There’s no better way to immediately enhance your quality of life than improving your sleep. It’s a never-ending quest for most people to get the right number of hours, enough time spent in REM, and waking up feeling refreshed rather than ragged.
A slightly less conventional method has been gaining a lot of traction with those who want to sleep better — ice baths. How effective are they? Learn about the science behind sleep and how ice baths can contribute to a better night’s rest.
The Connection Between Sleep and Body Temperature
The human body cycles through different temperatures based on the time of day. Body temperature rises during the day and falls at night. This falling body temperature prepares you for rest, meaning that anything you can do to lower your body temperature will naturally tell your mind that sleepy time is imminent.
More specifically, the colder body temperature triggers the brain to produce more melatonin. This is the hormone responsible for our sleep-wake cycles, and many even take it as a supplement to help them get more rest.
Ice baths, however, are a natural way to get your body to produce more of what it needs to rest at night. Cold water immersion drastically drops your body’s core temperature in an instant.
Not only that, but your body also works to bring your body temperature back up to a more normal threshold, and the effort it exerts to do this will further enhance those feelings of drowsiness and relaxation.
Sleep and the Nervous System
An active nervous system will either keep you up at night or cause you to get lower-quality sleep. Cold exposure can activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which is often called the “rest and digest” state the body should be in before bed. Ice baths can help with this and make it easier to fall asleep quickly.
Cold water therapy can also lower cortisol levels, a stress hormone your body produces that can keep you awake. This extra cold exposure can also reduce your overall stress and anxiety levels, so you’ll be more apt to get better rest over time, even if you didn’t just come fresh out of an ice bath before bed.
How You Can Use Ice Baths for Better Sleep
If you’re ready to try chill tubs yourself, there are some things you should know so that you can practice cold plunging safely.
Start Slow
The first time you dip in an ice bath, your body will inevitably be shocked by how intense the experience is. Start with shorter durations and gradually increase as you get used to it. Thirty seconds is a good starting point, though going even less, like fifteen or twenty seconds, is perfectly acceptable when you’re new to ice baths.
Timing Matters
When you do your cold plunge will matter if you’re doing it specifically to help you sleep. Aim to use the bath roughly an hour before your bedtime. This will give the body enough time to recover and get into a restful state before you drift off into slumber.
Listen to Your Body
If something feels too intense, painful, or off in any way, honor that feeling and stop using the ice bath until you can determine how to adjust. You should also consult a health professional before beginning a cold plunge regimen, particularly if you have any pre-existing conditions or illnesses.
Combine With Other Practices
Sleep hygiene is much like regular hygiene — washing, exfoliating, moisturizing, and so much more. You wouldn’t only moisturize and never wash your body, just like you wouldn’t only do cold plunges without creating a cozier sleep environment.
Ice baths should be part of a holistic approach to better sleep, not the thing that’s solely responsible for it.
Enhance Your Sleep Experience With Ice Baths
It’s time to discover the benefits of ice baths and more with Fox Valley Pool & Spa. Our expert team can guide you in creating the perfect home spa setup with all the amenities you need to improve your happiness and wellness. Contact us today to learn more about ice baths and take a step toward better sleep and a healthier lifestyle!
