Is It Better to Shower in the Morning or Evening?

Showering first thing or last thing in your day is largely a personal preference, but a few factors might sway you one way or the other. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/daily/tips/morning-vs-evening-showers-discuss.htm

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio,
Hey brain Stuff Lauren vog O bomb Here. An informal
poll conducted by the author of the article that this
episode is based on found wide ranging opinions on the
day versus evening shower. Some people can't get through the
day without starting it with a good scrub down, whereas

(00:23):
others simply can't settle in for the night unless they're
squeaky clean. Then there are those who prefer to go
with the flow based on schedule and exercise habits. All
of these conflicting opinions made us wonder whether one time
of day is actually superior to another for the purpose
of showering. Often, the answer to such a seemingly innocuous

(00:46):
question isn't as simple as one would think. Let's look
at it from a few different angles. First, there's the
sleep factor. Although many people prefer a morning shower to
help them wake up, the evening shower is actually a
valuable tool for winding down at night, particularly for those
with sleep problems. For the aforementioned article that this episode

(01:06):
is based on, how Stuff Works, spoke with Bill Fish,
a certified sleep science coach with Tuck dot Com, who
noted that the human body thrives on structure and routine.
He said, if we are looking at showering strictly from
a sleep perspective, there's no question that someone should be
showering at night versus in the morning. Indeed, research has

(01:28):
shown that a soothing, warm bath or shower before bedtime
raises the body temperature enough to set the tone for
a good night's sleep. Raising your body temperature and then
allowing it to cool seems to hasten sleep. A fish said,
if you make it a point to shower roughly thirty
minutes prior to going to sleep each night, your body
will begin to know that the sleep ritual has begun,

(01:49):
and you will begin to naturally feel sleepy after your
nightly shower. On the other hand, a regular morning shower
could be a must for people who need an extra
jolt to get going. How Stuff Works also spoke by
email with psychiatrist Dr Damien Jacob Sendler. He said research
shows that there is a positive aspect of water in
improving our ability to become awake faster. Showering in the

(02:13):
morning is refreshing and makes us feel clean and ready
for the day, and something to pay attention to if
we want to boost our confidence. The verdict evening showers
are best for people with sleep problems, but if you
sleep well and need it to feel alert in the morning,
there's no harm in showering when you rise. But what
about dermatologically speaking, in the skin sense, there's not much

(02:37):
difference between morning and nighttime showers, though experts note that
getting good sleep is good for the skin. Some people
prefer to wash the grime and allergens of the day
away before hitting the hay, and this is a great
strategy for people who experience allergies and asthma. As pre
bedtime showering removes pollen and other allergens from the hair

(02:57):
and skin. However, morning exercisers often smartly shower before heading
off to work. The feeling, not to mention smell of
dried sweat is anything but comfortable, So the skin verdict
shower whenever you feel like it, because your skin won't
know the difference, but when you do may affect your
sleep and confidence as discussed above. Finally, let's consider hair

(03:23):
once again. The morning versus night debate must take into
account specific characteristics of an individual's hair. The people with
fine or oily hair are generally advised to wash up
in the morning, otherwise hair could appear flat, dull, and
possibly greasy. On the other hand, people with thicker hair
can really choose either time depending on the style they seek,

(03:45):
but many do opt to shower at night in order
to skip the heated tools, which can damage hair if
used too often, or their hair may be naturally on
the dry side and doesn't need to be shampooed more
than once a week. And don't forget about your scalp health.
If you wash your hair at night, it's best to
make sure it's totally dry before turning in because the

(04:06):
prolonged moisture can cause microbes to build, potentially resulting in
dan druff or other scalp irritations. So the hair verdict
people with fine hair should shower in the morning. Otherwise,
do whatever suits your schedule and style. A few people,
of course, hedge their bets in shower both in the
morning and the evening. Dermatologist Dr Gary Goldenberg told The

(04:28):
New York Times this was fine as long as the
showers are short and you don't have a skin condition
like eczema or dermatitis. Today's episode is based on the
article morning versus Evening Showers discussed on how stuff works
dot Com, written by Leo Hoyt. Brain Stuff is production

(04:49):
of by Heart Radio in partnership with how stuff Works
dot Com and is produced by Tyler clang Or More
podcasts my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
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