At first, my night time shower was all about hygiene: no dust or dirt on my skin, no sweat residue, no skin care products, no fragrance. I just wanted to wash off the day and go to bed feeling fresh. This has been my ritual, night after night, for the past 40 years. But along the way, I realized this nightly shower wasn’t just making me feel clean, it was knocking me out into deep sleep every night.
My family members and close friends know this. They know when they call after my evening shower, the conversation has to be short and straight to the point before I snooze off. Otherwise, they’re going to be speaking into my sleeping ears. I wake up each morning feeling refreshed. And my sleep secret: it’s water. Specifically, a shower every night.
I didn’t plan this. It wasn’t some carefully-researched wellness ritual. It started in the simplest way possible; as part of my beauty and hygiene routine. Over the course of four decades, I guess my brain must have built a connection between water and sleep. That shower became more than a way to rinse off the day, it became my body’s signal that it’s time to power down. It became a dependence; one with benefits. Irrespective of the stress of the day, it guarantees my quality sleep, it’s a cheaper and healthier alternative to sleep medications, there are no chemicals taken into my body, no fancy sleep enhancing apps or gadgets. A shower is available almost everywhere. I don’t carry it along on vacation; it’s waiting for me at my destination. Best of all, a shower is hygienic and refreshing.
On the very rare occasion when I don’t shower before dozing off, say I fall asleep on the couch or I’m just too tired, my quality of sleep is hampered until I eventually get up, no matter how late into the night, take a shower, and then fall back into a peaceful sleep. Even when I find myself in a cold region where my skin is free of sweat, or days when I choose to go product-free, my night time shower ritual must be performed. It’s a standard routine that guarantees my quality night sleep. I know my shower-sleep connection may sound dramatic, but it works for me all the time.
I’ve shared this little ritual with family and friends over the years. Some have built their own version of the shower-sleep routine and are loving the results.
Others say a bedtime shower actually invigorates them and makes it harder for them to fall asleep. That’s okay. Everyone’s body is different. What knocks me out might energize someone else.
But if you’re struggling with sleep and nothing seems to work, rather than resorting to medications and other alternatives, why not try my sleep secret. It’s a healthy option. You have nothing to lose. Just give yourself a few nights of consistent night-time showers and see what happens. It might take some time to train your body into recognizing the pattern, be patient. And even if it doesn’t totally change your sleep, you’ll still go to bed feeling clean and fresh. That alone is worth it.
Good sleep doesn’t always require fancy fixes. Sometimes, just water and a bit of consistency is all it takes.