I’m challenging myself to do this for my health

affect your sleep cycle.

Here’s to forming healthy habits!

Looking to improve your mood and sleep better?

If you’re like me and trying to get better sleep, Daryl Austin says baths can be a helpful tool. Here’s what experts say:

Multiple studies have addressed the benefits of bathing in warm water – pain relief among them. While doctors frequently recommend heat therapy, such as heating pads, to relieve pain, those methods may not penetrate muscles as deeply as the hydrotherapy method of soaking in hot water. And experts say there are a host of other benefits to baths that many people do not realize. 

William Robiner, a professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota’s Medical School, says hot water helps relax the muscles surrounding damaged nerves, disks or vertebrae . “When the body’s temperature is raised, the dilation of blood vessels increases blood to the muscles in those areas,” he says, adding “flowing water in whirlpools and hot tubs can also mimic massage pressure,” providing additional relief. 

Baths have also been proven to relieve stress. Stress levels reduce as hot water increases body temperature, thereby calming the nervous system, releasing endorphins such as dopamine and serotonin (“happy hormones”), and improving circulation, says Veena Graff, an assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. 

To read the full story, click here.

Today’s reads

• Want to donate or volunteer to assist those affected by Hurricane Ida? Here’s how to help
• Awww! Couple reunite and get engaged after more than a year apart during travel bans
• LGBTQ and straight, cisgender dating are vastly different. Or are they?
• Looking for something to watch this week? The 10 best (and five worst) TV spinoffs of all time
• Krispy Kreme is giving away free donuts for those who are vaccinated. Here’s how to get your freebie

Today’s pet

Meet Dixie Belle Stokes.

Dixie’s human says the pup is telling everyone to “mask up ya’ll so we can all be safer!”

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