Home Oral cavity Why you should shower before bed. The benefits and harms of a cold shower for men or women - how to take it correctly for health and weight loss

Why you should shower before bed. The benefits and harms of a cold shower for men or women - how to take it correctly for health and weight loss

Many people take a shower simply when they consider it necessary, others prefer to do it before bed, and others, on the contrary, after waking up.

Is there a difference between a morning and evening shower?

It turns out that there is a difference, and a significant one. It affects your skin, health and rhythm of life. If you don’t yet know exactly how, then we will tell you, and you can choose the best shower time for yourself!

Leather

If your skin is dry, it is better to shower in the evening, because treatments in the morning will make your skin even drier during the day, which is highly undesirable. At night, such a process will not occur, so you don’t have to worry about it.

If you have oily skin, then it is better for you to take a morning shower, as it helps dry out the skin, so that it does not shine during the day. This point is especially relevant for women!

Do you have problems sleeping?

If you suffer from insomnia, then you should not shower before going to bed. The fact is that warm water causes the temperature to rise and a person feels cheerful. This is exactly what is needed for those who have difficulty waking up, so it is better for such people to take a shower in the morning.

Do you feel clean throughout the day?

Some people want their body to be clean when they go to bed; they want to wash off all the dirt that has accumulated during the day. Such people should wash in the evening. Well, if you like to feel fresh during the day, then a morning shower is much more suitable for you.

Now you know the difference and can decide for yourself when it would be better for you to take a shower!

In my house there was no worse sin than going to bed without taking a bath, although sometimes when I was little I was able to reach a compromise with my mother just by washing my feet. Now, as an adult, I can’t imagine going to bed without washing off all the dirt left on my skin during the day. And I'm not alone in this.

Evening shower lovers will support me. There are us, and there are those who swim in the morning, and for some reason I come across a lot of such people, and I can’t help but argue with them.

Aren't they rushing to work or school, looking at the clock hands in horror and pouring themselves thermal water? Don't they really want to enjoy sleep for as long as possible? Do they really go outside on a frosty morning with wet hair? Or do they sacrifice even more time drying their hair in the morning? There is no reasonable explanation for them. At least that's what I thought.

Their arguments

Lovers of showers in the morning will tell you that there is nothing better than starting the day by washing away the drowsiness and styling your bed-rumpled hair, and the most ambitious of them will also add how pleasant it is to wash yourself after morning exercise or exercise at the gym.

“Everyone at my house showers in the morning,” says Nate Martins, a writer from San Francisco. “As soon as the titanium heats the water, we’re right there, lined up in front of the bathroom.”

“I still do it to relieve drowsiness,” he says - as annoying as it is for his wife Natalie, who always bathes in the evenings - sometimes she even asks me to take a bath before bed, especially if I’ve been doing a lot that day. traveled by public transport."

Taking a morning shower can change your life if you have trouble waking up in the morning, says Dr. Janet Kennedy, a mental health consultant and sleep specialist in New York City. Showering makes you feel more alert, but she recommends avoiding bathing in too warm water—make it a little colder than normal so as not to raise your body temperature.

good and bad news for those who like to shower before bed

If you suffer from insomnia, Dr. Kennedy recommends showering 1.5 hours before bed. “As night approaches, the body cools down according to circadian rhythms,” she explains, “showering artificially raises body temperature, which then causes it to drop faster and, obviously, speeds up the onset of sleep.”

Moreover, the shower is great way relax and take off muscle tension, which also helps you fall asleep.

But there is no need to rejoice too early: a long shower, from which there is so much steam that the mirror fogs up, and there is no trace left in the titanium. hot water, harmful to the skin.

Dr. Gary Goldenberg, a New York dermatologist and professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, recommends not staying in the shower for more than 5 to 10 minutes and washing under lukewarm water. Yes, yes, sad, I know.

"A very hot shower strips away all the skin's oils and causes irritation," he says, "the longer you stay in the water, the higher the chances that your skin will suffer."

And this also applies to the bathroom.

But let's leave the bath lovers alone.

Following Dr. Goldenberg's advice is also beneficial because short showers are gentle on environment, since you save the water that you would have used. You can even find devices in stores that help you keep track of your shower time and save water. Although, of course, nature doesn’t care whether you swim in the morning or evening.

Does our cleanliness depend on when we bathe?

Dr. Goldenberg says most people are free to choose when to wash: morning, evening or twice a day. But for those who advocate showering in the evenings, he had an objection: our sheets are not nearly as clean as we used to believe.

“People continue to sweat in their sleep,” he says, “when you wake up, all the bacteria and all the sweat from the sheets have already stained your skin.” That's why he recommends taking a short shower in the morning "to wash away all the sweat and dirt you've been sleeping in all night."

Not to mention that people don't just sleep at night. Showering in the morning doesn't seem like such a bad idea anymore.

Dr. Goldenberg emphasizes that most people shouldn't wash with regular soap; instead, opt for a mild, fragrance-free shower gel.

While many people with short hair wash them every day so that they do not stand upright, Dr. Goldenberg does not advise doing this unless you have an unusual oily skin heads.

So why not have the best of both worlds and wash twice a day?

Caroline Boettger, a marketing manager in New York, says that although she usually bathes in the morning, she sometimes bathes twice a day, a habit she inherited from her father, who grew up in the tropics and acquired the habit.

You can safely shower twice a day - it will not harm your skin in any way if you follow the temperature regime, don’t stay in the cubicle for long periods of time, and you don’t have dermatitis or eczema.

If you go to the gym after work or do physical labor, you'll naturally want to shower before you go to bed because sweat and bacteria will accumulate on you. This can cause acne, not to mention an unpleasant odor.

Heath Williams, a marketing director from Brooklyn, regularly bathes twice a day. He started this habit while working as a college teacher.

“Schools are swarming with bacteria, and when you have to be on your feet all day, moving from class to class, showers seem like a necessity.”

Well, if you don’t want to be like everyone else, swim in the middle of the day - this also has its advantages. If you live in apartment building, where the water temperature drops and rises, it will be more convenient for you to wash when it is either too early or too late for others.

As painful as it is to admit, this information may force me to include a short shower in my morning routine. Of course, productivity and clean sheets are relative things, but one thing I know for sure: working in big city and having touched more surfaces in a day than I can remember, I never stop washing myself before bed. After all, I don't want to disappoint my mother.

The modern arrangement of houses and apartments has provided us with comfort, and the need to bathe in water has disappeared. cold water. The reason for contact with it may be force majeure circumstances such as turning off hot water, swimming in open water, or rain that started at the wrong time. Our body is completely unaccustomed to the cold, and almost complete absence This factor has greatly influenced our health.

Cold water can have a significant healing effect and bring cheerfulness into our lives. About her healing properties ancient physicians knew, but only in the 19th century a separate direction appeared in medicine - hydrotherapy. A significant part of such procedures is carried out using cold water, and at home they can be partially replaced with a cold shower. Many people have heard about its benefits, but not everyone knows about the mechanisms of its effect on the body. In this article, we will introduce you to 10 reasons that may prompt you to think about the need for such a daily procedure.

Boosting immunity

Pouring cold water helps prevent many and. Thanks to its effect, the level of monocytes and lymphocytes in the blood increases.

An improvement in these blood parameters was discovered by Czech scientists who conducted research on the effects of cold water on the human body. Athletes took part in the experiment. For 60 days they were immersed in cold water (14 ºC). After this, an increase in the number of lymphocytes involved in the destruction of viruses and bacteria, and monocytes that process and absorb foreign agents was detected in their blood.

Improved thermoregulation

Exposure to cold water is stressful for the body. This reaction forces him to produce an additional portion internal energy to warm tissues. That is why cold shower can help people suffering from constant feeling coldness in the extremities and excessive

Normalization of blood circulation

To improve blood circulation, an effective and affordable procedure such as a contrast shower can be used. When cold water enters the body, blood vessels narrow (vasoconstriction). As a result, blood begins to circulate faster. Exposure to warm water causes the opposite reaction - vasodilation. With it, the vessels dilate, their lumen increases, and the body warms up faster. Such procedures can be used to prevent many vascular pathologies:, etc.

Improved lymph circulation

Lymph, unlike blood, is not pumped by such a powerful pump as the heart. Its movement in the body is ensured by muscle contraction. Cold water significantly improves such contractions, and the flow of lymph becomes faster. As a result, such exposure leads to increased immunity and improved metabolism.

Weight loss

Canadian researchers have found that under the influence of low temperatures, brown fat is activated in the body. The cells of such fat include a large number of mitochondria, which determine its color. Mitochondria are involved in glucose utilization, and activation of brown adipose tissue promotes more intense calorie burning and weight loss.


Deepening breathing

Regularly taking cold showers helps deepen your breathing. This is because vasoconstriction caused by low temperature requires more heat production, requiring more oxygen supply. In response to such reactions, the lungs expand and breathing becomes deeper, since more air is required to fill their volume.

Help in getting rid of depression


A cold shower helps you feel more alert and good mood.

American scientists from Virginia conducted research on the effect of cold water on patients with depression. Experiments have shown that low temperatures activate the locus coeruleus area of ​​the brain. This area helps produce more of the hormone norepinephrine, which helps relieve depression.


Vigor and well-being

A cold shower in the morning increases blood circulation and stimulates myocardial contraction. In response to this, the body produces more energy, which promotes quick awakening and vigor throughout the day.

Healthy hair and skin

Hot water causes dryness skin and hair. As a result, they become dull and lose their elasticity and tone. Under the influence of cold water, metabolism and blood circulation improve, pores shrink and hair scales close. The hair becomes shiny, more elastic, and the skin acquires its normal tone.

Increased hormone levels in men

The male gonads - the testicles - have a lower temperature than the body. Impact high temperatures while taking hot baths, it negatively affects their functions and impairs the quality and production of sperm. Cold water has the opposite effect on these glands - under its influence the level increases, sperm quality improves, libido increases, and sperm become more capable of fertilization.

If you decide to take a cold shower, then remember that before starting such procedures you should consult a doctor to exclude all contraindications. After this, you need to prepare your body for contact with low temperatures. Air baths should be taken for several days, gradually increasing their duration. Then start wiping with a wet towel soaked in cold water and contrasting soul. Only after this can you start taking a cold shower.

Personally, I often have the choice of whether to take a shower before bed, or to fall exhausted early and take a shower early in the morning for vigor. Of course, you can do it both in the morning and in the evening, but for this you have to sacrifice poor sleep. And then scientists argue that this issue is not so simple.

According to a study from Harvard University, you need to choose the time to go to the shower taking into account your characteristics and lifestyle.

YOU SHOULD SHOWER IN THE MORNING IF...

-
You know that a difficult work week is ahead.
You will have to solve difficult problems during this week.
You need peak creativity and work potential.

HOW IT WORKS?

A morning shower stimulates brain activity at a time when it is still quite calm, but is already anticipating the upcoming tasks.
Shelley Carson, a professor of psychology at Harvard University, explains that when our perceptions are relaxed, pleasant sensations (including showering) stimulate associative connections and make it easier to come up with strong solutions to problems than when we are thinking hard about them. And “The morning is wiser than the evening” thus receives scientific justification.

YOU SHOULD TAKE A SHOWER IN THE EVENING IF...

It is difficult for you to disconnect from the thoughts and experiences of the past day.
You find it difficult to relax and fall asleep.

HOW IT WORKS?

An evening shower helps regulate body temperature, reset nervous tension and gives a feeling of greater relaxation, since the rapid cooling of the body after a hot shower triggers natural drowsiness. A relaxing evening shower also reduces cortisol (the stress hormone) levels and helps you drift off into dreamland.

As you can see, you don't have to choose between morning and evening once and for all. Just the opposite. The lack of routine, alternating shower times, and focusing on your well-being give the maximum effect for the body. Whether it's relaxation or activity.

Some people prefer to wake up in the shower, while others prefer to go to bed clean. But is there any specific difference between swimming in the morning or in the evening? In fact, it all depends on the characteristics of your body, what you do and what you are going to do.

Take a shower in the morning if...

...you have oily skin. Your skin can become very oily overnight, so a morning shower is a great way to clean out your pores.
You creative person and you have creative work. Then the morning shower acts like meditation, relaxes the body and brain and sets them up for productive work and the birth of new ideas.

“If you have a creative problem to solve and you've been working on it for a long time and can't find a solution, then you could give your brain a break, take a shower and literally refresh your body and head,” says Harvard psychologist Shelley Carson.

If you have a hard time getting up in the morning. For many people, a shower simply helps them wake up and cheer up. Doctors note that this even starts the metabolism. And even better, according to the advice of doctors, turn on cold or cool water in the last few seconds of taking a shower. Then an invigorating effect is guaranteed!

If you exercise in the morning. There is no point in taking a shower at night if, when you get out of bed in the morning, you immediately become treadmill and do 100 push-ups. Shower after your workouts.

If you are prone to cuts during your morning shave. According to doctors, in the morning human body There is an influx of platelets, so the blood on cuts stops faster.

Shower in the evening if...

... you have a hard time falling asleep. Yes, we just said that a morning shower is invigorating, but in the evening everything is completely different. Firstly, the water relaxes, and secondly, when you come out after a warm shower, you feel a little cool, and you immediately want to wrap yourself in a blanket and fall asleep.

If you have dry skin, then a morning shower is literally contraindicated. Do not dry out your skin further before it is exposed to outdoor irritating factors. Save your shower for the evening.

If you're worried about the cleanliness of your sheets and just dread the thought of sleeping in your bed unwashed.

If you have a “dusty” job. If you work outside all day in the sun, then you yourself will want to wash off all the sweat and dust from yourself in the evening. But even if you are sitting in an office, the pollutants around you will still reach you while traveling on the subway, bus, and when in contact with other people.
Let's expand the question and decide how often you need to wash. Several large-scale studies were conducted on this topic at the end of the last century (Schroeder, Germany; Albert, USA; Lucati, Israel; Duchmovsky, Poland), as a result, it turned out that ideally you need to wash no more than twice a WEEK, the rest of the time you wash only particularly sensitive areas.

The thing is that too frequent washing, especially with soap and shower gels, disrupts the acid-base balance of the skin, which leads to a weakening of the skin's protective layer. In addition, a connection has been identified between frequent washing and a lack of vitamin D in the body - it is believed that with frequent washing a person constantly rinses off upper layer epidermis, which interferes with the absorption of the vitamin by the body. And you need to be especially careful to ensure that no soap or shower gel remains on your skin after washing.

Personally, I often have the choice of whether to take a shower before bed, or to fall exhausted early and take a shower early in the morning for vigor. Of course, you can do it both in the morning and in the evening, but for this you have to sacrifice poor sleep. And then scientists argue that this issue is not so simple.

According to a study from Harvard University, you need to choose the time to go to the shower taking into account your characteristics and lifestyle.

YOU SHOULD SHOWER IN THE MORNING IF...


  1. You know that a difficult work week is ahead.

  2. You will have to solve difficult problems during this week.

  3. You need peak creativity and work potential.

HOW IT WORKS?

A morning shower stimulates brain activity at a time when it is still quite calm, but is already anticipating the upcoming tasks.
Shelley Carson, a professor of psychology at Harvard University, explains that when our perceptions are relaxed, pleasant sensations (including showering) stimulate associative connections and make it easier to come up with strong solutions to problems than when we are thinking hard about them. And “The morning is wiser than the evening” thus receives scientific justification.

YOU SHOULD TAKE A SHOWER IN THE EVENING IF...


  1. It is difficult for you to disconnect from the thoughts and experiences of the past day.

  2. You find it difficult to relax and fall asleep.

HOW IT WORKS?

An evening shower helps regulate body temperature, relieve nervous tension and gives you a feeling of greater relaxation, since the rapid cooling of the body after a hot shower triggers natural drowsiness. A relaxing evening shower also reduces cortisol (the stress hormone) levels and helps you drift off into dreamland.

As you can see, you don't have to choose between morning and evening once and for all. Just the opposite. The lack of routine, alternating shower times, and focusing on your well-being give the maximum effect for the body. Whether it's relaxation or activity.

Some people prefer to wake up in the shower, while others prefer to go to bed clean. But is there any specific difference between swimming in the morning or in the evening? In fact, it all depends on the characteristics of your body, what you do and what you are going to do.

Take a shower in the morning if...

...you have oily skin. Your skin can become very oily overnight, so a morning shower is a great way to clean out your pores.
You are a creative person and you have a creative job. Then the morning shower acts like meditation, relaxes the body and brain and sets them up for productive work and the birth of new ideas.

“If you have a creative problem to solve and you've been working on it for a long time and can't find a solution, then you could give your brain a break, take a shower and literally refresh your body and head,” says Harvard psychologist Shelley Carson.

If you have a hard time getting up in the morning. For many people, a shower simply helps them wake up and cheer up. Doctors note that this even starts the metabolism. And even better, according to the advice of doctors, turn on cold or cool water in the last few seconds of taking a shower. Then an invigorating effect is guaranteed!

If you exercise in the morning. There's no point in taking a shower at night if you get out of bed in the morning and immediately get on the treadmill and do 100 push-ups. Shower after your workouts.

If you are prone to cuts during your morning shave. According to doctors, in the morning there is an influx of platelets in the human body, so the blood on cuts stops faster.

Shower in the evening if...

... you have a hard time falling asleep. Yes, we just said that a morning shower is invigorating, but in the evening everything is completely different. Firstly, the water relaxes, and secondly, when you come out after a warm shower, you feel a little cool, and you immediately want to wrap yourself in a blanket and fall asleep.

If you have dry skin, then a morning shower is literally contraindicated. Do not dry your skin even more before it is exposed to outdoor irritants. Save your shower for the evening.

If you're worried about the cleanliness of your sheets and just dread the thought of sleeping in your bed unwashed.

If you have a “dusty” job. If you work outside all day in the sun, then you yourself will want to wash off all the sweat and dust from yourself in the evening. But even if you are sitting in an office, the pollutants around you will still reach you while traveling on the subway, bus, and when in contact with other people.
Let's expand the question and decide how often you need to wash. Several large-scale studies were conducted on this topic at the end of the last century (Schroeder, Germany; Albert, USA; Lucati, Israel; Duchmovsky, Poland), as a result, it turned out that ideally you need to wash no more than twice a WEEK, the rest of the time you wash only particularly sensitive areas.

The thing is that too frequent washing, especially with soap and shower gels, disrupts the acid-base balance of the skin, which leads to a weakening of the skin's protective layer. In addition, a connection has been identified between frequent washing and a lack of vitamin D in the body - it is believed that with frequent washing, a person constantly washes off the top layer of the epidermis, which interferes with the absorption of the vitamin by the body. And you need to be especially careful to ensure that no soap or shower gel remains on your skin after washing.

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