Shower Before Bed: Everything You Need to Know

For most of us, a shower at the end of the day feels most relaxing. In fact, if you are someone who showers before bed, it can be a great habit to aid sleep quality because showering before bed affects your body temperature. Now, body temperature plays a key role in our sleep-wake cycle. Before we hit the sheets, our body temperature tends to decrease, preparing us for nightly sleep. And showering before bed can help with that. In this article, we are here to tell you everything you need to know about showering before bed. Read ahead! 

How showering at night helps you sleep better

When you make it a habit to shower every day before bed, it sends a signal to the brain, indicating that it is now time for a deep, peaceful slumber. Another advantage of showering before bed is that you will be cleaner. This means your sheets won’t get dirty very soon as the build-up of sweat, dirt, or body oils goes down. 

Benefits of Taking Shower Before Bed

Some of the benefits of taking a shower before bed include;

Helps Combat Acne 

When you lay your head on the pillow with all the oil and sweat you have carried from the day, it can cause acne or aggravate your condition. Therefore, it is important to clean yourself before you sleep. 

Fights Seasonal Allergies 

If you are prone to allergies, it is always ideal to shower before you hit the sheets to eliminate allergens from your body and skin. Otherwise, they may make their way inside your bed and flare up your allergies. 

Improves Sleep Quality 

Showering an hour or two before you sleep can help you enter a state of relaxation and also cool your body temperature, which helps improve the quality of sleep. 

Helps Combat Stress 

After a long hard day at work, taking a relaxing bath can eliminate stress and worries taking residence in your mind. Using hot water can also release any muscle tension and uplift your mood. 

Improves Hygiene 

Taking a bath before bed is also a good hygiene practice. It removes all dirt and debris from your body and eliminates body odour or smelly feet. 

Cold Shower Vs Hot Shower Before Bed

If you are still wondering, should you shower before bed? The answer is yes. But, which is better? A hot shower or a cold one? We have all the information below. Take a look. 

Effects of Hot Shower on sleep 

Taking a hot water bath before bed can aid your sleep quality because of the warm bath effect. So, what happens when you sleep is that your body temperature drops down while the temperature of your hands and feet increases. This is essential for a good night’s rest. But when you take a hot shower, it promotes this natural process. 

How long before bed should you take a shower? You must take a hot shower an hour or two before bed and the ideal water temperature is 104 to 109°F (40 to 43°C). When you take a hot shower every day before bed, it can help you fall asleep faster. The maximum shower time should be between 5 to 10 minutes.

Effects of Cold Shower on sleep 

A cold shower before bed may not fetch the desired results. One study saw that a cold shower first increases the body temperature and then decreases it a few hours later. This decrease in temperature does not affect sleep quality. 

Cold showers bring forth stimulating properties and are known to increase cortisol and norepinephrine levels. However, this does not aid sleep because cortisol boosts alertness. 

So, if you are thinking of a cold shower before bed or in the morning, then it might be best suited in the mornings. 

Is it better to take a shower at night or in the morning?

It is better to shower both in the morning and at night. This is because when you sleep at night, you tend to sweat. So, when you wake up, all the sweat and bacteria are just sitting on your skin, therefore it needs to be cleaned before you start the day. And at night, showering helps eliminate the dirt and bacteria that have been accumulating throughout the day and helps improve your sleep quality by decreasing the body’s temperature.

Conclusion

Now you know everything there is to know about showering before bed. A warm water bath after a long tiring day can help get rid of all the stress and tension and can also aid better sleep. Try it out!

FAQs