I recently came up with this question when arguing with a friend whether if it was better showering at night or in the morning. Personally, I always need to start the day with a refreshing morning shower. It’s like people who are addicted to coffee, if they don’t drink it in the mornings, they can’t operate properly. The same happens to me, if I don’t shower before starting my day, you will see me like a zombie falling asleep everywhere. Also, I can personally say that if I during the day, do any kind of activity were I get dirty or sweaty, like a sport or something then I can’t go to bed without taking a shower. So basically for me, I usually have two showers a day.
I started to research about this trendy question and I found that basically the time of the day when you shower has to do with each person’s personal and professional goals. Essentially, you should shower in the morning if:
- You have oily skin: If you’ve always had problems with an oily face, or acne, then showering in the morning is probably the best method for you. Holly Phillips, M.D, NYC based internist and contributor for CBS news stated that ” Showering in the morning. . . can be especially good for those with oily skin, since oil can build up during the night and showers are excellent at clearing the pores,”
- You work in any creative field: “If you’ve got a tough week ahead at work and really want to perform at your creative best, showering in the morning is the way to go” says Shelley Carson, a psychology lecturer at Harvard University. This reaction is mainly due to the necessity of some people to something psychologists often call “Incubation Period”. This process works in the shower because it is referred to a relaxation zone pretty much compared to those feelings after meditation or yoga. At this point, the brain is relaxed but alert and this is when ideas might come up the best.
- You have a rough time waking up (Like me): As previously stated, I mentioned that in order to fully wake up I needed to have a refreshing shower in the morning. But one thing is important, the temperature of the water. Sometimes, you might want to have a hot steamy bath in the morning but according to studies turning in to cold water the last few minutes of your shower can jump up your metabolism and can also help you be more alert during the day. Its hard but it helps.
These are the main reasons why you should take a morning shower taking in consideration your personal and professional goals, not lets take a look at the night shower goals. So,fundamentally you should take a night shower if:
- It’s difficult for you to fall asleep: Your body temperature determines how you will be feeling and getting a relaxing shower can lower your cortisol which is a stress related hormone. The instant cooling of your body temperature after a shower is considered as a natural sleep remedy.
- You get dirty during the day: Most of us participate in some kind of outdoor activity on a daily base, or just being at work or at school during the whole day makes you feel dirty at the end of the day. Well in fact we are exposed to many types of germs and bacteria in almost any kind of environment, even just being in a city might make you feel like in need of a shower at night.
- Have dry skin or wear makeup: Dermatologist like Holly Phillips suggest that showering in the night is much recomendable for patients who suffer from eczema which is dry skin.
This blog was very interesting because I always take night showers. The reasons that were listed for night showers in your blog were exactly why I take them at night. I do it to take my makeup off and so I can fall asleep easier. There are some cons though to both of these shower times. If you shower at night you don’t start your day refreshed and you might sweat over night. Showering at night might also wake you up instead of making you sleepy. It also is uncomfortable to sleep with wet hair. The cons of showering in the morning are you might be late to wherever you are going, you have to wake up earlier in order to shower, and you have to be rushed the whole time getting ready. Here is an article on Men’s Health that explains this better! http://www.menshealth.com/grooming/ask-mh-shower-morning-vs-night
I enjoyed reading this blog because it was interesting to learn about the different benefits of showering in the morning vs. showering at night. Morning showers are good for trying to wake up and get ready for the day, while night showers are helpful for people who have difficulty falling asleep. I guess it just depends on personal preferences for when the perfect time of day to shower is.
Here is the link to an article about the benefits of showering at night, plus the different benefits of showering in cold water vs. hot water: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/shower-at-night-to-sleep-better_55ad171ce4b065dfe89ecfb1
I think this post does a great job of explaining the benefits of showering at the different times in the day. Personally, I am a night showerer because it really prepares me for bed. If I don’t take a shower at night, I always feel disgusting in the morning, and I hate that feeling. It also seems to relax me so I am able to sleep. I often find that if I do not shower before I go to bed, I wake up feeling very oily. Here is another article about some of the benefits of showering at night or showering in the morning:
Showering
I am the person who takes two showers a day, sometimes even three. It is true that morning shower wakes you up, it makes you feel fresh and clean. I think it is the best way to start a day. And whenever I feel tired or stressed, if I am in my room, I will get a shower. I will not wash my hair or do anything else, I just stand inside. It is a great way to clear my mind and prepare to continue the work. A night shower is good before bed because it take away all the things. You feel clean and ready to sleep, not thinking about today and tomorrow’s tasks. And here is a article talking about people getting great ideas during shower Science Explains Why Our Best Ideas Come in the Shower
I always take night shower for two reasons. One, I like to be clean from the day before getting into bed. Two, taking a warm shower decreases stress levels which is perfect for calming down before going to bed. This occurs because while in the shower your body temperature increases, then once you get out it cools down. This cooling down of body temperature slows down your heart rate and breathing, just like it does after going into the air conditioning after an intense work out (http://greatist.com/happiness/tip-take-warm-shower-bed-help-sleep).