Move over warm milk. There’s another way to help people drift off at night.
To improve your sleep, experts recommend taking a hot shower before bed, according to a Feb. 21 article on Time.com.
In the past, people have been advised to take warm baths to help them wind down from the day. A shower can do the same trick, the article notes.
But don’t start too late. “You don’t want to heat yourself up right before bed,” says Dianne Augelli, a sleep specialist for the Center for Sleep Medicine at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Body temperature keys into the circadian rhythm. During the day, temperature rises until late afternoon, when it begins to fall. “Cooling down is a signal that tells us we’re supposed to go to sleep,” Augelli says.
The sweet spot is an hour and a half before bed. By lights out, you will be relaxed and cooled down for a good night’s rest.
