...In the small wee hours of the night

Three cups of tea/coffee a day is nowhere near enough! Your poor kidneys are now wondering what’s hit them. Keep drinking more than you normally do, even when this is over. Dehydration is a recipe for disaster even without the virus!

I am not a natural water drinker but since a stay in Hospital and new medication I have to drink a minimum of 2 litres of water a day. I am just getting used to this after 3 months and I do use the loo a lot (and trying to limit the loo roll use). I generally get up 2/3 times a night. If I get up and go straight back to bed to sleep I'm ok but if my brain kicks in then I am awake til the early hours.

Someone told my MIL to have two rice cakes spread with peanut butter before bed as this is supposed to stop you wanting to go in night. I haven't tried it but she swears it is working

I also am up at least three times each night and I do not touch water unless it is coffee flavoured but my coffee comes out of a jar.

bohemian, try doing the bulk of your drinking of water etc. in the first third of your day.

That should give your body time to process it before bedtime.

Usually thirst is a good indicator of hydration. The problem is sometimes we ignore thirst. I know I do, when I am busy I can feel thirsty but then think "oh I'll just do this one thing first then get a drink" and then another "just one thing" pops up, until an hour or so has gone by before I actually have that drink.

I agree with GrannyLaine and the couple of others who suggested that the need for drinking lots is exaggerated. It depends hugely on how hot it is, exercise etc. Colour of pee is a good indication. When I was in Bali there were colour charts in toilets as tourists must get dehydrated if not used to tropical climate. In our cool climate in winter, there’s no need to carry water and keep sipping from plastic bottles. Tea, coffee, milk and soup are all sources of water.

One time I did realise I probably wasn’t drinking enough- it was summer, I was breastfeeding and kept busy with other children. When going to bed, I realised I hadn’t peed since getting up that morning! Didn’t seem to do me any harm, though I did try to drink more next day.

only 3 times.. and you can get back to sleep!

count your blessings

I’m told that your bladder eventually gets used to more intake - mine never has!!

I have had a kidney removed, so try to look after the one that is left!
After the other one was removed, the hospital told me I had to drink lots, so I drank a bit more. No need to worry about going to the loo, I had a catheter. I think I was the only one who they told to "stop drinking, you've had plenty!"
There is an easy indication of whether you are drinking enough. It's the colour of your pee! I've seen a chart in the past, no idea where though. If it's clear or pale lemonade, it's fine. If it's the colour of Guinness, go and see your GP!!
Also be concerned if you pee is smelly or cloudy. That's a rough guide of course.
I go to Greece for sunny summer holidays. If I haven't drunk enough during the day, and haven't peed as much as usual during the day, as soon as I get back to my room I have a drink, and then another. I always have some bottled water when I'm abroad, but prefer to drink tea or fairly weak coffee. I always take my own kettle, tea and coffee when travelling!
It doesn't matter if you have to get up at night, you will soon get used to going back to sleep again. However, maybe keep a diary of what you drink and when, then you can work out how much you can drink, and when , so you can sleep better.
On a lighter note, some things make you pee more than others. The French nickname for rhubarb is "Granny wet the bed"!

Basically it is really according to what colour your wee is normally, before you started drinking extra water.
If it's very pale almost colourless, you are drinking enough. any darker yellow , you need to drink more.
Maybe drink a bit more in the morning than afternoon?
These reason you get up several times at night (as my GP told me) is because your kidneys work better when you are horizontal !
So maybe the idea would be for you to lay down in the morning and sleep standing up ??? (only joking!)

Just drink what your body needs not what you're told by so-called experts. Don't forget that there's a certain amount of water in food too. It's as bad drinking too much as it is too little.
I'm not a big water drinker as I don't find myself thirsty enough to drink it for drinking's sake. Have a full glass in the morning when taking medication, then tea/coffee during the daytime, or, and fresh fruit.

Alcohol will create dehydration and the only way to avoid that is to drink water in between an alcoholic drink.

H1954- spot on!

@H1954
No, dehydration is a clinical condition, and serious. What I said was there is a lot of nonsense talked about dehydration. If we are fit and well and drink according to thirst, we are fine.

Totally agree Jane 10 I found that out the hard way, if I go as soon as the urge takes me with eyes half closed I can get back to sleep otherwise forget it ?

My OH and myself are big drinkers.........of water! Yes, we have tea and perhaps coffee during the day too but the important stuff is water.
I've experienced the effects of acute dehydration and believe me, it's not nice!
We both know when we have not had adequate hydration and the only time we EVER buy bottled water is when we cannot be 100% sure of the purity of water from a tap.
Water flushes out impurities, nourishes the cells and keeps the brain alert ( think about that muzzy headache you might get during the afternoon ??? )!!!!
Dehydration is certainly not nonsense!

I like water and various teas. I sometimes have to get up in the night but fall asleep quickly especially if I get up at once. If I lie awake wondering if I really need to go, that's when sleep eludes me.
Keep up the fluids. Flush away impurities. You know it makes sense!

I probably would be told I don't drink enough as well. I have a coffee at around 6/6.30am when I get up then another mid morning. I have a hot chocolate mid afternoon. I may or may not have a glass of squash on my table which I sip through the day. Other than a glass of wine during the evening that's my drinks most days.
I still have to get up once during the night but any more drinks than that I'm up at least twice.
No health problems at all.

bohemian this is just my opinion but there is a great deal of nonsense talked about 'dehydration'. Our bodies are just amazing and yours is clearly giving you the message that you've drunk too much fluid. How did people remain healthy in the days before we had access to running water? Never mind plastic bottles of the stuff ...........

keep drinking , maybe more before 3pm than after , your system will get used to the new regime

Welcome to my world.