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There are few habits as divisive as the ‘right time’ to shower.
Some do it first thing in the morning to start the day fresh while others swear by a night shower to wash away the day. Both think they’re doing it the correct way. Obviously.
After years of fierce debate between Team Morning or Team Evening, experts have finally delivered a verdict on which is best.
Image: iStock
Prepare to be vindicated... or not.
According to Shelley Carson, psychology lecturer at Harvard University, it largely depends on your mood and personality.
She believes that a morning shower is best if you're going through a stressful time at work of if you're under pressure to be creative as showering puts you in a relaxed but still alert alpha brain wave state (similar to after meditation).
"If you were to come up with a problem that you wanted to solve creatively, and you were working and working on it and couldn’t come up with a solution, then you could put it on the back burner of your mind and allow it to stew there while unconscious processes mull it over," she told Greatist. (Post continues after gallery.)
This thinking is based on something psychologists call 'the incubation period' which describes the time between having a problem and that lightbulb moment.
Make sure you write those "aha" solutions down though when they come to you... or you might find yourself needing a second shower.
There are also a few aesthetic benefits of a morning shower - and it's not just the elimination of bed hair.
"Showering in the morning... can be especially good for those with oily skin, since oil can build up during the night and showers are excellent at clearing the pores,” internist Dr Holly Phillips told Yahoo Health.
If you're clumsier with your razor, an am blast of water will also be beneficial, as our bodies have a boost of clot-forming platelets until 12pm, so if you cut yourself the bleeding should stop faster.
WATCH: Is play dough the key to mindfullness and creativity? We gave it a try. (Post continues after video.)
However if you have trouble switching off at night, an evening shower is the way to go as it reduces stress-related cortisol levels.
This is because a shower can help regulate your body temperature which affects your ability to fall asleep.
"That rapid cooling after you get out of the shower or out of the bath tends to be a natural sleep inducer so it’s a nice way to fool your body into thinking it’s time to go to bed," Christopher Winter, MD at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine told Greatist.
According to dermatologists, night showers also keep skin cleaner by getting rid of the dirt and oil that accumulates on your face and body throughout the day. (Post continues after gallery.)
Obviously, it's up to you what time you shower, but don't be afraid to mix it up depending on your mood and needs. Or you know, do both.
Image: iStock.
