UK heatwave prompts doctor to reveal why you shouldn’t have cold shower before bed
Rhianna Benson
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
During freak weather events like national heatwaves, it can often feel like the only means of immediate relief is an ice cold shower, especially before bed after a long day in the sun.
Apparently, however, these frosty washes could be doing more harm to your health than good.
For over a week now, Brits have endured soaring temperatures that, in some areas of the country, have reached over 35C.
These abnormal highs also form part of the third British heatwave of the year - following a record-breaking May and a June plagued by 'heat domes' - with new data revealing that extreme weather across the nation has tragically resulted in the deaths of over 2,700 people.
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As a result, weather warnings from the UKHSA have been coming in thick and fast, especially with regard to keeping temperatures cooler through the night following long, warm days.
As we say, however, one doctor is emphasising that the age-old idea of taking a cold shower with the aim of freshening up before climbing into bed actually goes against what is best for the body.
According to Dr Deborah Lee, the 'best advice' nowadays is to show in 'tepid water - 'between 26C and 30C'.
She told Manchester Evening News this week: "If the water is too cold, the skin blood vessels constrict preventing dissipation of heat from the skin and delaying cooling."
When it comes to getting the best possibly night's sleep when temperatures have sky-rocketed above the norm, Dr Lee first recommends sleeping on your side, as opposed to your front or back.
"Sleeping on your side will cool you down more quickly as there is less skin in contact with the mattress and bedding, allowing heat to radiate from the back and the torso," she explained. "Air can circulate more easily around the body."
Dr Lee also advises keeping windows closed during the warmest times of day, no matter how counterintuitive this may seem.
"Keep windows shut when the temperature outside is hotter than inside," she continued. "Open the windows in the early morning and the evenings when the air temperature is coolest."
Fans are great, she went on, but only when placed 'strategically' around the room.
"A fan can help by creating air circulation, which produces a cooling effect on the skin," Dr Lee pointed out. "For extra relief during a heatwave, placing a bowl of ice in front of the fan can help cool the airflow."