12 Impressive Health Benefits of Soaking in a Hot Bath

By
Dacy Knight
Dacy Knight, a contributing writer for Byrdie poses for a headshot.
Dacy Knight
Dacy was previously an editor at Byrdie and is now a contributor covering skincare. Her work has appeared in Who What Wear, WWD, InStyle and Bustle.
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Updated on 11/29/23 03:04PM
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C. Nicole Swiner, MD
Nicole Swiner
Reviewed by C. Nicole Swiner, MD
Swiner is a Board-Certified Family Doctor, covering a broad spectrum of both medical and mental health issues. She loves taking care of the family as a whole—from the cradle to the grave. Her interests include Minority Health, Women’s Health and Pediatrics. As a wife and mother of two, she uses real-life experiences to clearly communicate keys to better health and wellness for mind, body and spirit. She is the author of How to Avoid the Superwoman Complex.
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Woman relaxing in a bath

Stocksy

When the temperatures drop—or there's even the slightest nip in the air—rest assured, we're scrambling toward the nearest, most cozy heat source. Relaxing in a hot bath is the stuff dreams are made of, and, like most dreamy experiences, that's exactly where they stay. We admire the idea, but rarely find the time to make it a reality. But, it's time for that to change. Consider this the season we're carving out time for self-care and upping our cozy game from the tired hot water bottle to running a full-fledged bath.

As it turns out, what we once considered an indulgent activity is steeped in a bevy of health benefits from soothing sore muscles to reducing stress. So, we reached out to experts to further explore the advantages. Keep scrolling to learn why hot baths may be beneficial to add to your nighttime routine.

Meet the Expert

  • Haley Perlus, PhD, is a certified fitness coach and a peak performance consultant.
  • Dr. Sunitha Posina, MD, is a board-certified physician in internal medicine based in New York
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Creates a Time-Slowing Ritual

Drawing a bath and luxuriating in it seems, on paper, like a huge time-suck. But in reality, there are so many less worthwhile ways we kill time after the workday—from the dreaded social media scroll to browsing shopping sites for things we don’t need. Filling the tub with water while turning on a relaxing playlist, lighting a candle, and prepping some bath oils, immediately gets your brain out of work mode and saves your eyes from unnecessary screen time.

Byrdie Tip

Use the time while the tub is filling up to add another self-care ritual, like applying a face mask or dry brushing.

02 of 12

Soothes Sore Muscles and Joints

According to Dr. Haley Perlus, a peak performance coach with a PhD in sport and exercise psychology, the warm water from a hot bath releases tension from muscles and loosens spasms. “Specifically, a warm bath encourages circulation of blood, which provides the muscles with more nutrients and oxygen,” she explains. “This releases muscle tightness, relieves pain, and improves elasticity of connective tissues.”

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Quiets the Mind

Baths have a wonderful way of pulling you away from mental distractions, allowing for you to fully focus on the senses. Your mind will feel at ease, as if all those racing thoughts can finally slow down in tandem with your body. “A hot bath can create a great environment for escape and mediation from everyday stressors,” says Perlus.

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Reduces Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression

Studies have found that immersion bathing (meaning baths) 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. “Being immersed in water can calm the nervous system, improve your mood, and reduce anxiety and stress levels in the body,” Perlus explains.

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Eases Breathing

Feeling short of breath? Perlus agrees that a bath may help you breathe easier. “Submerging in water past your chest can help with your oxygen intake,” she says. Turns out it's way more than just the zen atmosphere, after all.

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Relieves Cold Symptoms

Between allergies and bouts of the common cold, it feels like we're always at least somewhat congested. A hot bath, aided by essential oils, is a wonderful way to open up the nasal passageways. “Baths also get the blood vessels in your nose and face moving, which can loosen mucus blockage and relieve flu and cold symptoms,” adds Perlus.

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Might Boost Immune System

Studies have indicated that an elevated body temperature helps certain types of immune cells to work better. Though, Sunitha Posina, MD, a board-certified Internist, says more research is needed to see if baths can have long-term benefits for our immune systems. “Preliminary studies have shown that a hot deep sea water may have some ability to increase the CD8 lymphocytes and thus impact the immune cell distribution positively,” explains Dr. Posina. “However, we need more substantial studies to clarify further before we can solidly say that it impacts the immune system directly.”

08 of 12

Improves Skin

If you're worried nightly hot baths could dry out your skin, there are solutions. Adding Epsom salt, oils, or even a combo of the two, can do wonders for softening the skin and eroding dry patches. One study found that when compared to non-oil-containing skin cleansers, bath oil was more effective in improving the skin barrier function for those with mild dry skin.

Byrdie Tip

Be sure to apply lotion immediately after exiting the tub, while the skin is still damp, to hydrate and lock in moisture.

09 of 12

Helps You Fall Asleep

Like Pavlov's dog, a recurring nighttime bath can train your brain to equate the ritual with bedtime. Perlus suggests taking a warm bath an hour or two before bed to help lower your core temperature, which alerts your body that it’s time for bed. “Getting into a consistent routine of taking a hot bath before bed will signal to your mind and body that it's wind down time for sleep,” she explains. “Just as we give our children bedtime routines, we can do the same for ourselves.”

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Enhances Sleep Quality

Beyond just getting the body and mind to unwind for a shut-eye session, nightly baths may improve sleep quality, too. 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,” says Perlus.

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Burns Calories and Lowers Blood Sugar

According to Dr. Posina, a hot bath can even burn a few calories and may help lower your blood sugar. One study found that taking a hot bath reduced peak blood sugar levels and caused energy expenditure to spike significantly. However, you’ll need to commit to more than a quick soak—participants in the study bathed for a full hour in water heated to 104 degrees. Bathing like this isn't for everybody, especially if you have certain health conditions, so if you're interested in dialing up the heat for an extended soak, it would be wise to run it by your doctor for their stamp of approval.

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Soothes Skin Irritation

If you're prone to getting skin irritations, baths may help soothe and calm redness. If you have sensitive skin, it's best to turn the temperature down (lukewarm is advised) and follow the "Soak and Seal" method as suggested by the National Eczema Association, towel-drying lightly and leaving the skin slightly damp before liberally applying moisturizer within three minutes.

Article Sources
Byrdie takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.

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  2. BEACHY SH, REPASKY EA. Toward establishment of temperature thresholds for immunological impact of heat exposure in humans. Int J Hyperthermia. 2011;27(4):344-352.

  3. Tsuchiya Y, Shimizu T, Tazawa T, Nakamura K, Yamamoto M. Effects of hot deep seawater bathing on the immune cell distribution in peripheral blood from healthy young men. Environ Health Prev Med. 2003;8(5):161-165.

  4. Kottner J, Kanti V, Dobos G, et al. The effectiveness of using a bath oil to reduce signs of dry skin: A randomized controlled pragmatic study. Int J Nurs Stud. 2017;65:17-24.

  5. Haghayegh S, Khoshnevis S, Smolensky MH, Diller KR, Castriotta RJ. Before-bedtime passive body heating by warm shower or bath to improve sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2019;46:124-135.

  6. Faulkner SH, Jackson S, Fatania G, Leicht CA. The effect of passive heating on heat shock protein 70 and interleukin-6: A possible treatment tool for metabolic diseases? Temperature. 2017;4(3):292-304.

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