Morning or evening: when is the best time to shower?

One of the many strange things I noticed about my now husband when we first moved in together was his habit of showering in the morning. Still groggy from sleep, he stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom with his eyes still closed, but jumped out of the shower with a sense of purpose: he was ready to tackle the day.

I, on the other hand, have always been in the camp of ‘showering is the last thing you do before going to bed’. It’s the moment I look forward to all day, literally washing away the last 12 hours before heading to bed for a good night’s sleep.

I all wondered: is it better to shower in the morning or in the evening? Turns out it depends on what “better” means.

Robert Oexmana chiropractor and sleep consultant, explained that our body’s natural circadian rhythm will cause our body temperature to drop at night, essentially telling our brain that it’s time to wind down and go to sleep.

“As we approach our normal time to fall asleep, our core body temperature begins to drop,” Oexman said. “Just before we wake up, our body temperature begins to rise and acts as one of the signals to our brain that it is time to wake up and start our day.”

Oexman says a warm bath can signal to your brain that sleep is near.

“Showering at night can improve sleep by increasing the reduction in core body temperature necessary to initiate sleep and maintain restful sleep at night,” Oexman explained before clarifying that, while helpful, the practice is not necessary because our circadian rhythms will initiate the onset of sleep. the process anyway.

More specifically, he said, to get the most out of all the sleep-related benefits of showering, you should try to take one “about 30 minutes or less before you go to sleep.”

Some have argued that a cold shower before bed has helped them rest more easily. That, Oexman said, is not as scientifically true as many might think.

“Studies have shown that cold temperatures activate brown adipose tissue, which has been shown to ‘generate sleep-promoting signals,’” he said. “In itself this may make sense (taking a cold shower or bath), but clinically this is probably not the best practice. Getting too cold before bed can increase core body temperature by reducing blood flow to the skin and promoting shivering, raising core body temperature and negating any benefit that comes from the small amount of brown adipose tissue that activates sleep-promoting signals can do. ”

Taking all this into account, it is important to understand that there are actually no disadvantages to showering in the morning. Oexman even suggested that morning showers can actually help people get rid of that “drowsiness” that characterizes almost everyone’s morning, whether they slept well the night before or not.

According to Dr. Julia Carrolla dermatologist, when it comes to the skin, the effects of showering remain unchanged no matter what time of day one decides to shower.

Overall, she explained, showering “helps remove dirt, oil and other environmental contaminants.” It follows that showering at night will help you remove the build-up of dirt from the day. Carroll said, “It’s really a personal choice.”

However, she was quick to note that moisturizing is just as important as showering and should be done after bathing.

“It’s important to know that showering too often, especially with hot water, can reduce the skin’s natural moisturizers, leading to dryness and irritation,” she said. “In all cases, it is important to use mild, non-irritating cleansers and to moisturize the skin after showering, regardless of the time of day. Adjusting the water temperature so that it is warm rather than hot can also preserve the skin’s natural oils.”

Carroll also said that many people may not have time to properly hydrate after a morning shower, which could be a benefit if they bathe at night.

“People are often short on time in the morning, so they may not do their job thoroughly, including the all-important step of moisturizing after showering.”

Jonathan Palmer, the founder and director of trichology service Hairknowhow, told us: “What can make a difference to the health of our hair is what happens to our hair when it is wet, damp or in the process of drying.” Including sleeping on it.

If you let your hair air dry after a nighttime shower, you’ll likely sleep with damp hair, which is naturally weaker and more prone to erosion than when it’s dry, Palmer said. Not to mention that it makes your scalp susceptible to fungal growth.

Rubbing your head against the pillow while sleeping will only make the situation worse, likely causing the hair cuticles to break down faster and ultimately leading to greater damage.

“Normally this isn’t catastrophic,” Palmer said, “but it can make a difference over time, especially with longer hair. Ssleeping with dry hair is always better for our hair from a hair health perspective.”

It follows that those who prefer to shower at night should make sure they dry their locks thoroughly before hitting the bag.

If you take a bath in the morning, on the other hand, you’ll benefit from a longer period of ‘natural drying’, where you may not even need a damaging hairdryer to do the job.

It is important to note that most of Palmer’s observations are directly related to long hair. People with shorter hairstyles can be a little less careful with shower times, as their manes will likely dry before risking any damage.

Various in recent years studies have shed light on the relationship between moods and stress. Researchers have specifically noted that cold showers can lead to an increase in cortisol levels, the “fight or flight” hormone that the body releases when stressed.

“Cold showers can help increase cortisol levels because they stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response,” says a study by Texas Health Resources. “This response can increase heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol levels in the body, all of which can help improve alertness and focus.”

According to the study, a cold shower also stimulates the production of adrenaline, a hormone that can speed up the heart, blood pressure and breathing. “All [that] can help improve mental alertness and focus,” the study said.

Hot showers have also been found to be helpful, as reported by BayCarea health care system in central Florida.

BayCare’s website reports that the excercise is associated with reduced stress levels (“as the hot water flows down, our muscles relax, our thoughts go to a happier place and tension throughout the body is erased”), improved sleep patterns, relief from symptoms of congestion, increased blood flow and lower levels of pain and inflammation.

It then appears that the time of day to shower has less influence on stress levels than the type of shower one chooses.