Can't Remember to Drink Water? 7 Science-Backed Ways to Make It a Habit (and Track It in Suu)
Published: · Updated: · Furkan Mert Fındıklı · 7 min read
Short answer: Forgetting to drink water usually isn't a willpower problem but a lack of cues. What works best: a glass of water when you wake up, keeping a bottle in sight, tying drinking to an existing habit (a glass before every meal) and starting with a small goal. Suu moves these cues onto your phone with smart reminders and a daily streak; water tracking is free.
Morning coffee, afternoon tea, dinner… and at the end of the day you realize you've had two glasses of water in total. That familiar picture isn't about disliking water; it's that nothing in your day reminds you of it. Thirst often shows up late and is easy to ignore during work, a commute or a long ride.
Habit research is clear here: a behavior sticks when it's tied to a cue. The seven methods below are built on fitting water into your day with cues.
7 evidence-based methods
Don't try them all at once: pick two, use them for two weeks, then add another.
- Add it to your morning routine: A glass of water when you wake up, before you look at your phone. The easiest glass of the day for a body that's gone all night without fluid.
- Keep it visible: Keep a bottle in sight on your desk, in the car or in your bag. What's visible gets drunk.
- Tie it to an existing habit: Make an if–then plan such as "a glass of water before every meal." In one study, people who made such a plan reported drinking more water over a five-day follow-up.1
- Start small: If you drink two glasses today, aim for four, not eight. A reachable goal is harder to abandon.
- Protect your streak: Seeing consecutive days is a strong reason not to break the chain.
- Do it together: Mutual reminders or a small competition with a friend last longer than going it alone.
- Change the taste: Mint, lemon, cucumber or frozen fruit. Sparkling water counts fully too.
How much water should I drink a day?
The NHS suggests aiming for 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid a day, and notes that water, lower-fat milk and sugar-free drinks — including tea and coffee — all count.3 Needs rise in hot weather, with exercise, during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
Not every drink counts fully as water, but none counts as zero either; tea and coffee get their own article. The most practical signal is urine color: pale straw is good, dark means you're behind.
Waiting until you're thirsty isn't a great strategy: in an experiment with women, losing fluid equal to just 1.36% of body weight worsened mood, feelings of fatigue and concentration.4
How long does it take to become a habit?
In one study a new behavior took a median of 66 days to become automatic, ranging from 18 to 254 days.2 Leaning on reminders in the first weeks is normal; the goal is to need them less over time. Missing one day doesn't undo the habit either — what matters is carrying on the next day.
Where to track this in Suu
Water tracking is on the free plan. Menu names are exactly as they appear:
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Smart Notifications
iPhone: Settings → Notification Settings → Smart Notifications
Android: Settings → Smart NotificationsReminds you of the first sip in the morning and water after meals — the "morning routine" and "tie it to a habit" methods, on your phone.
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Log water in one tap
The water buttons on the home screen
Log a glass the moment you drink it. On iPhone you can also add water from the home-screen widget and a Siri shortcut, and straight from Apple Watch.
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Streak and Streak Freeze
The Streak indicator on the home screen
Every day you reach at least half of your water goal extends your streak; if you miss a day, a Streak Freeze protects it.
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Water leaderboard and nudges with friends
Settings → Leaderboard → Friends → Water · your friend → Nudge → Drink water
See how many days each of you hit your water goal this week; send a friend who forgot a one-tap "drink water" nudge.
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Suu Index
iPhone: You tab → Water → Suu Index
Android: Statistics → Suu IndexScores your daily hydration from 0 to 100; your goal adjusts automatically to the weather and your workouts.
The short version
The fix for forgetting to drink water isn't more willpower but better cues: a morning glass, a visible bottle, a glass before meals and a reachable goal.
Lean on reminders and your streak for the first two months; as the habit settles, you'll find you need them less.
Let your phone remember the water
Smart reminders, streaks and a friends leaderboard · water tracking is free
Frequently asked questions
I keep forgetting to drink water — what should I do?
Tie water to habits you already have: a glass when you wake up and a glass before every meal. Keep a bottle in sight, start with a small goal and use reminders for the first few weeks.
How much water should I drink a day?
The NHS suggests 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid a day, and water, lower-fat milk and sugar-free drinks including tea and coffee all count. You need more in hot weather and with exercise.
How long does it take to build a water-drinking habit?
In one study a new behavior took a median of 66 days to become automatic, ranging from 18 to 254 days between people. Missed days along the way don't break the habit.
I don't like drinking water — what can I do?
Flavor it with mint, lemon, cucumber or frozen fruit; sparkling water counts fully too. Swapping water for sugary drinks, on the other hand, adds sugar and calories.
Is waiting until I'm thirsty enough?
For most people, no: thirst can show up late and gets ignored on busy days. In experiments, losing fluid equal to about 1.4% of body weight already affected mood and concentration.
Is there a free app that reminds you to drink water?
In Suu, water tracking, smart reminders, streaks and the weekly friends leaderboard are on the free plan. The full drink list and unlimited AI are Premium.
References
- Rodger A et al. — Can a simple plan change a complex behavior? Implementation intentions in the context of water drinking. Appetite, 2023
- Lally P et al. — How are habits formed: modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 2010
- NHS — Water, drinks and your health
- Armstrong LE et al. — Mild dehydration affects mood in healthy young women. J Nutr, 2012
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Suu is not intended for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult a healthcare professional for health-related decisions.