Doctor explains health benefits of cold and warm showers and when they work best

dailyrecord.co.uk:

When we wake up in the morning, it's likely that a nice hot shower sounds far more appealing than a cold one. And while this may be correct, choosing to go for a colder shower first thing in the morning apparently has its health benefits.

That's according to Dr Karan Raj, who also says that there's a specific time of day where warm showers are the best for our bodies - and sadly it's not right when we roll out of bed.

Dr Karan is an NHS surgeon whose tips and frank advice videos have seen him gain an impressive five million followers on TikTok.

One of his latest myth-busting videos was about the health benefits of cold and warm showers, and why you should be having them at different times of the day.According to him, having them at the "correct" time can have a number of health benefits as they have an affect on sleep and alertness.In the video, he explained: "If you're going to sleep and you want a good sleep, having a warm shower before you go to bed paradoxically cools your core body temperature."You need a lower core body temperature before going to sleep - it lowers the sleep threshold."So, if you've been having trouble sleeping, having a warm and relaxing shower right before you settle down for the night could be the key to dropping off without any problems.However, if you struggle waking up in the morning, a warm shower may not be the best thing to make you alert and ready for the day ahead.Dr Karan continued: "Conversely, if you have a cold shower in the morning, that will make you more alert because it will raise your body temperature."Throughout the day, we want a raised body temperature to be more alert so it fits in with our circadian cues."So, as painful as it might sound, letting the shower run cold in the