Hot Tub Therapy to Help You Sleep

Once again, science confirms what you probably already know: soaking in a hot tub makes you feel awesome. In this case, the National Sleep Foundation shows that using your hot tub before bedtime is proven to contribute to better sleep and an overall increase in your quality of life.

Hot tubs contribute a great deal to relaxing after a long day, and using a hot tub to relax right before bed especially helps your body wind down and prepare for sleep. Soaking in warm water has been shown to release calming hormones, relax your muscles, balance your body temperature, and overall communicate to your body that it’s bedtime.

Stimulating Hormone Production

Relaxing in a hot tub prompts your body to produce helpful hormones such as dopamine and serotonin, which function as natural antidepressants to soothe you after a long day. These hormones are also known to have mild pain relieving properties, further contributing to relaxing your muscles. This increase in hormone production generally helps you feel calm and good about yourself.

Muscle Relaxation

Hot water has been used as a treatment for sore muscles since ancient times. Both chronic pain and soreness from a long day’s work can be partially treated with a long soak in a hot tub. As you prepare for bed, the natural pain-killing properties of warm water and the hormones it produces will prepare your body to relax overnight.  

Pro Tip: Chocolate can stimulate relaxing hormones too! Try keeping a chocolate bar near your hot tub during your nightly bath.

Regulating Your Body Temperature

Your body’s core temperature naturally reduces every night in preparation for falling asleep. Using a hot tub one to two hours before bed can magnify this natural process. Taking a hot soak increases your natural temperature, and abruptly getting out causes your core temperature to fall more rapidly than it would on its own. This process signals even more strongly to your body that it’s time to sleep.

Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

Of course, using a hot tub doesn’t always guarantee an easy night and won’t cure a sleep disorder. But science shows that taking advantage of this natural sedative can greatly improve your sleep cycle and, consequently, your quality of life during waking hours.

Looking for more ideas for hot tub therapy? Join the conversation and see how other people use their hot tubs to live better.