a PSA test.