Recording how often you pass urine is easy!

All you need to do is note down the time whenever you go to pass urine.

If you also use a kitchen measuring jug, you can record how much urine you pass each time as well.

This lets you calculate the urine produced over 24 hours (24-hour urine output), the urine produced during the day (daytime urine output) and the urine produced at night (night-time urine output).

If you want to be even more precise, you can note down what comes before, during or after passing urine: urgency, involuntary leakage of urine, difficulty passing urine, burning, and the amount of fluids and drinks taken in.

You have now adopted what specialists call, in order of completeness: a micturition time chart, a frequency-volume chart, a bladder diary.

Keep it for 3-4 days and you will become aware of your own voiding rhythm.

Your diary

Print the chart and fill it in; then enter the totals for one day here to see straight away how your urine output is distributed.

How to read it

Night-time urine output includes the urine produced during sleep, and therefore also the first void of the morning.

According to the International Continence Society, there is nocturnal polyuria when night-time urine output exceeds 20% of the total in young people and 33% in people over 65. It is one of the most common causes of nocturia.

The diary does not make a diagnosis, but it is the simplest and most useful thing to bring to your urology appointment.