Latest news with #urination
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
What happens if you need to pee while you're asleep?
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you'd like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@ What happens if you have to go to the bathroom in your sleep? – Calleigh H., age 11, Oklahoma As you drink water during the day, your body turns extra liquid it doesn't need into pee. Your bladder stores the urine and eventually alerts you when it's time to take a trip to the toilet. But what about at night? How does your body know not to pee while you're asleep? Just because you're snoozing doesn't mean your body is totally offline – continuous processes like breathing, digestion and, yes, making pee, still happen while you're asleep. Your bladder and your brain work together to know what to do with that big glass of water you drank before bed. Using the bathroom every day is routine for many people, so it's something you might not pay much attention to. But as a pediatric urologist, understanding how the brain and bladder work together – and sometimes miscommunicate – is an important part of my job. The bladder and the brain The bladder has two main jobs: to safely store urine and to empty it out. While it seems simple, these two tasks take a lot of complex coordination of muscles and nerves – that's the brain's job. For babies and young kids, the bladder has reflexes, meaning it automatically knows when to squeeze the muscles to empty the urine. Since babies can't control this consciously, they typically wear diapers. But as kids grow, the bladder muscles and nerves also grow, which gives a youngster more control over their bladder. During toilet training, which usually happens by the age of 3 or 4 in the U.S., kids learn how to use the toilet voluntarily. This means that they can feel when the bladder is getting full and their brain can receive and understand that signal. The brain can then tell the bladder to 'hold it' until they've made it to the toilet and it's safe to pee. What happens in sleep mode? Most children first learn how to use the toilet during the day. Using the bathroom overnight can be more difficult because the sleeping brain doesn't receive signals in the same way as when awake. While awake, if there's a loud noise or a bright light, the body senses it and reacts. But during sleep, the body may not hear that noise or see that light because the brain is in sleep mode. Imagine sleeping through an overnight thunderstorm that you didn't realize happened until you hear people talking about it in the morning. Your brain didn't process the loud noises because it was focusing on sleep. The same thing can happen with bladder signals. The bladder fills with urine 24 hours a day, even while you're snoozing, and it sends signals to the brain when it's full. In order to help you get enough sleep, your brain will tell your bladder to hold it until morning. Sometimes, if you really need to go, your brain will tell your body to wake up so you can go empty your full bladder. While it's normal to wake up to pee sometimes – especially if you drank a big cup of hot chocolate right before bed – most older kids can usually sleep through the night without needing to use the toilet. When the brain and bladder are working together well, your bladder gradually fills up overnight and hangs on til morning when you stumble into the bathroom to empty it. Nighttime accidents But there are many ways the communication between the brain and the bladder can break down. For one, the brain may not get the bladder's message that it's time to go. Even if the brain gets the message, it may not be able to tell the bladder to hold on. Or, when the bladder can't wait, the brain might not tell your body to wake up. If the signals and messages aren't sent, or are received incorrectly, the bladder will go into reflex mode – it squeezes to empty itself of pee, even though you're fast asleep in bed. Wetting the bed at night, which doctors call nocturnal enuresis, is more common than you might think. About 15% of kids between ages 5 and 7 wet the bed sometimes. Even some teenagers experience it. It's more common in boys, and often there's a family history, meaning parents or relatives may have dealt with nighttime accidents too. There are a few reasons why nighttime wetting happens. Since kids' brains are growing and developing, nighttime communication between the brain and bladder can take longer. Some bodies make more pee at night, making it more likely the bladder will get full during sleep. Some people have smaller bladders that fill up fast. Sometimes having difficulties with sleep or being a deep sleeper can make it harder to wake up at night if you really need to pee. Most kids who wet the bed at night outgrow it as their brains and bodies continue to develop. At that point, they can sleep through the night without needing to pee, or their bodies are able to wake up at night to use the bathroom when they need to. If wetting the bed is an issue, there are some things that can help, like drinking less liquid in the evening or using the bathroom right before you go to bed. These precautions make it less likely that the bladder will be too full during sleep. There are also bedwetting alarms that can help train the body to wake up when the bladder needs to be emptied. If there are concerns about nighttime accidents, or if accidents start happening in older children, I recommend consulting a doctor. Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you'd like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@ Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live. And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you're wondering, too. We won't be able to answer every question, but we will do our best. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Jennifer Ahn, University of Washington Read more: How much sleep do you really need? That distinctive springtime smell: Asparagus pee Pollen in pee: fossilised urine from a small African mammal helps us understand past environments Jennifer Ahn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Solve the daily Crossword
The Sun
08-07-2025
- Health
- The Sun
The exact amount of time it should take to pee – and when it signals a serious health problem
ALTHOUGH it's often a hush-hush topic, going to pee is something we all need to do. After all, what we guzzle down, must come out. But the stream doesn't always run so smoothly down there and knowing what's normal and what's not, can help you work out when there is an issues. It turns out spending too much time, or too little can be dangerous and a sign of hidden underlying health conditions, experts have warned. It should only take you an around 21 seconds to completely empty your bladder, according to US researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology. And if you're spending much longer peeing, you could be holding in urine for too long, which can lead to your bladder expanding too much. This is because the average bladder holds between 400ml and 600ml, roughly one pint, and people typically need to pass urine four to eight times a day. However, experts have warned that waiting until you're bursting before going to the loo puts you at a higher risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs), which can lead to life-threatening kidney infections. On the other hand, frequent short visits to the toilet may point to an overactive bladder, where the body feels an urgent need to urinate even when it is not full. The 21-second rule, which researchers described as the 'Law of Urination,' applies to all mammals weighing over 3kg. The scientists behind the finding received an IG Nobel Prize in 2015, a satirical award that honours unusual or humorous scientific achievements, after analysing footage of various animals peeing. But the health risks of ignoring the urge to go are anything but amusing. I haven't peed in SIX YEARS and never will again - I live in constant agony and it could kill me Chris Blick, a consultant urological surgeon at the Princess Grace Hospital, said: "Generally speaking you shouldn't force yourself to wait until you are desperate to urinate. "Occasionally, this technique may be used as part of bladder retraining to support patients with overactive bladders." He told MailOnline: "Holding on too much can be painful and, if you have a urine infection, can make you feel unwell. "If you regularly hold in your urine, over time this can cause your bladder to stretch." Peeing too often, he said, will "potentially train your bladder to empty when it doesn't need to, and can create a habit leading to unwanted frequency of urination."
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Peeing For Longer Than This Exact Amount Of Time Could Reveal Health Issues
We've written before at HuffPost UK about how the colour of your pee can reveal a lot about your health. And according to experts, how long your wee lasts can reveal potential bladder issues too. Speaking to The Washington Post, Stephen Freedland, a professor of urology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, advised that an average pee shouldn't last longer than half a minute. 'Once you get going and it takes you a minute to empty your bladder, that's a problem. That's not normal,' he added. Meanwhile, Dr. Janis Miller, nurse practitioner behind the bladder-based website puts it at an even stingier 20 seconds, per Well + Good. Funnily enough, most mammals ― regardless of size, so long as they're over 3 kilos ― spend more or less exactly 21 seconds urinating, due to gravity and a phenomenon called Pascal's Barrel. Regularly taking a lot longer than that to pee may mean you're drinking too much water, that you're not giving yourself enough wee breaks, or even that you're overstretching your bladder, Dr. Miller suggests. If, for instance, you get too used to holding in your urine, a condition that's sometimes called 'nurse's bladder' or 'teacher's bladder' can happen, urologist Nicole Eisenbrown, MD, told Well + Good. At this point, your brain becomes less able to pick up fullness cues from your bladder, leading you to empty it less often than you should. 'Your bladder just gets slightly bigger, then slightly bigger, and slightly bigger,' she explained. In the short term, that can make your urination sessions lengthy ― and over time that makes your bladder weaker. Unusual peeing habits can also sometimes reveal other conditions, including diabetes, neurological disorders or prostate issues, The Washington Post revealed. The odd extra-long pee likely isn't too much to worry about. But if you're regularly spending a lot of time on the loo and aren't sure why, if it's interfering with your daily life, and if you have other issues that worry you with your urine, it could be a good idea to chat to your GP. The Mayo Clinic adds that you should seek medical help immediately if you notice any of the following; Blood in your urine. Red or dark brown urine. Pain when you pass urine. Pain in your side, lower belly or groin. Trouble passing urine or emptying your bladder. A strong urge to pass urine. Loss of bladder control. Fever. If Your Urine Is This Colour, It's Probably Time To See A Doctor Here's When A Urine Bug Could Be A Sign Of Something More Serious Could This Urine Test For Prostate Cancer Be A Lifesaver For Men?
News.com.au
08-07-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
How long should you really take to pee? Scientists have an answer
It turns out there really is an answer to the question: 'How long should I pee?' You might not think much about the time you spend on the loo. But according to researchers, there's an average 'just right' duration for a healthy wee – and it's linked to your overall health. The magic trickling number is 21 seconds. Long enough to hum the chorus of Happy Birthday but not quite long enough for Bohemian Rhapsody. This '21-second rule' has come from a group of researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology, who developed the 'Law of Urination'. And, while it sounds like a fun pub trivia fact, it actually reveals a surprising truth about how our bodies work, and why big changes in your bathroom habits could signal something is up. The science behind the 21-second Law of Urination Researchers at Georgia Tech set out to answer a deceptively simple question: how do animals of vastly different sizes manage such similar bathroom times? They spent their days streaming (see what I did there) and timing clips of animals emptying their bladders. They discovered that mammals weighing over about 3 kilograms tend to take around 21 seconds to urinate, no matter their size beyond that threshold. How is that even possible? It's all about physics. Larger animals have longer and wider urethras. The extra length increases gravitational pressure, pushing urine out faster, while the wider diameter reduces resistance. The result: even though an elephant's bladder holds many times more than a dog's, both can finish in roughly the same time. Evolution seems to have finetuned mammalian plumbing for efficient emptying in about 20 seconds. What it means for humans Humans fit this pattern, too. Most adults typically take around 20–25 seconds to fully empty their bladders at a normal, relaxed pace. Health professionals sometimes refer to this '21-second rule' as a loose benchmark. Don't start taking a stopwatch with you to twinkle, but big changes in how long you take to pee can be worth noting. Consistently much shorter durations, especially with frequent urges, might indicate an overactive bladder or other urinary issues. Taking much longer could suggest urinary retention, prostate enlargement in men, or nerve-related problems. Holding it in too long can also overstretch the bladder over time, increasing the risk of infections and other complications While 21 seconds isn't a rigid rule for everyone, significant changes from your normal pattern can be an early sign to check in with your doctor. Something to keep in mind the next time nature calls.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Scientists pinpoint the exact amount of time it should take to urinate - any more or less could be a sign your health is at risk
Spending too much—or too little—time urinating can be dangerous and a sign of hidden underlying health conditions, experts have warned. It should only take you an average of 21 seconds to completely empty your bladder, according to American researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology. If you're spending much longer peeing, you're potentially holding in urine for too long, which can lead to your bladder expanding too much. The average bladder holds between 400ml and 600ml, roughly one pint, and people typically need to pass urine four to eight times a day. However, experts have warned that waiting until you're bursting before going to the loo puts you at a higher risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs), which can lead to potentially life-threatening kidney infections. Meanwhile, frequently peeing for too little time can be a sign of an overactive bladder—which is when you have a sudden, strong urge to urinate even when your bladder isn't full. The American researchers found 21 seconds to be right amount of time any mammal weighing over 6.6lbs (3kg) should spend urinating in their 'Law of Urination'. Their hours spent watching clips of various mammals emptying their bladders landed them IG Nobel Prize—a satirical prize to achievements that make people laugh. But the dangers of holding in your pee are no laughing matter for Chris Blick, a consultant urological surgeon at the Princess Grace Hospital in London. He previously told MailOnline: 'Generally speaking you shouldn't force yourself to wait until you are desperate to urinate. 'Occasionally, this technique may be used as part of bladder retraining to support patients with overactive bladders. 'Holding on too much can be painful and, if you have a urine infection, can make you feel unwell. 'If you regularly hold in your urine, over time this can cause your bladder to stretch.' Meanwhile, on urinating too often, he said: 'This will potentially train your bladder to empty when it doesn't need to, and can create a habit leading to unwanted frequency of urination.' In 2020, a man's bladder tore apart after holding urine for 18 hours after he drank 10 bottles of bear and fell asleep. Mr Hu, 40, from Eastern China was exhausted after his boozy night out and went straight to bed without going to the toilet once. He was rushed to a local hospital, Zhuji People's Hospital of Zhejiang Province after suddenly suffering severe abdominal pain. After conducting a CT scan on Mr Hu, the medics discovered that the man's bladder had been torn apart with three holes. One of the tears had even opened up towards his abdominal cavity and caused part of his intestines to enter the bladder. Mr Hu was immediately scheduled to undergo an operation to fix his bladder following the doctors' shocking discovery. The surgeons said that the man could be in a life-threatening condition if his bladder tears were not repaired in time. It also follows a recent warning from an NHS GP that scrolling on your phone while on the toilet can trigger a host of health problems. According to Dr Punam Krishan, these include haemorrhoids, also known as piles, a weakened pelvic floor—triggering continence issues—and, in extreme cases, lead to a painful condition called rectal prolapse. Haemorrhoids are swollen blood vessels in the back passage that can cause itching, discomfort, bleeding, and a persistent feeling of needing to pass stool. Though often dismissed as minor or embarrassing, haemorrhoids are extremely common—affecting an estimated one in three adults in the UK at some point. And the increase in prolonged toilet sitting, often coupled with mobile phone use, is quietly contributing to a rise in cases, Dr Krishnan said. Experts have previously warned against ' peegasms ' which became a bizarre new sex trend. A man published in a forum that his girlfriend told him releasing pent-up urine caused her to experience shivers 'from her spine to her head', MailOnline reported.
