In fact, bathing has been linked to improved mental health. This is because taking a warm shower can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. The body's reaction to being warm naturally relaxes your muscles and thoughts. Because of this mechanism, the risk of depressive symptoms is lower following a shower.
Long, hot showers allow us a comfortable environment to think about or plan the events of the day. It's both a soothing and relaxing experience that I think we could all agree puts us in a much better mood. Short, cold showers make us more alert and are used as a sharp 'wake-up call' when we're not feeling 100%.
Research suggests that hot showers alleviate anxiety as a result of the heat prompting our brains to release oxytocin — a “happy hormone” — which, in turn, reduces stress. Cold showers, on the other hand, are believed to enhance blood circulation, leading to stress reduction.
Many doctors say a daily shower is fine for most people. (More than that could start to cause skin problems.) But for many people, two to three times a week is enough and may be even better to maintain good health. It depends in part on your lifestyle.
Indeed, their study suggests that people subconsciously self-comfort against loneliness through the use of warm baths and showers.
Studies have shown that taking a bath can activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which is the part of your body responsible for relaxation. As your nervous system adjusts to the warming effect of the water around you, you begin to experience lowered levels of stress.
Doing so twice a day is generally fine for your skin and scalp, Dr. Goldenberg said, as long as both showers are quick and you don't have severe eczema or dermatitis.
Bathing advice for children over the age of 11 (or when puberty starts) Once puberty hits, daily showering is essential due to new hormones flowing through the body bringing along unwanted body odor and acne. Your child should also wash their face twice a day with a gentle noncomedogenic face wash.
In general, showering every other day or every few days is enough for most people. Keep in mind that showering twice a day or frequently taking hot or long showers can strip your skin of important oils. This can lead to dry, itchy skin.
Best Temperature for Showering
Cold showers can help reduce inflammation, relieve pain, improve circulation, lower stress levels, and reduce muscle soreness and fatigue. Hot showers, meanwhile, can improve cardiovascular health, soothe stiff joints, and improve sleep.
Amber explains that showering in the dark increases your sensitivity, and with them your pleasure receptors. This will allow the warm water and touch of your own skin to feel even better. She goes on to say that a shower can be your opportunity to get in touch with yourself and release all of your tension.
The average person has a shower duration of 7 minutes. Shower timer duration is 4 minutes; saving 3 minutes shower time or 45 litres (QLD Government 2008). The average Burnside household is made up of 2.36 people (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006).
Likewise, Abbas Kanani, pharmacist at Chemist Click, says that around 8-10 minutes is usually enough time to hydrate your skin and cleanse. "Showering for less than five minutes may not be long enough to cleanse your body, and can cause bacterial or fungal infections," she added.
The average shower lasts about eight minutes. Since the average showerhead has a water flow of 2.1 gallons per minute, each shower uses more than 16 gallons of water! Across the United States, we use more than one trillion gallons of water each year just for showering. Never fear!
Effects of Hot Showers on Sleep
In the hours before bedtime, a human's core body temperature naturally cools, while skin temperatures of the hands and feet increase. Scientists hypothesize that immersing the body in warm water aids this natural temperature regulation process, improving sleep as a result.
One of the most appealing reasons to shampoo and rinse in the morning? It can wake you up and help you feel alert and ready for the day. But a morning shower also serves to remove any oil or bacteria that's built up overnight.
“If you're visibly soiled, you should clean yourself irrespective of the time of day.” When you shower, you're just taking off visible dirt and making yourself smell better, Dr. Adalja says. “You're not taking off all the bacteria and germs, and most you wouldn't want to take off anyway,” he says.
You can enjoy both—and both have obvious appeal. “A morning shower can help shake off sleep inertia and get you going, while an evening shower can be a relaxing part of a pre-bed routine,” says Michael Grandner, director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona.
Dr. Dianna Augelli of the Center for Sleep Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center has applied studies that support pre-bedtime baths to showering habits as well. There's some finesse to it, but the bottom line is: Hop in the shower before bed. It'll help your body cool down and relax.
If you're more active, you'll probably want to shower more often to prevent issues like itchy, dry skin. But if you're more sedentary—working from home or working a desk job—it's likely safe to shower every other day, or 2 to 3 times a week. No matter how often you shower, just remember to keep them short.