The question of whether it’s better to shower in the morning or at night may seem trivial, but as it turns out, the timing of your shower can significantly affect both your skin health and your sleep quality. Glamour magazine consulted three experts — including Nancy Rothstein, The Sleep Ambassador — to settle the debate once and for all.
The answer isn’t as simple as choosing one over the other. Morning showers offer genuine benefits for skin health and mental alertness, while evening showers serve as a powerful sleep preparation tool. But when forced to pick a winner, the experts lean toward nighttime.
Key Takeaways
- Morning showers boost alertness: They provide a mindful moment to start the day, can decrease skin inflammation by managing cortisol levels, and are the optimal time for shaving.
- Evening showers prepare your body for sleep: A warm (not hot) shower relaxes your muscles and creates a natural segue to sleep. As Nancy Rothstein explains, “Think of your shower as a segue to sleep.”
- Going to bed clean matters: “When you get into bed, you should feel clean,” says Rothstein. “You’ve been out and about all day — why would you want to get into bed like that?”
- Showering at night separates day from night: It creates a clear boundary between your active hours and your rest hours, signaling to your brain that it’s time to wind down.
Your evening shower can be a cornerstone of your sleep hygiene routine — a few minutes of mindfulness before bed that pays dividends in sleep quality. For more tips on building a bedtime routine that works, visit our resources page or explore Nancy’s content.
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