Patient education: Bladder training (The Basics)

What is bladder training? — Bladder training means changing your habits to better control your bladder (figure 1). It can help with urinary problems like:

●Frequency – This means having to use the toilet very frequently.

●Urgency – This means suddenly feeling the need to urinate right away.

●Leakage – This is when urgency leads to actually leaking urine. It is also called "urge incontinence."

Talk to your doctor or nurse before trying bladder training on your own. They will want to make sure that you do it correctly. They might also want to check for other problems, such as a urinary tract infection.

What is a bladder diary? — Bladder training involves trying to increase the amount of time between trips to the toilet. A "bladder diary" is a way to keep track of how often you go (form 1). Doctors sometimes call this a "voiding diary."

In the diary, write down:

●The time you urinate

●The amount of urine, if your doctor asked you to measure this

●If you had any leaking, how much (small, medium, or large amount), and what you were doing when the leakage happened

●The amounts and types of fluids you drink

●Any other symptoms you have

How do I train my bladder? — Once you have an idea of how often you are urinating, try to wait a little longer between trips to the toilet. This should be a gradual process:

●First, slightly increase the amount of time between bathroom visits. For example, if you normally go every hour, add 15 minutes. This means trying to wait 1 hour and 15 minutes between trips to the bathroom.

●Keep following this schedule for several days. If you can do this for 3 or 4 days without problems, increase the time again. For example, you can add 15 more minutes between trips to the bathroom.

●Keep doing this until you can wait at least 2 to 3 hours between bathroom visits. It can take time to get to this point. Some people notice improvement within a few weeks of bladder training. But it can take longer.

Keep filling out your bladder diary as you work on bladder training. This will help you see improvement over time. The process might take several weeks.

What else can I do to help with urgency? — Part of bladder training involves learning to control the urge to urinate and make your bladder wait. Some things you can do to help with this:

●Squeeze your pelvic muscles – These include the muscles that control the flow of urine. Try squeezing the muscles and then relaxing them. Repeat this several times.

●Change positions – It might help to cross your legs or sit on a firm surface.

●Distract your mind – Try to think about something else until the urge passes.

●Relax – Stay still when you get the urge to urinate. It might help to do deep breathing exercises. Do not rush to the toilet when it is time to go.

What else should I know? — These tips might help with bladder training:

●Try to only urinate when you actually need to go – For example, avoid going to the bathroom before leaving home "just in case." This can train your brain to think that your bladder is full when it really isn't.

●Drink fluids throughout the day – Make sure that you drink enough fluids to stay hydrated. This usually means about 8 cups (64 ounces) a day. Try to spread this throughout the day instead of drinking a lot all at once. If you usually drink a lot more than this, ask your doctor or nurse if it is OK for you to reduce the amount.

●Avoid drinking fluids soon before bedtime – This can lower the chances that you will need to urinate during the night.

●Limit or avoid alcohol and caffeine – Some people find that these things make them need to urinate more.

When should I call the doctor? — Call your doctor or nurse if:

●Your urinary symptoms are not getting better or are getting worse.

●You are having trouble with your training schedule – Bladder training can be frustrating and take time. But don't give up. Your doctor or nurse can help you.

●You have other problems with urinating, such as pain or burning, not being able to urinate, or seeing blood in your urine.

More on this topic

Patient education: Urinary incontinence in females (The Basics)
Patient education: Treatments for urgency incontinence in females (The Basics)
Patient education: Urinary incontinence in males (The Basics)
Patient education: Pelvic floor muscle exercises (The Basics)
Patient education: Bladder pain syndrome (interstitial cystitis) (The Basics)
Patient education: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate) (The Basics)
Patient education: Urinary retention (The Basics)

Patient education: Urinary incontinence in women (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Urinary incontinence treatments for women (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Pelvic floor muscle exercises (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Treatment of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (Beyond the Basics)