Question 1

How much water do I actually need per day?

Accepted Answer

The often-quoted '8 glasses a day' (about 2 litres) is a reasonable baseline for an average adult in a temperate climate, but the real figure depends on body mass, activity, and environment. The European Food Safety Authority recommends 2.0 L total water intake per day for adult women and 2.5 L for men, including water in food (roughly 20% of intake). A desk worker who barely sweats may need less; an athlete in summer may need 4 L or more. Urine colour is a better proxy than glass count: pale straw is well hydrated; deep yellow is under.

Question 2

Does coffee count?

Accepted Answer

Mostly yes. The 1940s belief that caffeine is a serious diuretic was overturned by studies in the 2000s. Habitual coffee drinkers see negligible net diuresis from their daily intake; the water in coffee, tea, and soft drinks contributes to hydration almost as well as plain water. Alcohol is a real diuretic — for every standard drink you lose roughly 100 ml extra urine over the next two hours. Salty foods raise water requirements; very dry climates and air conditioning raise insensible losses through skin and breath.

Question 3

What is the right interval?

Accepted Answer

Most desk workers should aim for 200–250 ml every 60 minutes during the workday, which roughly fills the EFSA recommendation across 8–10 waking hours. The default is 60 minutes; reduce to 45 if you live in a dry climate or sweat at a standing desk; raise to 90 if you already drink generously with meals. Hourly is also memorable — you can pair it with a calendar reminder if you ignore browser pings.

Question 4

Can you drink too much water?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but it is rare and requires effort. Hyponatraemia (low blood sodium) happens when you drink so fast the kidneys cannot keep up — usually more than 1 litre per hour for several hours. Endurance athletes and military recruits occasionally suffer it; office workers essentially never. Spacing intake (the whole point of this tool) over an hour or more avoids the risk entirely. Listen to thirst — chronic forced overdrinking is not better than chronic underdrinking.

Question 5

Why does my count reset?

Accepted Answer

By design — the counter resets at midnight (local time) so each day is a fresh tally. The reset uses your machine's date, so a closed laptop overnight still triggers a clean morning. If you want to keep a running history, copy the count before bed. Your settings (interval, custom durations) persist; only the daily glass tally resets. Closing the tab does not reset the count for the current day.

Question 6

Will I get notifications when the tab is in the background?

Accepted Answer

Yes, once you grant notification permission (the prompt appears the first time you press Start). The notification fires on time regardless of whether the tab is visible. The audio chime is throttled by the browser when the tab is in the background — most browsers play it but with reduced reliability — so notifications are the more dependable cue. The page also keeps tracking in the background via the timer, so reopening the tab shows the correct remaining time.

Hydration reminder.