Drinking enough in daily life: Tips and tricks

We get most of the fluids we need from what we drink. The rest comes from our food. There are various recommendations for how much we should drink. In Germany, the general rule of thumb for adults is about 1.5 liters per day. Our personal fluid needs depend on things like our age, weight and overall health. The recommendations are different for babies and toddlers than they are for adults. Children should be offered fluids in many small portions spread out through the day.

People who sweat a lot during sports, physical work or on hot days might need to drink more. And some people need less fluids, such as children or people who don’t move around much. Most people can trust their own thirst. But some hardly feel thirsty, and then they might not drink enough. This often happens in older people.

If you drink more than you need, more urine passes through your kidneys and you pee more. Older people's kidneys don't work as well as they used to. Because of this, it’s best for them to spread larger volumes of drink out over several hours (not more than 0.7 to 1 liter per hour). People with heart or kidney failure may have very different daily requirements. Your doctor can give you advice on this.

It is best to drink water and unsweetened, non-alcoholic drinks such as fruit teas, herbal teas and juice spritzers (with little juice and plenty of water). In Germany and many other countries, it's fine to drink tap water. Soft drinks should be enjoyed in moderation because they usually contain a lot of sugar, which can be harmful for your teeth and health.

You shouldn't drink too many diet or sports drinks, either. They usually contain substances that can make you anxious or cause diarrhea when consumed in larger quantities.

Coffee, black tea and green tea are also suitable for topping up fluids because the caffeine in them is only a mild diuretic. But experts say it's better not to get all of your daily fluids from caffeinated drinks.

The most important thing is to pay attention to your feelings of thirst. There are also a number of other things that can help you to drink enough throughout the day, such as:

• Connect drinking with certain activities, such as eating, speaking on the phone, taking medication or after your lunch break
• Fill your fluids for the day into jugs or bottles – then you can see how much you've already had that day
• Vary your drinks
• Make drinking more appealing – for example, with colorful glasses or pretty cups
• Use fitness trackers or other apps where you can track your fluid intake

People who have difficulties sitting up might find drinking straws and non-spill drinking bottles helpful. If you have trouble swallowing, your doctor can advise you on how to still get enough fluids.

If someone needs help in daily life, their family and carers are often particularly concerned about making sure they drink more on hot days and when they have an illness with diarrhea or fever. But some people need help with drinking enough in normal everyday life, too. Older people sometimes hardly want to drink anything, perhaps because they don’t feel thirsty, are worried about leaking pee, or want to avoid going to the toilet because they're no longer able to get around easily. Many people also find it hard to change their habits.

If you want to make sure others drink enough, it's best to take their daily routines and preferences into account: Having a good variety of drinks, or soups and broths, can make it easier to get enough fluids. It can also help to already measure out the target amount of fluids for the day in the morning.

People who are worried about needing to pee too much might be put at ease if they know that there will always be toilets nearby – for instance, when going on a day out. People who are no longer very mobile might appreciate help buying drinks, or perhaps a machine that turns tap water into sparkling water.