'Dark Showering:' Can It Help You Sleep Better?

from Healthline.com

Dark showering is a new sleep trend that involves showering with the lights dimmed or off completely.

Advocates say it can help the mind relax, reduce stress, and make it easier to fall asleep.

Experts suggest the ritual may support melatonin production and temperature regulation.

Dark showering isn’t a cure-all for sleep problems, but it could be a simple addition to a calming nighttime routine alongside evidence-based strategies.

Can dark showing improve sleep quality?

Chelsie Rohrscheib, PhD, a neuroscientist, sleep expert, and head of sleep research at Wesper, told Healthline that dark showing may prepare the brain and body for sleep, which improves sleep onset time and overall sleep quality.

“For the brain to initiate sleep, the body must undergo a slight drop in core body temperature (usually by one degree),” Rohrscheib said.

“Taking a warm shower quickly raises body temperature and then rapidly drops core temperature when you exit the shower. This mimics the natural process that occurs in our body before sleep, making it easier for the brain to transition into sleep,” she continued.

Meanwhile, showering in the dark limits light exposure in the evening, which can help support the body’s natural circadian rhythms and signal that it’s time to wind down.

“Melatonin is a circadian rhythm-regulating hormone created in our brains that signals when it’s time to be awake vs. asleep.

“Its production is regulated by light information entering our eyes, where consistent light exposure suppresses melatonin production and lower light levels increase melatonin production,” Rohrscheib said.