A bedtime ritual will make all the difference for Brits across the country and takes just 30 seconds to adapt. Members of the public should take note, heatwave or otherwise, of how replenishing a late night shower can be. Not only will you feel clean before bed but there are understated health benefits to having a lukewarm shower.
Experts have since outlined why a late night shower may have you sleeping better. Not only will a lukewarm or “midlly cool” shower help you head off to sleep sooner, but experts at Wholesale Domestic outlined the effect it has on you. It may be a particularly helpful late night ritual for the warmer weather, and it takes just 30 seconds.
Wholesale Domestic CEO Brian Toward explains: “While it might seem logical to jump into a cold shower during a heatwave, it’s not always the most effective way to cool your body down. When you’re exposed to very cold water, your blood vessels constrict in a process known as vasoconstriction. This reduces blood flow to the skin, which is where your body naturally releases heat.
“In some cases, an extremely cold shower can trick the body into thinking it’s becoming too cold, leading it to work harder to retain heat and maintain its core temperature. As a result, you may feel refreshed initially, but your body could actually become less efficient at dispersing heat afterwards, leaving you feeling warmer for longer.
“A lukewarm or mildly cool shower is a better option. It helps lower your body temperature gradually without confusing your body into holding onto heat. The same principle applies to baths, where a lukewarm soak will be far more effective than a cold one.”
Fellow experts at GoodHouseKeeping note that these lukewarm showers should be limited to just 30 seconds. The time limit is more to line up with the gradual temperature drop outlined by Brian.
They wrote: “Emily also suggests ending your shower with about 30 seconds of cool, but not cold, water instead. This gentle temperature drop should help kickstart your body’s natural cooling process even faster, so by the time you hit the hay, your temperature should be more regulated.”
Sleep expert Sammy Margo notes: “Showering before bed may help you fall asleep more easily, particularly during warmer weather. By cooling your body, it works by helping to lower your core temperature when you step out of the shower, which is a key step in triggering the body’s natural sleep mechanisms. A shower can also become part of a calming bedtime routine, helping signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down and prepare for sleep.”