Do you prefer to shower in the morning or before going to sleep at night? This might seem like a silly question, but the truth is this action is linked to health. Science has studied this common routine to answer the question: what’s better for our health, showering in the morning or at night? And the answer to this is not as simple as you might think. So, let’s find out when is the perfect time to do this, shall we?
Morning shower
Many people prefer to shower right when they open their eyes when they wake up in the morning. Why? Because they feel this will wake them up to be ready for the day, and they are right: spending 10 minutes showering with hot water will help you wake up, activate, and feel fresh.
So, those who defend this clean habit believe it’s more than a morning shower because it gives them motivation and energy to go through the day.
Night shower
Other people think at night is more logical. Imagine arriving home after a day full of activities, pollution, sweat, and dust; the most hygienic thing to do is clean your body before going to bed, right? This way people can have a nice sleep feeling clean.
I mean, if you think about it, it makes sense since throughout the day the skin accumulates oil, sweat, pollen, and dirt. So, if you don’t shower, all of that ends up on the bedsheets and the pillow, and that’s pretty disgusting, don’t you think?
Bacteria and our skin
Our skin is full of bacterial life, in every centimeter square there are about 10,000 and one million bacteria! Can you believe that? The feed from natural oils we produce. Think about sweat, it doesn’t smell itself, but when these bacteria such as staphylococcus break it down, they produce sulfur compounds that do. That’s where body odor comes from.
This is why showering before going to bed seems more hygienic: it eliminates bacteria, oil, and dirt accumulated after the entire day.
It’s not that easy
Even though you shower at night, you will continue sweating while you are sleeping. According to microbiologist Primrose Freestone from the University of Leicester in the UK, at night we can sweat up to half a liter and lose 50,000 skin cells creating the perfect feast for dust mites.
This means that, although you go to bed clean, when you wake up you can experience a slight body odor. So, as you can see, the benefits of showering at night only work if you also wash your bed clothes frequently. Why? Because bacteria can survive for weeks on sheets, duvets, and pillows. What’s more, dust and fungus accumulate with the passage of time, mostly in humid places like the pillow. And those suffering from asthma or allergies? You should be extra careful because sleeping on dirty sheets can become a serious issue.
Holly Wilkinson, professor at the University of Hull, explains: “Probably, it’s more important to wash your sheets than to shower at night. If you shower and then leave the same sheets for a month, bacteria, dirt, and dust mites will still accumulate.”
Sleep quality
Another point people who shower at night say is that this habit helps them to sleep better, and do you know what? Science supports this. An analysis of 13 studies proved that having a hot bath or shower for 10 minutes, one or two hours before going to sleep, can help you have a nice sleep faster.
Why does this happen? Well, the increase of body temperature followed by cooling sends a sign to our bodies to go in rest mode. Yet, experts say this needs more investigation to properly confirm it.
So, what’s better according to experts?
For example, Doctor Freestone prefers to do this habit in the morning because it removes the sweat and bacteria from the bed at night. This way she can start the day fresher.
However, other experts like Wilkinson state that the time you shower doesn’t change that much your health in general. The important thing is if you want to be clean and fresh for going out in the morning or going to sleep.
To sum up
The key is this: shower regularly, wash your sheets often, and choose the time that makes you feel best. In the end, the healthiest shower is the one that fits your life and keeps both your body and your environment clean.