that desired, causing an increase, rather than a decrease, in core body temperature, and disturbed sleep.”
Timing is also important. “The optimal timing of bathing for cooling down of core body temperature in order to improve sleep quality and help with falling asleep faster is approximately one to two hours prior to going to bed,” he said. Taking it outside that window can actually disrupt the natural body temperature cycle, he warned, and not in a good way.
But after analyzing the findings of 17 previous investigations, Haghayegh and his colleagues found that a properly heated bath or shower taken at the right time for as little as 10 minutes can have a positive impact on sleep.
The review was published in the August issue of Sleep Medicine Reviews.
The studies in the review included all sorts of participants, including young, healthy soccer players, middle-aged patients struggling with traumatic
