The best time to take your daily A + sleep shower

Nishi Bhopal, a medical doctor and psychiatrist who specializes in sleep medicine, is an expert who swears by night soaking. According to Bhopal, taking a hot shower or bath before going to bed promotes sleep because of the way it affects our basic body temperature (the temperature of our internal organs).

Our core body temperature, Bhopal explains, naturally fluctuates throughout the day with our circadian rhythm. About an hour before bed it falls about 0.5 to 1 degree Fahrenheit. This sends a signal to the body that it is time to rest. (This is also why you feel colder during the night and get tired.) Our core body temperatures continue to drop to about half of our sleep cycle before rising again.

By taking a hot shower at a strategic time, you improve this natural immersion and send a relaxing signal to your body in the process. If you scratch your head and wonder why taking a hot shower would make us colder, Bhopal says that because the heat of the water increases the flow of blood to your limbs, it leaves core body temperature to cool.

“You will feel warmer, but that’s because the temperature in your limbs is rising. Your body temperature is actually decreasing, “she told mbg.

To determine the ideal temperature and time window for a shower or bath before bed, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin combined the available data in a 2019 meta-analysis. Reviews of sleeping pills.

They concluded that the temperature range associated with faster sleep and better sleep quality was 40 to 42.5 degrees Celsius (104 to 108.5 degrees Fahrenheit). Sounds hot, doesn’t it? Well, the average shower water temperature in the United States is about 105 degrees Fahrenheit, so you don’t have to adjust your typical temperature too much to reach that ideal range.

The researchers added that taking a shower or bath one to two hours before bed will give you a good chance to support the natural circadian process and prepare for sleep. This can be a particularly useful habit for night owls or those struggling to stick to a consistent bedtime.