Here’s why a foot bath will help you sleep like a baby

A warm foot bath will help you sleep better in the cold winter months.

Sandhya Raghavan | Published: January 4, 2018 1:48 pm

Going to bed on a winter night, under a warm blanket is the stuff dreams are made of. But as comforting as it may seem, many people find it difficult to have a good night’s sleep in the winter months. Sadly, not all of us can hibernate the winter away like the bears do. Many people also experience insomnia due to the health conditions associated with dry winter weather such as a cough and other respiratory problems which can keep them up at night. If you have never experienced the joy of snoozing like a baby during winter months, here’s some good news for you. The trick to getting a good night’s sleep during winters is a warm foot bath. Here’s are some good habits that will help you sleep better.

Science says that a lower core temperature with a higher distal (of hands and feet) temperature before sleep can shorten the time required for you to go from wakefulness to sleep. It can also improve the quality of your sleep, helping you wake up refreshed and energised the next morning. A 2013 study published in the International Journal of Nursing Studies examined the effect of a warm foot bath between 40°C for the duration of 20 minutes. Older adults who were studied all had their core, abdomen and foot temperatures recorded for three consecutive nights. They were screened for adaptation and sleep apnea on the first night. In the second night, some of them were given foot bath on the second night and no foot bath on the third. While some were given no foot bath on the second night and a foot bath on the third.

The results of the study were stunning. A foot bath before sleep increased and retained foot temperatures in good and poor sleepers. The study concluded by saying that a footbath of 40°C for 20 minutes before sleep helps increase your foot temperature. It facilitates blood vessel dilation, elevates core temperature to provide heat load to the body.

How to prepare a foot bath

Step 1: Bring water to a boil. Let it cool for a while.

Step 2: Before you soak your feet in, ensure you have a dry towel nearby. You don’t want to walk all over the place with wet feet searching for a towel.

Step 3: Check whether the water is close to 40°C with a thermometer.

Step 4: Add epsom salts or a few drops of lavender oil in the water. Here are some other uses of epsom salt.

Step 5: Soak your feet for 20 minutes.

Step 6: Dry feet with a towel and discard the water.

Step 7: Hit the bed!

Reference:

Liao, W. C., Wang, L., Kuo, C. P., Lo, C., Chiu, M. J., & Ting, H. (2013). Effect of a warm footbath before bedtime on body temperature and sleep in older adults with good and poor sleep: an experimental crossover trial. International journal of nursing studies, 50(12), 1607-1616.

Image source: Shutterstock

Published: January 4, 2018 1:48 pm

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