Niamh Shackleton
There's a new trend that's becoming popular online, and that's 'dark showering'.
You've likely heard of people having a relaxing candle-lit bath, and now people are doing the same with showers.
There's long been a debate over whether it's best to shower in the morning or at night — and may have argued that bathing at night is better.
One person who is an evening shower advocate is Doctor Aragona Giuseppe, who is GP and medical advisor at Prescription Doctor.
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Speaking to Glamour UK, the healthcare professional said: "The main benefit of night-time showers, however, is that during the day, your body and your hair can collect airborne allergens and irritants, dirt and grime, especially in the summer months from pollen, chemicals and sweat."
He added: "So if you go to bed without showering, these will then transfer to your bed and sheets and may not only promote dirty bedding and night time allergies but could also cause itchy, irritated and dry skin as well as facial skin issues such as acne due to dirty sheets and pillow cases from day time oil and dirt."
With this in mind, something called 'dark showering' is surging in popularity, and it's exactly what it says on the tin.
Nidhi Pandya, a NAMA-certified advanced ayurvedic practitioner and bestselling author of Your Body Already Knows, explained to Real Simple: "Unlike [an early] morning shower, which is typically bright, energizing, and focused on cleansing and awakening the body, a dark shower is a ritual for the nervous system.
"By dimming or turning off the lights, you create a sensory cocoon that signals the body to unwind."
And what comes hand-in-hand with unwinding? De-stressing.
"Showering in the dark lowers visual stimulation, which can help the nervous system calm down," Stefanie Mazer, Psy.D, a psychologist based in Palm Beach, Florida, said.
"Some people find it eases racing thoughts after a long or tense day, and it may calm the nervous system."
The relaxed feeling you get after a 'dark shower' can then help you get to sleep easier, according to Dr Allie Hare, a sleep medicine consultant at Royal Brompton Hospital.
Dr Hare told The Independent: "In terms of sleep, studies have shown that taking a warm shower or bath before bed can help improve sleep quality and reduce time taken to fall asleep.
"This is likely to relate to the effect of the warm shower on reducing core body temperature, a key signal for sleep onset."
Hare continued: "Taking a shower under dim light conditions may also help to signal to the body that it is time for sleep because dim light is a signal for the release of one of the key hormones for sleep, melatonin."
If you really want to optimize your 'dark shower', Dr Hare suggested listening to 'gentle music' while bathing as it can 'help calm the mind'.
Obviously, don't have a shower in the pitch black though, folks. It's advised you have at least a candle on or some dim lights so you can actually see where you're going.