A simple way to improve sleep for the elderly has been identifiedScientists have discovered an accessible method that will help elderly people improve their sleep quality. Researchers have found that regular physical activity, even in small amounts, can s

Hot bath before bed works wonders: Japanese scientists revealed the secret of sound sleep in elderly people. The study showed that those who regularly take a warm bath in the evening enjoy deeper sleep than their peers without this habit. The effect is especially noticeable during the cold season, according to a new study in Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation.

The large-scale experiment involved 2252 residents of Nara city (Japan) with an average age of about 69 years, with women making up 64% of the total number of volunteers. For a week, participants wore actigraphs — special wrist devices that register movements and allow for an accurate assessment of sleep quality. In parallel, they kept diaries of their evening rituals, noting whether they preferred a hot bath, shower, or went without water procedures before going to bed, and also recorded the duration of bathing.

Hot baths are deeply rooted in traditional Japanese culture. Japanese people typically prefer water with a temperature of 40–41 °C, and immerse themselves in it for a period of 10 to 30 minutes.

The results of the study were impressive: hot bath enthusiasts before bedtime suffered from insomnia much less frequently and, according to actigraph readings, slept much more efficiently. Notably, showers did not provide the same favorable results.

Scientists found that the best effect was achieved with moderate water temperature and bathing duration up to 18 minutes. At higher temperatures (above 41.7 °C) or too long a stay in the bath, the positive effect on sleep, on the contrary, decreased.

The study also revealed the ideal interval between bathing and sleep — from one to two hours. During this period, there is a gradual decrease in body temperature, which creates optimal conditions for natural falling asleep.

According to the authors of the work, the beneficial effect is explained by the fact that immersion in hot water promotes muscle relaxation, improves blood circulation, and reduces the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for stress reactions. In addition, a warm bath helps normalize circadian rhythms and facilitates the transition to the sleep phase.

"Our results show that taking a hot bath 60-120 minutes before sleep can improve sleep efficiency and reduce the number of awakenings, especially in the winter period," the scientists concluded.