Health experts warn hot showers cause tiredness

Starting your day with a hot shower could be making you more tired, health experts have warned.

A recent post on health and wellness website, Self, claims stepping out of a steamy shower into cool air causes a sudden drop in body temperature, which sends the body into a state of drowsiness and relaxation. 

While this sounds ideal just before jumping into bed, it is less desirable in the morning when you have a full day ahead of you.

To avoid this involuntary sleepiness, experts advise ending showers with a 30-second burst of cold water, then hot, and finally cold again right before you get out.

The sudden change between cold and hot opens the capillaries beneath the skin, increasing circulation which makes you feel more alert.

If dousing yourself in freezing water doesn’t sound like the most appealing way to start the day, there’s plenty of alternatives that will leave you feeling just as awake.

A morning run, workout or yoga session will get blood flowing to all the right places, leaving you energised for the day ahead.

But showering in cold water can cure a lot more than tiredness.

Swimming and bathing in cold water has long been linked to a slew of health benefits including a stronger immune system, higher tolerance for stress and an accelerated metabolism, meaning you burn fat faster.

Studies have shown cold water also has antidepressant effects.

Cold showers has been compared to a form of electroshock therapy for people with depression.

The water sends electrical impulses to the brain, causing increased alertness, energy and clarity.

The stimulation also causes a release of endorphins which lead to feelings of wellbeing and contentment.