Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio,
Speaker 1: Hey brain Stuff Lauren vog O bomb Here. An informal
Speaker 1: poll conducted by the author of the article that this
Speaker 1: episode is based on found wide ranging opinions on the
Speaker 1: day versus evening shower. Some people can't get through the
Speaker 1: day without starting it with a good scrub down, whereas
Speaker 1: others simply can't settle in for the night unless they're
Speaker 1: squeaky clean. Then there are those who prefer to go
Speaker 1: with the flow based on schedule and exercise habits. All
Speaker 1: of these conflicting opinions made us wonder whether one time
Speaker 1: of day is actually superior to another for the purpose
Speaker 1: of showering. Often, the answer to such a seemingly innocuous
Speaker 1: question isn't as simple as one would think. Let's look
Speaker 1: at it from a few different angles. First, there's the
Speaker 1: sleep factor. Although many people prefer a morning shower to
Speaker 1: help them wake up, the evening shower is actually a
Speaker 1: valuable tool for winding down at night, particularly for those
Speaker 1: with sleep problems. For the aforementioned article that this episode
Speaker 1: is based on, how Stuff Works, spoke with Bill Fish,
Speaker 1: a certified sleep science coach with Tuck dot Com, who
Speaker 1: noted that the human body thrives on structure and routine.
Speaker 1: He said, if we are looking at showering strictly from
Speaker 1: a sleep perspective, there's no question that someone should be
Speaker 1: showering at night versus in the morning. Indeed, research has
Speaker 1: shown that a soothing, warm bath or shower before bedtime
Speaker 1: raises the body temperature enough to set the tone for
Speaker 1: a good night's sleep. Raising your body temperature and then
Speaker 1: allowing it to cool seems to hasten sleep. A fish said,
Speaker 1: if you make it a point to shower roughly thirty
Speaker 1: minutes prior to going to sleep each night, your body
Speaker 1: will begin to know that the sleep ritual has begun,
Speaker 1: and you will begin to naturally feel sleepy after your
Speaker 1: nightly shower. On the other hand, a regular morning shower
Speaker 1: could be a must for people who need an extra
Speaker 1: jolt to get going. How Stuff Works also spoke by
Speaker 1: email with psychiatrist Dr Damien Jacob Sendler. He said research
Speaker 1: shows that there is a positive aspect of water in
Speaker 1: improving our ability to become awake faster. Showering in the
Speaker 1: morning is refreshing and makes us feel clean and ready
Speaker 1: for the day, and something to pay attention to if
Speaker 1: we want to boost our confidence. The verdict evening showers
Speaker 1: are best for people with sleep problems, but if you
Speaker 1: sleep well and need it to feel alert in the morning,
Speaker 1: there's no harm in showering when you rise. But what
Speaker 1: about dermatologically speaking, in the skin sense, there's not much
Speaker 1: difference between morning and nighttime showers, though experts note that
Speaker 1: getting good sleep is good for the skin. Some people
Speaker 1: prefer to wash the grime and allergens of the day
Speaker 1: away before hitting the hay, and this is a great
Speaker 1: strategy for people who experience allergies and asthma. As pre
Speaker 1: bedtime showering removes pollen and other allergens from the hair
Speaker 1: and skin. However, morning exercisers often smartly shower before heading
Speaker 1: off to work. The feeling, not to mention smell of
Speaker 1: dried sweat is anything but comfortable, So the skin verdict
Speaker 1: shower whenever you feel like it, because your skin won't
Speaker 1: know the difference, but when you do may affect your
Speaker 1: sleep and confidence as discussed above. Finally, let's consider hair
Speaker 1: once again. The morning versus night debate must take into
Speaker 1: account specific characteristics of an individual's hair. The people with
Speaker 1: fine or oily hair are generally advised to wash up
Speaker 1: in the morning, otherwise hair could appear flat, dull, and
Speaker 1: possibly greasy. On the other hand, people with thicker hair
Speaker 1: can really choose either time depending on the style they seek,
Speaker 1: but many do opt to shower at night in order
Speaker 1: to skip the heated tools, which can damage hair if
Speaker 1: used too often, or their hair may be naturally on
Speaker 1: the dry side and doesn't need to be shampooed more
Speaker 1: than once a week. And don't forget about your scalp health.
Speaker 1: If you wash your hair at night, it's best to
Speaker 1: make sure it's totally dry before turning in because the
Speaker 1: prolonged moisture can cause microbes to build, potentially resulting in
Speaker 1: dan druff or other scalp irritations. So the hair verdict
Speaker 1: people with fine hair should shower in the morning. Otherwise,
Speaker 1: do whatever suits your schedule and style. A few people,
Speaker 1: of course, hedge their bets in shower both in the
Speaker 1: morning and the evening. Dermatologist Dr Gary Goldenberg told The
Speaker 1: New York Times this was fine as long as the
Speaker 1: showers are short and you don't have a skin condition
Speaker 1: like eczema or dermatitis. Today's episode is based on the
Speaker 1: article morning versus Evening Showers discussed on how stuff works
Speaker 1: dot Com, written by Leo Hoyt. Brain Stuff is production
Speaker 1: of by Heart Radio in partnership with how stuff Works
Speaker 1: dot Com and is produced by Tyler clang Or More
Speaker 1: podcasts my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows,