Taking a bath – a hot topic for debate. For many adults, bath time may feel childish and overly time-consuming. For others, it’s the perfect way to unwind at the end of the day. And for those on the go, a relaxing bath may seem like an unattainable luxury. Regardless of where your opinion falls, research shows that taking a quick 15–20-minute bath before bed might be more beneficial than we realize.

Whether your evenings are consumed with work, dinner, homework, taking care of the kids and pets, or cleaning the house, there’s one common theme – we’re all busy. After a long day, you may feel more inclined to lounge on the couch than run a hot bath.

But what benefits do baths have for your sleep?

Improve Your Mood

Taking a bath in the evening can help alleviate stress and anxiety by giving you time to decompress, aiding in improving your overall mood. Unsurprisingly, you can enjoy a much better, deeper sleep by going to bed relaxed and at ease.

A bath is also the perfect alternative to filling your evening with screen time. By spending your downtime in the evening watching TV or scrolling on your phone, you don’t give your brain time to rest (until you go to bed). You might find that you struggle to wind down and “turn off your brain,” impacting your ability to fall asleep.

Relieve Muscle Pain

Just as going to bed with a million thoughts running through your head can keep you up, so can aches and pains. Taking a hot bath, with the optional addition of Epsom salts or essential oils, can offer some relief. Epsom salts have a surplus of benefits, including reducing water retention, stress, and inflammation, healing skin conditions, and relieving joint pain.

Be sure to follow up an Epsom salt bath by moisturizing – or investigate the essential oils that might best fit your needs.

Tell Your Body It’s Time for Bed

By establishing a routine, your body’s circadian rhythm will kick in as you repeat the same steps each evening – allowing your body to prepare for bedtime. Our bodies naturally make melatonin, a sleeping hormone. Still, often that’s not enough to cue the yawns. Many people take melatonin vitamins or other sleep supplements to fall asleep more easily. Soaking in the tub helps speed this process along naturally.

Your body produces melatonin when your core temperature drops throughout the night. Even though taking a hot bath before bed may sound counterproductive, the heat forces your body to cool down faster and helps your body release melatonin more quickly. As your body’s core temperature drops, you may fall asleep faster.

Enjoying a bath isn’t just for the kids! Next time you feel overwhelmed or unable to sleep, consider treating yourself to some quiet time in the tub. Taking just a few minutes to relax each evening may improve your sleep quality – and help you wake up feeling your best every morning.

Sources:

Byrdie

Sleep.com