There's nothing better than a hot bath to warm up and unwind on a chilly winter evening - but water bills don’t come cheap, so it’s more important than ever to make sure you’re making the most of your time in the tub.
So how long should we be spending in the bath?
Well, a recent study has uncovered that 22 minutes is the optimum length of time to spend in the bath.
The study conducted by Victorian Plumbing sought to discover ULTIMATE bath time for relaxation, hydration and a good night’s sleep.
There were 20 participants involved in the experiment - half male and half female - who took baths of varying lengths and rated how they felt afterward based on a number of factors.
The study concluded that 22 minutes is the optimum amount of time to spend in the tub - to feel relaxed, hydrated, and sleep well after.
Soaking should stop at 27 minutes if you don’t want to stay feeling hydrated post-bath, according to the study. This supports the advice of some professionals, who suggest that baths should be no longer than 30 minutes.
It was also uncovered that baths impact men and women slightly differently. Women have a better night’s sleep after a longer bath, ideally, 30 minutes long, whereas men sleep better after 19 minutes.
Those who felt more relaxed after the baths had scrolled on their phone during their time in the tub, whereas those who watched TV were found to be the least.
Sorry to burst your bubble bath lovers, but the findings also suggest that people who take more baths are generally more stressed - although they find them more relaxing than shower- on the whole.
“When the nights start getting colder in the UK, we tend to see an increase in Brits looking to buy a bath. And who can blame them? There are a number of benefits of a bath; they’re soothing, and cleansing and studies have even suggested that there are similar benefits to exercise," Brenna Ryan from Victorian Plumbing said about the study's findings.
“To help you get the most out of your bath, we conducted a study which found that the optimum time to spend in the tub is 22 minutes - to leave you feeling relaxed, hydrated and sleep like a baby.”
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