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Take a Warm Bath

Time it right and add some relaxing ingredients

By

Staying Sharp

Updated April 06, 2023

Updated April 06, 2023

A smiling woman relaxing in a bubble bath

Klaus Tiedge/Getty Images

Quick Win

Soaking in a warm tub may help you fall asleep faster.

Try This Today

Slip into a warm bath about an hour or two before bed.
The optimum temperature for a pre-bed bath is 104 to 108.5 degrees, research shows. If you’re not sure how warm 104 feels, you can test the water with a food or meat thermometer.
Relax to the max: Try some Epsom salts, naturally scented bubble bath or a few drops of a relaxing essential oil, such as lavender.

Why

Soaking in a warm tub one or two hours before bed helped people fall asleep 10 minutes faster, according to a 2019 review of 13 studies in Sleep Medicine Reviews.

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Legal Disclaimer: Staying Sharp, including all content and features, is offered for informational purposes and to educate users on brain health care and medical issues that may affect their daily lives. Staying Sharp is based on a holistic, lifestyle approach to brain health that encourages users to incorporate into their daily lives activities that are associated with general wellness. Nothing in the service should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Features including the Cognitive Assessment and Lifestyle Check-Ins, Additional Tests, exercises, and challenges assess performance at a particular moment in time on certain discrete cognitive tasks. Staying Sharp games are intended for entertainment and recreational purposes only. Various factors may affect performance, including sleep, tiredness, focus, and other social, environmental, or emotional factors. Performance is not indicative of cognitive health and not predictive of future performance or medical conditions.

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