Do you love taking a hot shower at night or starting your morning off with a good rinse? Well, experts say that there’s an optimal time that you should jump into the shower to get yourself squeaky clean. According to Shahab Haghayegh, an instructor at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, showering at night is beneficial for sleep and regulating our body temperature for the best rest.
“When we take a nighttime shower at the right time and temperature, it helps us fall asleep,” Haghayegh explained to Time.
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The health researcher conducted a study in 2019 that found that water-based passive body heating (PBHWB) through warm showers or baths could significantly improve various aspects of sleep quality. Specifically, bathing in water at temperatures between 40 and 42.5°C (104–108.5°F), especially when done 1 to 2 hours before bedtime for as little as 10 minutes, was associated with improved self-rated sleep quality, better sleep efficiency, and a noticeable reduction in the time it takes to fall asleep (sleep onset latency). These benefits are believed to result from a drop in core body temperature following PBHWB, facilitated by increased blood flow to the hands and feet, which enhances the body’s ability to slow down its internal heating system, helping you to fall asleep faster and longer at night.
If you’re a morning time rinser hoping to switch up your shower time to the evening for optimal sleep, it may take some time for your circadian rhythm to adjust, explained Haghayegh. A circadian rhythm is the body’s natural, roughly 24-hour cycle that regulates various physical, mental, and behavioral processes, the Cleveland Clinic notes. It influences your sleep-wake cycle and affects your hormones and digestion.
“The body clock doesn’t change that easily,” Haghayegh told Time, explaining that he had to gradually shift his bedtime by 30 minutes each night while incorporating more nighttime showers to help regulate his sleep.
