Bathroom habits: 5 myths about timing, urges and scrolling

Nobody teaches bathroom habits after potty training. Most of us simply absorb a few rules along the way: go every day, avoid the bathroom at work if you can, and bring something to read. Some of those rules are harmless. A few quietly work against a comfortable gut.

Here are five common bathroom beliefs and what the research says about them.

Myth 1: A healthy gut means one bowel movement every day

Fact: normal varies widely. In a Cleveland Clinic survey of 425 women aged 18 to 80 who described their bowel habits as normal, 51% had one bowel movement a day and 30% had fewer (Zutshi et al., 2007). In a larger community study in England, only a third of women had a regular 24-hour bowel cycle, and a third went less often than once a day (Heaton et al., 1992).

What matters more than a daily count is whether stools are comfortable to pass, whether you feel empty afterward, and whether your usual pattern has changed.

Myth 2: Holding it in is harmless

Fact: regularly postponing may slow your gut down. In a German study, 12 healthy men spent one week going whenever they felt the urge and another week deliberately suppressing it. While holding it in, their bowel movements dropped from about 9 a week to fewer than 4, their stool weight fell, and the total time it took food to pass through the gut rose from about 29 to 53 hours (Klauser et al., 1990).

That was a deliberate, extreme test in a small group of men. But the researchers concluded that bathroom habits may produce changes in colon function similar to those seen in constipation. Skipping the office restroom or waiting until you get home every day isn't a neutral habit.

If work or travel bathrooms are the barrier, a few small changes can help:

• Find the quietest option, such as a single-occupancy restroom or one on a less busy floor.
• Block a few minutes in your calendar after your usual coffee or breakfast.
• Remember that everyone uses the bathroom. The discomfort of waiting is usually worse than the awkwardness of going.

Myth 3: Scrolling on the toilet is harmless

Fact: it may keep you sitting too long. In a Boston study of 125 adults having a screening colonoscopy, 66% said they used a smartphone on the toilet. Among phone users, 37.3% spent more than five minutes per visit, compared with 7.1% of non-users. After adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, exercise, straining and fiber intake, phone use on the toilet was linked to a 46% higher risk of hemorrhoids, which were assessed during the colonoscopy (Ramprasad et al., 2025).

This was a cross-sectional study, so it shows an association, not proof that phones cause hemorrhoids. The authors suggest the concern is the prolonged sitting that scrolling encourages. Reading the news and social media were the most common activities.

Myth 4: If nothing happens, stay put until it does

Fact: a bowel movement usually doesn't take long. In the Cleveland Clinic survey, the average time for a bowel movement was 5 to 6 minutes (Zutshi et al., 2007). If nothing is happening after about five minutes, it's reasonable to get up and try again later, ideally when you feel a real urge, rather than sitting and pushing.

• Leave your phone outside the bathroom, or set a timer if you bring it in.
• Try resting your feet on a small stool and leaning forward.
• Breathe out slowly instead of holding your breath and bearing down.
• Pay attention to the urge when it comes, often after breakfast, and go then.

Myth 5: Bowel changes in your 40s and 50s are just part of getting older

Fact: age alone didn't change bowel habits much in community research. In the English study, apart from younger women tending more toward constipation and irregularity than older women, age had little effect on bowel habits or stool type (Heaton et al., 1992).

So a new, lasting change in your bowel habits shouldn't be written off as normal aging. It's worth a conversation with your doctor. Colorectal cancer screening is also recommended for average-risk adults starting at age 45, even without any symptoms (US Preventive Services Task Force, 2021).

When to see a doctor

• Blood in your stool or on the toilet paper that's new or keeps coming back, or black stools
• A change in your bowel habits that lasts more than a few weeks
• Unexplained weight loss, anemia or symptoms that wake you at night
• Constipation with severe pain, vomiting or a swollen belly
• A family history of colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease or celiac disease

Sources

1. Zutshi M, Hull TL, Bast J, Hammel J. Female bowel function: the real story. Dis Colon Rectum. 2007;50(3):351-8. PMID 17205205
2. Heaton KW, Radvan J, Cripps H, Mountford RA, Braddon FE, Hughes AO. Defecation frequency and timing, and stool form in the general population: a prospective study. Gut. 1992;33(6):818-24. PMID 1624166
3. Klauser AG, Voderholzer WA, Heinrich CA, Schindlbeck NE, Müller-Lissner SA. Behavioral modification of colonic function. Can constipation be learned? Dig Dis Sci. 1990;35(10):1271-5. PMID 2209294
4. Ramprasad C, Wu C, Chang J, et al. Smartphone use on the toilet and the risk of hemorrhoids. PLoS One. 2025;20(9):e0329983. PMID 40901789
5. US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for colorectal cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA. 2021;325(19):1965-1977. PMID 34003218

This article is for general information and isn't medical advice. Talk to your healthcare provider about any lasting change in your bowel habits, and about when colorectal cancer screening is right for you.