Take a hot water bath regularly to put your mental health problems to rest

Nothing feels better than taking a hot bath after a long day of hard work! There’s something about soaking in warm water that feels like an elixir to unwind the mind and make you feel relaxed. Surely, you can enjoy a hot water bath at home.

Feeling relaxed is not the only benefit of taking a hot water bath! Dr Jyoti Kapoor, senior psychiatrist and founder at Manasthali, told Health Shots all about the benefits of taking a hot water bath.

Know the benefits of a hot water bath

As per a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, hot baths are part of thermotherapy, or passive heating that raises body temperature, benefits the heart, keeps blood sugar levels in check and reduces inflammation. Not just physical benefits, hot baths are a great way to improve mental health as well.

Studies have found that hot water bath improves both physical and emotional aspects of quality of life, with significant improvement in general and mental health and lower scores for stress, tension-anxiety, anger-hostility, and depression-dejection, points out the expert.

Calms the mind

Dr Kapoor highlights that a hot water bath can have a calming effect on your mind. “All of our racing thoughts finally slow down. We could just focus on our senses. It helps to pull us away from mental distractions, which will help you brainstorm new ideas,” she adds.

Reduces stress

Stress is one of the worst outcomes of the hustle and bustle of life! Dr Kapoor says that taking hot baths can help reduce stress and makes your worries go away. “A hot bath can create a great environment for escape and meditation from everyday stressors,” she adds.

Helps deal with anxiety

“Being immersed in water can calm the nervous system, improve our mood, and reduce anxiety and stress levels in the body,” says the expert.

Induces sleep

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that makes it difficult for people to fall asleep or cause them to wake up too early. “Taking a hot water bath should be our bedtime routine to get rid of insomnia. It induces sleep because the minor aches and pains, which usually push your sleep cycle away, get completely soothed,” asserts Dr Kapoor.

Studies have shown that a nightly hot bath (and even a hot foot bath if you’re unable to take a full bath) facilitates earlier sleep onset. Baths aid in sleeping more deeply by facilitating the body’s natural flow into sleep by lowering body temperature.

The best time to take a hot water bath

As per the expert, taking a hot water bath one or two hours before bed helps lower core temperature, which further alerts our body that its bedtime. Taking hot baths regularly before bed will signal your mind and body to take a break and unwind.