What Is the Normal Frequency of Urination?

Urination can reveal information about a person's health. Someone who experiences painful urination or voids urine that is dark or strangely colored could have a medical problem. If a person urinates far more frequently than normal, it could also be a sign of a health condition.

Normal Frequency

• The normal frequency of urination varies from person to person. On average, an adult must void a total of 34 to 51 ounces of urine from the bladder daily. This translates to urinating every two to three hours during a day, or an average of six to seven times during a day, according to the Bladder and Bowel Foundation. Most people are able to sleep six to eight hours a night without needing to get up to urinate.

Normal Variations

• Some factors cause normal variations in the frequency of urination for adults. A person who drinks more fluid will urinate more often than others. Some people can wait longer between voiding their bladders. As a man ages, it is not uncommon for him to need to urinate once during the night. This can also happen to anyone who drinks large amounts of fluid before going to bed.

Causes of Changes

• Changes to the normal frequency of urination may be caused by drinking more or less liquids than usual. Some medications act as diuretics, which cause a person to urinate more often than normal, according to "Mosby's Textbook for the Home Care Aide." Medical conditions can alter a person's urinary frequency, including bladder infections or an enlarged prostate.

Treatment

• For a person experiencing more frequent urination than is normal, adjusting how much he drinks or when he drinks it can bring relief. Frequent urination caused by a medical problem like an enlarged prostate will be relieved by treating the underlying medical condition that is causing the problem. Therapy, including bladder retraining, can help a person urinate less frequently.

Considerations

• A person can urinate more or less frequently than average and still be normal. If a person suddenly begins urinating far more frequently than normal and if the need to do so is interfering with ability to work or enjoy her life, she should contact her doctor. Sometimes a change in urinary frequency is the first sign of a medical problem. Any changes in the color of her urine should be noted, according to the National Institutes of Health.