How Long Can You Go Without Peeing? (And Why)

logo by Editorial Staff | Updated on December 18th, 2022

Public restrooms can be a hassle. They’re often dirty, unfriendly, and crowded. But more importantly, they don’t offer much privacy and tend to be situated in inconvenient settings. When you think about it, why should you have to pee in an incredibly public place?


That’s why many people opt to go without the need for toilets for extended periods. And while some people may find this restrictive, it can be beneficial if done right. After all, not being able to use the toilet regularly is a sign that your body is functioning normally and your system isn’t dependent on waste elimination.

white ceramic toilet bowl with cover

Let’s take a better look at what prolonged no-peeing entails and whether or not it’s something you should consider doing.

Exact Time: 5 to 10 Hours

Age Group Of an IndividualMaximum Duration Without Urination
Children or individuals below the age of 12Five to six hours
Individuals aged 12 or moreNine to ten hours

Urination, often known as peeing, is the natural process of excreting urine from the body. Urine is held in the urinary bladder before passing through the urethra and exiting the body. Peeing is sometimes referred to as voiding, micturition, emiction, or enuresis in medicine. More frequent names include pissing and weeing.

A healthy human or animal will urinate up to seven times a day. Urination is a self-controllable process in a healthy person. However, newborns and certain elderly persons cannot control their pee discharge deliberately, and urinating is usually a reflex.

How Long Can a Person Avoid Peeing?

Peeing is a necessary function that should be performed regularly to maintain physical balance. Urination necessitates the cooperation of the autonomic, central, and somatic nervous systems.

The brain centers responsible for urine regulation are the pontine micturition center, the cerebral cortex, and the periaqueductal gray. Males urinate through their penis. Females, on the other hand, urinate through the urethral hole in the vagina. Before it is necessary to extract the pee from the bladder, it is retained in the urinary bladder for some time.

Urine comprises around 95% water, and the remaining 5% is made up of waste materials. Nephrons in the kidneys aid in blood processing and urine production through reabsorption, filtration, and secretion.

The urine excretes various nitrogenous wastes, including creatinine, urea, uric acid, and ammonia. Hormones regulate resorption by controlling water and sodium transport based on an individual’s physical state.

The individual’s age group mostly governs the longest time a person may go without peeing. Children under twelve commonly have an underactive bladder and can go for up to six hours without peeing. On the other hand, people above the age of twelve have a healthy bladder and can withstand urine flow for up to ten hours.

Why can a person go that long without peeing?

As a person age, they gain more control over their urinary bladder. That is why a healthy bladder can control peeing for so long. However, as a person ages, the body loses control of the urinary bladder and may urinate irregularly.

This is particularly common in older adults suffering from kidney disease. If people cannot control their pee flow independently, various drugs can help them overcome this disease.

It has been shown that drinking lots of water promote urine to happen faster. Caffeine and alcohol usage can increase the rate of urination. This ailment in the urinary tract or bladder might not only induce frequent urination. On the other hand, the body generates substantially less urine throughout the night. As a result, a person can sleep soundly without needing to rouse himself regularly to urinate.

Nocturia occurs when a person has to urinate more than twice during the night regularly. Dehydration is one of the most prevalent reasons for delayed urination. The urinary bladder cannot produce urine properly if a person’s body lacks the required fluids.

Excessive fluid consumption might be the source of chronic urine discharge. However, if a person consumes fluids regularly and cannot urinate for a lengthy period, they should see a doctor.

How many times a day should a person pee?

A person typically urinates about 8 times daily and never more than once every night after bed.

According to the Urology Care Foundation, children should not urinate less than three times each day.

The frequency with which people pee is determined by how much they drink and other factors such as convenience. A person should pee every 3–4 hours on average trustee Source.

Certain bladder problems can affect how frequently a person pees. These are not typical signs of aging.

Anyone experiencing urinary symptoms should see a doctor, especially if they suspect they have one of the problems listed below.

The following conditions can have an impact on urine frequency:

Overactive bladder

If someone with an overactive bladder does not use the restroom promptly, they will have sudden, strong impulses to urinate and bladder leaks.

This condition can cause a person to use the restroom frequently during the day.

Treatment options include dietary changes, medicines, Botox injections, and nerve stimulator implantation.

Urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence happens when a person loses control of their ability to hold in and expel pee. This category includes an overactive bladder.

Incontinence can occur on a sporadic or continuous basis.

Lifestyle changes, drugs, medical devices, and surgery are all options for treatment.

Urinary tract infections

Urinary tract infections are more common in females than males (UTIs).

This sort of illness can irritate the bladder and cause an increased frequency of urination. Antibiotics are frequently used to treat UTIs.

What exactly does it mean to pee “a lot”?

First and foremost, how much peeing is “normal”? Most specialists think urinating more than eight times in 24 hours indicates an overactive bladder. However, it will be determined by various things, including the amount of fluid you drink, the size of your bladder, and the amount of urine your body generates.

Generally, a healthy bladder can contain 300-400 mL of pee (just under two cups). When the bladder contains around 150 mL of urine, you desire to pee (just over half a cup).

We produce around 3 L of urine every day. If you earn more than that, you may get polyuria. This is more prevalent if you take diuretics, which assist your body in ridding itself of extra fluid.

Most of these medications operate by causing the kidneys to filter out extra salt into the urine, which causes the kidneys to extract more water out of circulation and into the urine. This aids in the reduction of blood pressure.

If you have untreated diabetes, you may also generate excessive urine. In this instance, your blood has excessively high quantities of glucose.

Because the kidneys are incapable of breaking down the excess glucose, it is excreted in the urine, which draws in more fluids along with the glucose. The body becomes dehydrated, and you become thirstier than usual. As a result, you wind up drinking and peeing far more.

Peeing at night is a distinct issue. If you pee more than once during the night, you may have nocturia. You are not alone: Every night, one in every three individuals over 30 uses the restroom at least twice. Your body creates more antidiuretic hormone (ADH) at night, which keeps your kidneys from absorbing and releasing water until you wake up.

This hormone declines with age, which may explain why older folks are more likely than younger people to experience nocturia. It also takes time for ADH to be created in youngsters. This is why my 3-year-old sleeps in a diaper (she can’t hold her pee overnight yet).

What if I pee once or twice a day?

Peeing once or twice a day is not a sign of good health. This signifies you’re dehydrated, and your body needs water to rid itself of poisons and waste. If, after increasing your fluid intake, this figure does not increase, you should see a doctor since it might be a sign of a kidney ailment.

How to teach yourself not to need to urinate as frequently

Simply holding it for a few moments instead of going the moment you feel the urge to urinate will progressively improve the mental communication circuit responsible for preventing your bladder from emptying and the muscles that allow you to do so. (It’s probably a misconception that keeping it extends your bladder and allows it to store more urine in the future.)

You can do certain things if you’re caught in a scenario where you need to hold it for an extended period.

Cross your legs if you’re standing; if you’re seated, don’t (because raising your thighs towards your abdomen will increase pressure on your bladder). Don’t move about too much, don’t drink anything, and try to focus on anything completely unrelated to your intense want to pee.

If all else fails, there is a hidden maneuver you can use in extreme situations, but it takes careful planning. It’s known as the knack maneuver, and both men and women can gain the capacity to do it over time by performing exercises comparable to Kegel exercises.

Essentially, you try to compress the pelvic floor muscles, then cough or pretend to sneeze (here are some tips on locating and contracting these muscles).

Doing several reps of this exercise can develop the muscles over time. If you contact them when you need to pee, it effectively signals your brain that it’s not a good moment to urinate, which then sends a signal back down to your bladder.

Is it possible to die from not peeing?

Your odds of dying due to holding in urine are quite minimal. Some physicians may even claim that it does not exist. In most cases, your bladder will discharge on its well before you are in danger.

In rare cases, people may hold their pee for so long that they cannot release it when it comes. This can lead to a ruptured bladder. If your bladder bursts, you will require rapid medical assistance. A ruptured bladder is a potentially fatal ailment.

Holding your pee in for days at a time exposes your body to hazardous microorganisms that are designed to be discharged. This can result in a UTI, leading to various problems, including sepsis. Again, this is the exception rather than the rule.

Most people can hold their urine for several hours and be just fine.

What is the longest time somebody has gone without peeing?

508 seconds is the World Record for the longest pee.

When should you see a doctor?

You should consult a doctor if you’re experiencing difficulties peeing. This is not a symptom that you should strive to live with.

If your bladder function is impaired, it might indicate underlying health issues. Don’t put off dealing with peeing problems for too long. It’s time to get a professional diagnosis after 36 to 48 hours of symptoms.

Conclusion

Overall, it can be concluded that urination is a process that a healthy human performs regularly. The urinary bladder is in charge of urine production. Urine is made up of water and waste materials. More fluids in the body result in more frequent urine flow. Dehydration causes reduced urine output.

Depending on age, individuals can control their urine flow for five to ten hours. Children urinate more frequently than adults because they have an underactive bladder than an adult’s healthy bladder. Uncontrolled urination might cause a few issues. Therefore it’s best to seek medical assistance in such circumstances.

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Editorial Staff

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