Many people wonder: when is the best time to take a shower—morning or night?
According to sleep experts, taking a warm shower one to two hours before bedtime can help you sleep better.
A recent report by Verywell Health explained that showering at night is more beneficial for your sleep for several reasons:
1. It helps you fall asleep faster
Our body temperature naturally rises during the day and drops at night, signaling the body that it’s time for rest. A warm shower in the evening can speed up this process.
Harvard Medical School professor Dr. Shahab Haghayegh explained that warm water causes the blood vessels in your skin to expand, increasing blood flow to the surface and allowing your body to release heat more effectively. This leads to a natural drop in core body temperature, helping you fall asleep more quickly.
His research showed that a warm shower about 1–2 hours before sleep can improve how fast and how well you fall asleep.
2. It improves sleep quality and efficiency
The study also found that night showers enhance sleep quality and efficiency—the percentage of time you spend actually sleeping while in bed.
The cooling-down period after a shower helps your body reach the lower core temperature needed for deep, uninterrupted rest. Even just 10 minutes in warm water can help activate this effect.
3. It boosts brain performance
Emily Manoogian, a researcher at the Salk Institute, said that getting a good night’s sleep boosts cognitive performance—like memory, decision-making, and creativity.
She recommended syncing your shower routine with your natural body rhythm to feel sharper and more productive the next day.
Dr. Haghayegh added that nighttime showers can act as a behavioral signal to your body that it's time to relax, especially when it becomes part of your regular bedtime routine.
Morning Showers Can Be Good Too
However, if you still prefer showering in the morning, that’s perfectly fine. Morning showers can be refreshing, especially if you sweat at night.
They also help wash off dead skin cells and get you ready to face the day.
If you exercise in the morning, showering afterward is obviously a must.
So, if you're having trouble falling asleep, waking up groggy, or just looking to relax, try a warm shower at night—it may just give your brain and body the signal they need to unwind.