BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM
Chances are you’ve probably already had this conversation with someone. Maybe more than once. Morning shower people and night shower people tend to hold their positions, and nobody really changes anyone else’s mind. But when you actually ask the experts, the answer is less about winning the debate and more about what your goals are.
If better sleep is the goal, shower at night
This is where the science is most clear. A warm shower before bed raises your core body temperature, and then, as you step out and your body works to cool back down, that temperature drop becomes a cue for sleep. Dr. Sarah Silverman, a behavioral sleep medicine specialist, describes it as a nightly signal: do it at the same time consistently, and your body starts winding down in anticipation.
“A warm shower or bath taken on a consistent basis can act as an anchor or signal that helps reinforce consistent routines,” Silverman says.
Morning showers do the opposite: they raise body temperature and tell your brain it’s time to wake up. Useful at 7 a.m. Not great for anyone already sleeping fine.
If your skin is the concern, night still has the edge
Dr. Whitney Tolpinrud, a dermatologist and medical director of Curology, puts it plainly: showering at night washes off everything you’ve accumulated during the day before you spend eight hours with your face on a pillow. For anyone with sensitive or eczema-prone skin, that’s not a small thing.
“[A night shower] can be particularly helpful for people with sensitive or eczema-prone skin, since it helps remove potential irritants before bed,” Tolpinrud says.
Moisturizing right after also works better at night. Skin that’s still slightly damp from the shower holds hydration better while you sleep.
Morning showers have their case too. They clear overnight oil and sweat, and most skincare products are designed to go on clean skin. If you have curly or frizz-prone hair, the morning timing usually works better for styling.
The bigger issue, though, is how you shower, not when. “The real skin issues come from showers that are too long, too hot, or followed by skipping moisturizer,” Tolpinrud says. Five to 10 minutes, lukewarm water, moisturizer while your skin is still damp. Morning or night, that part matters more than the timing.
The honest verdict
Night showers have the edge, mostly because of sleep. Morning showers work well if you exercise first thing, or if you wake up slowly and need something to get you going.
Neither is wrong. The part that makes either one work is doing it at the same time every day. Your body picks up on the pattern faster than you’d expect. Pick whichever fits your actual life and stick with it.
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