Why not slip into a warm bath to shed the stress of the day and sleep more deeply? With a little bit of planning, you can enjoy a few minutes in the tub and prepare yourself for a better day tomorrow.
How a soak in the bath before bed can help you sleep
If you are like many people, falling asleep may be challenging. While natural supplements and medications can come in handy, there is a much more natural and simple solution that can help: a soak in the bath before you go to bed! The power of a great bath is undervalued and works wonders for a restless and tense mind and body!
The warmth of the water and just getting away from distractions to reflect, think, and enjoy some alone time can help to ease tension. Making this a nightly ritual can work wonders and provide you with one solution that might be what you need to regulate an unsettled sleep cycle.
What Is The Right Temperature For A Pre-Bedtime Bath?
Your body clock actually depresses your body temperature naturally before sleep, so avoid a bath that's too hot. Raising your core temperature too much can actually delay sleep while your body cools back down.
Be sure to be warm enough to be comfortable, however. You can spend your tub time meditating or focusing in gratitude on the positive aspects of your life. If the water is too cool, it will make you more alert and can, again, delay sleep.
Why use bath salts to help you relax
If you want to make that nice hot bath even more effective, add bath salts! They work wonders. While each type is different, bath salts contain magnesium, the magic mineral. There are so many things to love about magnesium. For one, magnesium works to calm the nerves and muscular system. Magnesium deficiency is common and can lead to increased anxiety and tension. Soaking in bath salts will help to absorb the magnesium through the skin and nourish your system. Bath salts work to ease muscle tension and soreness. Some varieties contain essential oils that also enhance relaxation and relief from stress.
Glossary of Common Bath Salts
Magnesium
Magnesium is one of the most prevalent minerals in the human body. Soaking in a magnesium bath may not increase your internal levels of magnesium, but a warm magnesium bath can reduce achy joints, reduce your stress levels and help reduce inflammatory skin conditions like eczema.
By relaxing your body with hot water and nourishing your skin with the gentle application of magnesium, you can prepare yourself for a calmer night.
Epsom Salt
Epsom salt baths have not been recommended for people recovering from muscle soreness or simply struggling with achy joints. It's important to note that Epsom salt is not actually related to table salt. Instead, Epsom salts are magnesium sulfate.
Be careful where you store Epsom salts; they are not edible! Epsom salt is quite bitter. Many people have used an Epsom salt bath to treat fibromyalgia, insomnia and even constipation. However, as Epsom salts should not be ingested, some of these claims may be merely anecdotal. However, a relaxing bath and the self-care included in this process can certainly help you feel better about troubling health conditions and make it much easier to fall asleep.
Dead Sea Salts
Dead Sea Salts are comprised of the minerals magnesium, potassium, sodium, calcium and sulfates. Enjoying a soak in a Dead Sea Salt bath offers a deep level of hydration to your skin and will help your skin retain moisture in the long term.
Additionally, soaking in a tub of comfortably warm water and Dead Sea Salts is an excellent disinfectant. If you're working to detox your system and help get over an emotional upset or a physical addiction, a Dead Sea Salts bath will greatly boost your healing power.
Our Favorite Bed-time Bath Salts
The following list contains carefully selected bed-time bath salts we love. They are high in quality, many contain essential oils, and all are fabulous for helping you get what you deserve so very much; fulfilling and restful sleep.
Dead Sea Mineral Bath Salt Variety 3 Pack by San Francisco Salt Company
This amazing variety pack of bath salts gives you three options, all of which are made with dead sea salt. Dead sea salt has gained a lot of popularity for good reason. It is fabulous for your skin and your body. It contains 21 minerals that are excellent for detoxing, exfoliating, and nourishing the skin. San Francisco Salt Co. harvests salts from the Dead Sea in Israel, where mineral concentration is very high. Of the three varieties, lavender is best for promoting sleep and relaxation, while eucalyptus helps to draw out toxins and soothe achy muscles. You could even combine them for a blended and blissful effect.
Pursoma - Organic / Raw / Vegan Resurrection Bath + Detoxifying Treatment
Care to indulge in all kinds of skin goodies? Then, you must try this Resurrection Bath + Detoxifying Treatment! Not only does it soften and nourish your skin, it promotes detoxification of heavy metals and radioactive materials. This fabulous bath soak contains sea salt, French green clay, algae, and seaweed. Sea salt destresses and detoxifies the skin and has antiseptic properties. If you’ve never heard of French green clay, it tones, tightens and exfoliates the skin without drying it out. Algae remove heavy metals from the body, protects skin and rejuvenates damaged skin cells, while the seaweed’s abundance of nutrients nourishes your skin.
THENA Organic Joint & Muscle Relief Soak
THENA Organic Joint & Muscle Relief is full of intoxicating and soothing Dead Sea salt and herbs. The Dead Sea salt works to detox the body and peppermint, eucalyptus, and rosemary essential oils help relieve pain, inflammation, swelling, tension, and enhance blood circulation. The rosemary, thyme, and arnica all help to relax the body and ease muscular fatigue and tension. When the muscles are relaxed, you can slip into a deep sleep with more ease and get a great night’s rest. Your body and mind will thank you for the much-needed relief and sleep.
Naturopathica Sweet Birch Magnesium Bath Flakes
Fall in love with the power of magnesium! Scented with sweet birch essential oil, these magnesium bath flakes are a wonderful way to enjoy a bath while the magnesium eases your muscles and relaxes your body. Magnesium also relieves tension, reduces anxiety, prevents headaches, has anti-inflammatory benefits, plays a role in many bodily functions, and it helps you get to sleep. Sweet birch oil is also effective in treating sore and fatigued muscles, along with promoting a relaxing night’s sleep.
SLEEP WELL Magnesium Chloride Flakes
Seven Minerals’ Sleep Well Magnesium Flakes with organic cedarwood and lavender absorb quickly. These bath flakes will put you in a state of sheer bliss as they ease the tension and relax your body, while you are engulfed in hypnotic scents. These magnesium flakes are sourced from ancient Permian waters, free of toxins, chemicals, and preservatives. The Elemental Magnesium Chloride used in these bath flakes are more bioavailable to cells, absorbing more than typical bath salt to enhance potency and effectiveness. The lavender scent will ease you into a restful state and help you sleep through the night and cedarwood will enhance your body’s natural melatonin production.
Calily Life Organic Dead Sea Salt with Eucalyptus
This sensual and soothing combination of Organic Dead Sea Salt with Eucalyptus by Calily Life is amazing! It contains full strength Dead Sea Salt that is harvested and packaged at the source. The Dead Sea Salt is an abundant source of healing minerals that enrich your body and skin. This incredible bath salt promotes relaxation and will soothe your body into a calm peaceful state as you prepare to close in for the evening. Combined with the organic eucalyptus oil, you can also enjoy having your sinuses cleared and muscles soothed, and discomfort alleviated. Sleep troubles will vanish after you pamper your body and mind with this amazing bath salt.
Epsoak Sleep Formula Epsom Salt
This Sleep Formula Epsom Salt by Epsoak is fabulous! Infused with lavender essential oil, it is made with medium grain USP Grade Epsom Salt that dissolves quickly. The stress-relieving magnesium in this salt regulates the nervous system, improves muscle function, and helps with mental clarity. You can also use this to exfoliate your skin, leaving it soft and nourished. This splendid bath salt includes Vitamin E and Aloe Vera, both of which are blessings to your skin. The added lavender will ease you into a state of peace as you soak and inhale the exhilarating and calming aroma. You’ll be all ready to have sweet dreams after you bath in this lovely bath salt.
Ancient Minerals Magnesium Bath Flakes
Made from natural Zechstein magnesium chloride, Ancient Mineral Magnesium Bath Flakes absorb and take effect quickly, providing you with marvelous relief from achy joints and muscles. Harvest from the Ancient Zechstein seabed, it contains the highest quality magnesium with superior bioavailability and effectiveness. It promotes healthy skin, bone, and joint health, improves the nervous system, and promotes good sleep. While these flakes do not contain any added ingredients, they are top-quality magnesium flakes. You can whatever essential oil you prefer for the added effect of aromatherapy, but you’ll get superior quality and ease into a relaxed state after you enjoy the effects of this fabulous soak.
Additional Benefits of a Warm Bath
Bath time is self care time. You're doing more than getting clean; you're successfully soaking away the troubles and cares of the day. By taking the time to focus on you and simply sit in the water, you can center your thoughts on issues from gratitude to goals.Final Thoughts
For many busy people, taking a bath is a celebratory event because it focuses your time on your personal health and relaxation. Invest in bath salts to help you protect your skin, reduce joint pain and banish muscle soreness. You will carry the benefits of this bath into the future, so get this soak on your schedule and enjoy it!