Action point

Bladder training is an important form of behaviour therapy that can be effective in treating urinary incontinence.

In bladder retraining, you use the bathroom at regular timed intervals, a habit called timed voiding. As you gain control, you can extend the time between your scheduled trips to the bathroom.

Start by going to the toilet every half hour, then you hold longer and go every hour. This way you will gradually increase the period of time between visits and the amount of fluids your bladder can hold.

If you feel the urge to urinate before the assigned interval, you should use urge suppression techniques — such as relaxation and Kegel exercises.

Read more about the urge suppression technique.