There is nothing so soothing as taking a soak in a tub after a long day at work but did you know that this feeling is actually backed by science? A research from a published journal called, ComplementaryTheories in Medicine, showed that soaking in warm water at least 8 times a week can actually help reduce anxiety better than taking medication?
Aside from this, there are several reasons why you should go ahead and take that much needed bath tonight and these are:
- It can soothe dry, winter skin. Even though oatmeal is considered as the best ingredient to soothe the skin, it is only recently that researchers discovered that the key compound in oatmeal called, avenanthramides, are actually the ones responsible for calming inflamed and itchy skin. To take advantage of this benefit, simply put some whole oats inside a dry sock, tie the end with a rubber band and place in your tub with warm water. Soak for 15 to 20 minutes.
- It helps you breathe easier. If you have been suffering from sinus congestion or have colds, breathing is going to be difficult for you. One way to ease the congestion in your nasal passages is to soak in warm and steamy water. The steam from your bath will help make you breathe easier especially while you sleep so you won’t be bothered by your colds.
- It can boost your brain. Another reason why you should take a bath tonight is that it can help enhance your brain function. Adding essential oils like bergamot to relieve stress and sage to sharpen your memory will make you enjoy your warm soak more than ever. Just make sure that you don’t stay longer than 20 minutes in your bath as this will cause your skin to dry.
- It can calm your nervous system down. Our nervous system sometimes experience inflammation and pain which can trigger anxiety and stress. By taking a warm bath, you will be able to alleviate this problem fairly quickly and safely too. The warm temperature can banish the aches and pains that you may feel and because these symptoms tend to disappear, your mood will certainly get lifted which will enable you to sleep better too.
- It will make you sleep better. When you slip between cool sheets, your body’s temperature tends to go down which causes your melatonin levels to increase. This actually helps you sleep quickly and deeply too. Taking a warm bath before going to bed will help your body cool down as soon as you get to bed which is exactly what you need so you can drift off to sleep with ease.
These are just a few reasons why taking a bath before bedtime is worth trying out. If you are having one of those bad days, this trick will help boost your mood and even get you ready for bed minus all the aches and pains that you may be feeling.
