Does a Warm Bath or Footbath Before Bed Help You Sleep?

A warm bath before bed is one of the oldest sleep tips. It has been tested more than most, though the studies are small. Here is what they used and what they found.

Why warmth might help

Your core temperature drops as you fall asleep.¹ Warm water sends blood to the hands and feet, which then shed heat, so the core cools a little faster afterward.² That’s the leading explanation, though the review that proposed it says the exact mechanism still needs work.²

What the studies found

Study	What people did	Result
Review of 17 studies, 2019	Warm shower or bath at 40 to 42.5°C (104 to 108.5°F), 1 to 2 hours before bed, for as little as 10 minutes2	Fell asleep faster, and rated their sleep better2
14 women aged 60 to 73 with insomnia, 1999	Hot bath at 40 to 40.5°C, 1.5 to 2 hours before bed3	More deep sleep early in the night and fewer breaks in sleep3
Review of 18 footbath studies, 950 adults 60+, 2025	Warm footbath before bed4	Better self-rated sleep; best with water no hotter than 40°C, 10 minutes or more, for at least a week4
100 women past menopause, 2020	Feet in warm water 20 minutes, 1 hour before bed, for 6 weeks5	Better sleep scores and milder menopause symptoms than the no-footbath group5
25 adults about 60, 2013	One 20-minute footbath at 40°C, sleep measured in a lab1	No change in measured or self-rated sleep1

The 2013 study tested a single night with sleep measured by machines.¹ Most of the positive footbath results come from people rating their own sleep over a week or more.⁴ The 2025 review called for larger trials that measure sleep both ways.⁴

How to try it

• Timing: about 1 to 2 hours before bed, not right before.²
• Temperature: warm, about 40°C (104°F). Use a bath thermometer if you have one.
• Length: 10 to 20 minutes.²⁴
• Give it a week before you judge it.⁴

If hot flashes or night sweats are part of your nights, see why you sweat so much at night first, since heat can set off a flash. For insomnia that has lasted months, the first-choice treatment is CBT-I: see what insomnia is and how CBT-I works and why you can’t fall asleep.

Try: “I’ve tried a warm bath 90 minutes before bed for two weeks and logged my sleep. It helps a little. Is my trouble falling asleep worth looking into further?”

Did I Do That in My Sleep? calls this kind of experiment Notice It, in Chapter 4, “The Night Map.” Its 14-Night Lights-Out Record takes a minute each morning: when you went to bed, when you got up, how you feel, and the one thing you’re testing, such as a bath. Then you close it, so watching your sleep doesn’t become a job. See the book.