Tired at the end of the day? Working in the office, walking down the street, buying groceries, or sitting in a car? No matter what, at the end of the day what you want is just to crawl into the be and have a quality beauty sleep.
This will make your tiredness vanish.
Medical Research and Studies have found a simple solution to get a night of better sleep. without relying on any type of medication. Taking a shower, one or 2 hours (60 minutes-90 minutes) before dozing off to bed will help you get a good night’s sleep. Both taking a shower or a complete bath before sleep will help and induce sleep.
We’ve already discussed various benefits of restful sleep and the various tips and tricks to get better sleep in our previous blogs. In the following article, we will be understanding how a shower can help to get improved sleep.
Hence, if you are the one who feels more comfortable in taking a bath and indulging in some bubbles then it’s completely okay.
Hot or Cold Shower how it affects you and what happens:
Some people take at least one shower per day, irrespective of the time of the day. Some prefer a morning shower and some in the evening. Some prefer cold showers and some hot showers.
A Cold Shower has its effects on your body. If you take a cold shower you will feel the following things:
- Increase alertness,
- Boost moods,
- Helps you cool down after physical exercise
- Strengthen your immune system.
Whereas,
A Hot shower provides :
- Relief from respiratory symptoms,
- Helps with blemishes and
- Relaxes Muscle.
Again the temperature of the water/shower has a direct relationship with other healthy habits in a human being.
For example,
People who prefer hot showers drink water regularly, eat a balanced diet and get a good amount of sleep with a reduced level of stress.
On the other hand,
People preferring cold showers are more likely to participate in healthy recreation, exercising regularly, and have more mental clarity.
Today will be focusing more on a bedtime shower. Let’s understand the benefits of having a shower just before sleep-
5 Benefits for having a Cold Shower:
A cold shower promotes alertness
Taking a cold shower during bedtime makes you more alert. Here one may argue about the fact that alertness and sleep are two counter-intuitive things.
But if you think deep, then that alertness in a way would energies and power you to finalize or solve all leftover to-do list things which in a way could stress /bother you when you hit the pillow. You will be able to solve your agendas and sleep without any stress.
Cold shower Boost immune system
The process of metabolism increases when you take a cold water bath. This is because the body naturally tries to warm up. Moreover, increased metabolism rate in the body activates the immune system by producing more white blood cells.
These blood cell counts, therefore, fight the virus and bacterial infection present in our body. Ultimately our body is better prepared to fight off future infections.
Cold bath improves the Nervous System
A cold shower stimulates anti-depression hormones, by activating the sympathetic nervous system. The increased level of beta-endorphin and noradrenaline hormones in the brain has a natural antidepressant effect.
Cold Bath reduces loosening of skin
The effects of taking shower before sleep have a twofold effect on our skin. Firstly, a cold shower boosts circulation which gives a radiant and healthy glow.
Secondly uses cold water constricts blood vessels and closes pores on the skin. One would witness less puffiness and redness while waking up in the morning.
Cold Showe promote hair growth
By taking a shower before bedtime prevents breakage of hair and minimizes loss of moisture from the cuticles which promote hair growth. A cold shower also prevents hair loss and keeps your hair healthy and shiny.
5 Benefits of having a Hot Shower before bed
A hot shower relaxes the mind and the body
There Is nothing more relaxing than taking a warm shower at night. A warm bath eases the pain in the joints and improves blood flow and oxygen. It relaxes the sore muscles and has a positive psychological effect. One seems to wash away all the stress and trouble of the day.
A warm shower helps in lowering the internal body temperature
It is interesting to know that our body is controlled by an inbuilt clock called the circadian rhythm. This internal process or Clock tells our body how to function, when to eat, when to wake up, etc. The circadian rhythm lowers our body temperature during the night. It’s a kind of signal to our body to sleep.
Now when you take a shower in the evening you indirectly help this process of maintaining/lowering the ideal temperature for sleep. Though taking a warm water shower might increase your body temperature for a few moments but over a few seconds, the body will cool down and lower its internal temperature.
A Hot Shower Relieves Migraine
Warm water builds pressure on your head and improves circulation. Hence People who are suffering from migraine may get relief from the pain.
Hot Shower works as a nasal decongestant
Hot water and steam clears out your nostrils/ sinuses and improves your breathing.
Helps in removing skin toxins
Hot shower open up the pores and cleans out the dirt and oils from the facial and other sun-exposed body skin. The impurities are washed away and what you get is much clear skin.
Although both cold and hot shower has their benefits, it is not ideally correct. A cold shower energises and activates the body nervous system so it is more suitable for the morning hours when you wake up.
A very hot shower on the other hand has a waking- effect- as you take a long time to cool down your body temperature, thereby delaying sleep.
Thus it’s always preferred to take a shower with lukewarm water (not too cold and not too hot). Dermatologist recommends that one should go for a lukewarm shower 60 -90 minutes’ prior before going to bed.
The recommendations go strictly with people suffering from asthma or allergies. A lukewarm shower helps you to breathe easily, reduced snoring, and has a good quality sleep.
In this research, you can read about how a shower before sleep affects the youth and old aged people.
FAQS
Should I go for a long shower before going to bed?
One should not go for long showers if you are sleep deprived. It would lead to a disaster for the same reason. Long showers are terrible for the skin as they strip all the oils from your skin and leave it dry. It leads to premature aging.
What is the best time to take evening showers?
It is recommended to take a nighttime shower 90 minutes before crawling into the bed. Your body needs this much time to cool down before you go to bed.
Can I meditate during the shower?
Shower is a good place to meditate. Taking shower is kind of a meditation technique. Add aromatic essential oils and salts to increase your sensations and relaxations.
It is a peaceful process. It is a place which is providing your personal and exclusive space. Along with water sensation, go for a nice and aromatic essential oil shower bath. You will experience maximum relaxation and it will kind of wash away all your worries.
Is it safe to sleep in an AC room after a shower?
Yes. It is safe. Additionally, it will help you to cool down and lower your body temperature which will help you in getting comfortable sleep.
Does taking a shower helps patients with insomnia?
Absolutely yes People who are suffering from insomnia symptoms can benefit a lot by taking shower before bedtime.
The technique helps them to relax their body and mind. Again By adding essential oils or getting a diffuser as in for aromatherapy can further prepare the patient’s body for bed.
Conclusion
A good shower have a stimulating effect. Apart from bringing a good dose of relaxation, it has the tendency to trick the body to go into sleep mode. As in the case of our inbuilt body clock which controls our body temperatures fluctuations.
It is advisable to take a few bedtime rituals, minutes after taking a shower like reading a chapter from a book, or a cup of tea or even daily skincare regime, etc. undertaking shower routine at night improves your sleep and is easy to take up solution for sleep-deprived people.
There is a word of caution though – do take care of water usage. Be conscious and do not waste, water as a resource.