Similar to other sleep-inducing relaxation rituals, dark showering is meant to set the mood for slumber.
But as with most social media health trends, more research is needed to find out if showering in the dark can actually improve your sleep, says Kin Yuen, MD, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and an adjunct faculty member in the department of psychiatry and behavioral services at Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California. “It would not be my first recommendation, but if it helps people sleep better, I think that’s a positive,” says Dr. Yuen.
Existing research does offer a few initial clues into how dark showering may help with sleep. For instance, one review of 17 articles suggests that sleep quality may be improved with a shower set at 104 to 108.5 degrees F, taken about one to two hours before bed for as little as 10 minutes. That’s likely because a warm shower before bedtime causes a core body-temperature decline that may induce sleep.
While this review was only about showering in general as opposed to dark showering, the researchers say some of the sleep support benefits could extend to dark showering.
“Dark showering isn’t magic, but it can be a helpful cue to the brain that the day is ending. The most important part is the transition: slowing down, dimming the environment, and letting the body shift toward rest,” says lead review author Shahab Haghayegh, PhD, an instructor in anesthesia in the division of sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
The study authors note that more research is needed, especially around optimal timing and duration of pre-bedtime bathing. At least one other small study found that bathing 1 ½ to 2 hours before bedtime resulted in better sleep quality and falling asleep more quickly.
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