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Medically reviewed by Dakari Quimby, PhD
Most adults in the United States shower every day. The best time of day to take a shower depends on your lifestyle, priorities, and focus. The best time is the time that works for you. It should fit into your schedule, and convenience matters.
Best Time to Take a Shower
Regardless of the benefits of taking a shower at a particular time of day, those benefits will be negated if squeezing it in at that time increases stress, and being too concerned with healthy-habit perfection can lead to chronic stress. This is why the best time of day to take a shower varies from person to person. There is no perfect answer, and sometimes it takes trying different options to determine the preferred time.
1. Showering for Alertness
Taking a cold shower in the morning increases noradrenalin in the blood, which boosts alertness. This increases energy to start the day. Those who are extra groggy in the mornings or take a long time to wake up may benefit from a cold shower and a walk outside in the sun.
2. For Sleep
Taking a warm bath or shower in the evening can help you fall asleep more quickly. This happens partly because it aids muscle relaxation, calms the mind, and relieves stress, especially when combined with other enjoyable experiences, such as aromatherapy.
Additionally, it increases your body temperature. After getting out of the bath, your body temperature cools. This mimics the natural process of your body cooling down during sleep and may help you fall asleep.
3. For Hygiene and Disease Prevention
Showering helps remove sweat, dirt, bacteria, and other impurities from the surface of your skin and hair, which can cause infections and irritations. However, showering too often may also lead to irritation and other adverse effects. And keep in mind that your hands are the most important part of your body to wash to prevent the spread of germs.
When it comes to hygiene, consider scheduling showers to maximize their benefit throughout your day.
Some strategic times to shower may be after:
- A strenuous workout
- Manual labor
- Performing a messy job
- Being exposed to pathogens or toxins
- Working outdoors
- Coming in contact with bodily fluids
- Before bed, to keep dirt and bacteria out of your sheets
Showering is more convenient when the entire body needs cleaning, or when it is easier to shower than to wash the spots that need it most. When not showering, it can help to change clothes, wash hands, and spot clean affected areas.
4. Getting Ready for Your Day
Showering in the morning may boost serotonin levels, self-esteem, and confidence. It can be a great way to start the day optimistically, feeling fresh, and it may lead to higher productivity. This may be affected by personal preferences, such as a hair routine or needing to sleep in a little longer to feel fresh. It’s about the physical component, and more. Showering to prepare is mental, too. It can be a great time to collect your thoughts, plan, and think through what is to come next. This may include managing emotions, processing feelings, and grounding in the moment through the sensory experience of showering.
How a Schedule and Routine Can Help
Having a schedule and routine can help to reduce stress and improve mental health. This includes scheduling a specific time of day that works best for you to shower and incorporating it into a routine. For example, some people may find it best to shower first thing in the morning to prepare for the day, before bed to unwind and prepare for sleep, or after a strenuous workout.
It must be a time that is convenient and, preferably, enjoyable. Showering must fit with other activities, preferences, and the primary objective of the shower, whether that is to fall asleep quickly, wash off the day’s dirt, or something else.
When Showering Feels Like Too Much
- Showering isn’t always a positive or accessible experience for everyone.
- Sensory sensitivities, chronic pain, fatigue, physical disabilities, executive functioning challenges (ex., ADHD), and some mental health or neurodevelopmental conditions (ex., autism) may make showering uncomfortable, exhausting, or overwhelming for some people. If that’s the case, it’s okay to adapt your hygiene routine to fit your needs.
- A mental health provider or occupational therapist can also offer personalized strategies.
- The goal is to support your well-being, not follow a one-size-fits-all routine.
Read the original article on Verywell Health
