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Did you know you could drink water the wrong way? Water is so simple—it is one of the oldest liquid substances on this earth! How could you have it the wrong way? Well, there is a lot of misinformation out there about good old H2O—information that says things like, “Drink as much of it as you can possibly stand,” “Never drink from the tap,” and “Only drink bottled.” You’ve likely dined with someone who has a lot of questions about the pitcher of water the restaurant serves, or very specific rules about their H2O. It’s great that they take care of their bodies, but they might be taking unnecessary precautions. Just as you have to be careful about what you eat and how you eat it, you need to be careful about your water intake. Here are 15 ways you’re drinking water wrong.

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Waiting until you’re very thirsty

If you are desperately thirsty—to the point when you think you might faint without water and your mouth feels like a desert—then you’ve waited too long. When you feel that first hint of dehydration, have a sip of water.

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Forcing yourself to drink

You also shouldn’t be forcing yourself to guzzle water all day long, even when you aren’t the tiniest bit thirsty. Your body has mechanisms in place—like thirst—to let you know when you need water. If you feel like your tummy is going to burst from water and you can’t stop peeing, you’re drinking too much.

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Being finicky about the temperature

It doesn’t really matter what temperature your water is—your body will make use of it either way. Some people may tell you that you should only drink it at room temperature, but there isn’t conclusive evidence that that matters.

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Chugging a bunch at once

Don’t chug a bunch of water once you’re thirsty, then go hours without touching the stuff. It’s best to drink a few ounces, regularly, throughout the day so your body has time to make use of it. If you chug too much at once, your organs won’t be able to keep up and you’ll just pee it out.

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Keeping it by the bed

Since you’re almost totally still during the night, your body barely uses water you drink during that time. Sipping even the tiniest bit in the middle of the night will probably just cause our bladder to wake you, so don’t keep water by the bed.

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Only having sparkling

You might think drinking only sparkling water is a way to get around drinking boring old water, but don’t forget that this form of H2O can have sodium. It’s not a lot of sodium, but if this is the only water you drink, that sodium can add up.

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Believing the word “water” in the title

We all know there are plenty of bright and colorful beverages out there that claim to be some form of water. If it’s colorful, it isn’t water, and it likely has sugar and dyes that counteract the benefits of water.

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Only drinking water

You can drink a variety of beverages to stay hydrated. Tea, milk, juice, and even soda can provide some hydration. You should primarily get your hydration from water, but don’t think you’re limited to bland H2O, either.