What’s your bladder pattern?
Download this chart pdf and use it to track your drink intake and peeing patterns for a day. Compare your chart to the types below to see what kind of bladder pattern you have.
How to use this chart
During the day, record:
- How much you drank
- How much you peed (or how many seconds you peed for)
- The color of your pee
The “Golden Rule”
Drink enough to make 1 cup of yellow pee, every 3 to 4 hours
How do I know how much I peed?
The most accurate way to see how much you’re peeing is to measure it in a container, but that can be a pain. An easier way is to count how many seconds you pee.
For most people: 20 seconds of peeing = 1 cup (8 ounces) of liquid.
To find your personal “flow rate”, count AND measure your pee a few times.
The Confident Bladder
This person’s chart shows a confident bladder pattern:
- She drinks enough to stay hydrated, but not too much
- Pee is a healthy yellow color
- Her bladder can hold for 3 – 4 hours
| Time | I drank | I peed | Pee color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midnight | - | - | - |
| 1 am | - | - | - |
| 2 am | - | - | - |
| 3 am | - | - | - |
| 4 am | - | - | - |
| 5 am | - | - | - |
| 6 am | - | 10 ounces | dark yellow |
| 7 am | 8 ounces | - | - |
| 8 am | - | - | - |
| 9 am | - | 6 ounces | yellow |
| 10 am | 8 ounces | - | - |
| 11 am | - | - | - |
| Noon | 6 ounces | 7 ounces | yellow |
| 1 pm | - | - | - |
| 2 pm | 8 ounces | - | - |
| 3 pm | - | - | - |
| 4 pm | - | 8 ounces | yellow |
| 5 pm | 6 ounces | - | - |
| 6 pm | - | - | - |
| 7 pm | 4 ounces | 7 ounces | yellow |
| 8 pm | - | - | - |
| 9 pm | - | - | - |
| 10 pm | - | 6 ounces | yellow |
| 11 pm | - | - | - |
The Over-filler
This person’s chart shows a stressed out, over-filled bladder:
- She’s drinking more fluid than her body needs, so pee is colorless
- She has to run to the bathroom every hour
- She leaks pee before making it to the toilet in the morning
| Time | I drank | I peed | Pee color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midnight | - | - | - |
| 1 am | - | - | - |
| 2 am | - | - | - |
| 3 am | - | - | - |
| 4 am | - | - | - |
| 5 am | 8 ounces | 24 ounces | yellow |
| 6 am | 8 ounces | 8 ounces | colorless |
| 7 am | 8 ounces | 8 ounces | colorless |
| 8 am | 8 ounces | 7 ounces | colorless |
| 9 am | 8 ounces | 6 ounces | colorless |
| 10 am | - | 5 ounces | colorless |
| 11 am | 4 ounces | 6 ounces | colorless |
| Noon | - | 4 ounces | colorless |
| 1 pm | - | 6 ounces | colorless |
| 2 pm | 6 ounces | 5 ounces | colorless |
| 3 pm | - | 4 ounces | colorless |
| 4 pm | 12 ounces | 4 ounces | colorless |
| 5 pm | 12 ounces | 6 ounces | colorless |
| 6 pm | 12 ounces | 8 ounces | colorless |
| 7 pm | - | 4 ounces | colorless |
| 8 pm | - | - | - |
| 9 pm | - | - | - |
| 10 pm | - | - | - |
| 11 pm | - | - | - |
The Nighttime Pee-er
This person’s chart shows a bladder that disrupts sleep:
- She’s drinking more fluid later in the day
- She needs to get up at night to pee
| Time | I drank | I peed | Pee color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midnight | - | - | - |
| 1 am | - | - | - |
| 2 am | - | 20 ounces | colorless |
| 3 am | - | - | - |
| 4 am | - | 13 ounces | colorless |
| 5 am | - | - | - |
| 6 am | 6 ounces | - | - |
| 7 am | 3 ounces | - | - |
| 8 am | - | - | - |
| 9 am | - | - | - |
| 10 am | 10 ounces | 3 ounces | yellow |
| 11 am | - | - | - |
| Noon | - | - | - |
| 1 pm | 6 ounces | 3 ounces | yellow |
| 2 pm | 6 ounces | - | - |
| 3 pm | 4 ounces | 4 ounces | yellow |
| 4 pm | 10 ounces | - | - |
| 5 pm | - | 3 ounces | yellow |
| 6 pm | - | - | - |
| 7 pm | - | - | - |
| 8 pm | 10 ounces | - | - |
| 9 pm | - | 6 ounces | yellow |
| 10 pm | 4 ounces | - | - |
| 11 pm | - | 2 ounces | yellow |
The Frequent Pee-er
This person’s chart shows an irritated, overactive bladder:
- Drinking lots of coffee can irritate the bladder
- She feels the urge to pee even when her bladder isn’t full
| Time | I drank | I peed | Pee color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midnight | - | - | - |
| 1 am | - | - | - |
| 2 am | - | - | - |
| 3 am | - | - | - |
| 4 am | - | - | - |
| 5 am | 3 ounces coffee | 10 ounces | yellow |
| 6 am | 2 ounces coffee | 1 ounce | yellow |
| 7 am | 3 ounces coffee | 2 ounces | yellow |
| 8 am | - | - | - |
| 9 am | - | 1 ounce | yellow |
| 10 am | 3 ounces coffee | - | - |
| 11 am | - | 2 ounces | yellow |
| Noon | - | - | - |
| 1 pm | - | 4 ounces | yellow |
| 2 pm | - | - | - |
| 3 pm | 3 ounces | 1 ounce | yellow |
| 4 pm | - | - | - |
| 5 pm | - | 2 ounces | yellow |
| 6 pm | - | - | - |
| 7 pm | - | 2 ounces | yellow |
| 8 pm | 3 ounces | 2 ounces | yellow |
| 9 pm | 3 ounces | 2 ounces | yellow |
| 10 pm | - | - | - |
| 11 pm | - | - | - |
The Holdout
This person’s chart shows bladder that has to hold for a long time:
- Dark pee means she’s drinking less water than her body needs
- She’s holding pee for a long time at work
| Time | I drank | I peed | Pee color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midnight | - | 8 ounces | - |
| 1 am | - | - | - |
| 2 am | - | - | - |
| 3 am | - | - | - |
| 4 am | - | - | - |
| 5 am | - | - | - |
| 6 am | - | - | - |
| 7 am | - | - | - |
| 8 am | 8 ounces | 8 ounces | dark yellow |
| 9 am | - | - | - |
| 10 am | - | - | - |
| 11 am | - | - | - |
| Noon | 8 ounces | 3 ounces | dark yellow |
| 1 pm | - | 10 ounces | dark yellow |
| 2 pm | - | - | - |
| 3 pm | - | - | - |
| 4 pm | - | - | - |
| 5 pm | - | - | - |
| 6 pm | - | - | - |
| 7 pm | - | - | - |
| 8 pm | - | - | - |
| 9 pm | - | 10 ounces | Amber |
| 10 pm | 12 ounces | - | - |
| 11 pm | - | - | - |
| * Working nights | |||
The Over-filler Holdout
This person’s chart shows a stressed out, over-filled bladder that has to hold for a long time
- She’s holding an over-filled bladder for a long time throughout the day
- She’s holding pee for a long time at work
- She leaks pee before making it to the toilet, when coughing, and when sneezing
| Time | I drank | I peed | Pee color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midnight | - | 8 ounces | - |
| 1 am | - | - | - |
| 2 am | - | - | - |
| 3 am | - | - | - |
| 4 am | - | - | - |
| 5 am | 8 ounces | 24 ounces | yellow |
| 6 am | 8 ounces | - | - |
| 7 am | 8 ounces | - | - |
| 8 am | 8 ounces | - | - |
| 9 am | 8 ounces | - | - |
| 10 am | - | - | - |
| 11 am | 4 ounces | 16 ounces | colorless |
| Noon | - | - | - |
| 1 pm | - | 12 ounces | colorless |
| 2 pm | 6 ounces | - | - |
| 3 pm | - | - | - |
| 4 pm | 12 ounces | - | - |
| 5 pm | 12 ounces | - | - |
| 6 pm | 12 ounces | - | - |
| 7 pm | - | - | - |
| 8 pm | - | 12 ounces | colorless |
| 9 pm | - | 14 ounces | colorless |
| 10 pm | - | - | - |
| 11 pm | - | - | - |
Pee Tracking Tips
To find out exactly how much you’re peeing, you really do have to measure, but it’s not as bad as it sounds. Here are some ways to make it easier:
Get a “toilet hat”
Ask your pharmacist or look online for a urine specimen collection unit, also called a “toilet hat”, or “Texas hat”. It sits over your toilet seat and has lines to measure your output when you pee in it.
Go low-tech
Use a large jar, measuring cup, or other container to collect your pee. If you need to, dump it into another container to measure. Do the transfer over your toilet or tub in case of spills.
Keep it clean
Leave a pitcher of water in the bathroom to rinse out your pee collection container. That way you can rinse after you measure, then flush it all.