Does a Hot Tub Make You Feel Tired?

Hot tubs have many health benefits and, if used carefully, few health risks but you might be wondering about how spending time in a hot tub actually makes you feel. Often we start to feel tired when we are very warm as there is a direct correlation between being warm and cozy and sleeping. But does a hot tub make you feel tired in the same way or does it energize you?

I decided to do some research into the question and this is what I found out:

So, does a hot tub make you feel tired? Soaking in a hot tub can make you feel tired and many people use an evening hot tub session to help set them up for a good quality night’s sleep. At a different time of day a hot tub can simply just be very relaxing or, if used in combination with some aromatherapy oils and a refreshing shower afterward it can be very invigorating.

Why Do I Feel Tired After a Hot Tub?

Feeling tired and sleepy after a hot tub session can be a really good thing. If it’s during the day, and you have the time, it can be very beneficial to have a nap after a hot tub session and you will probably wake up feeling fresh and energized. Having said that though a lot of people love hot-tubbing in the evening as it’s the perfect way to relax and unwind ready for bed. It will make you tired and sleepy at the end of the day and can be a great way to start off on the path to a great night’s sleep.

But what is it that has this effect on us when we get in the hot tub?

Relaxation – The most obvious reason that a hot tub makes you sleep is that being surrounded by warm water in relaxing. As your muscles warm up they will relax and unwind and feel more supple and looser. You will also find that any annoying aches and pains melt away and most hot tubs have an array of jets arranged to massage particular stress points on the body. Most hot tubs will have jets for massaging the back of the neck and the lower back for example.

As you are in water up to your neck as well your body is supported by the water and your natural buoyancy will relieve pressure on joints and muscles as well. Your joints will decompress and moving around supported by the water becomes much easier and relaxing.

The heat from the hot tub helps to release endorphins which are our feel-good hormones. As you soak you will start to feel happier, less troubled by the stresses of the day and your mind will also start to decompress as well!

The whole relaxation process will also probably be helped by the fact that you may well be disconnected from your phone, email and notifications whilst you are in the hot tub. Being released from screen time gives your brain a chance to recover and the fact that you are possibly outdoors in a relatively quiet garden is naturally peace-inducing and relaxing.

All this relaxation is a primary cue to the body that it’s time to sleep. Unless we are absolutely exhausted we rarely fall asleep straight away and we need a period of relaxation first. Time spent in the hot tub is the perfect primer for fantastic sleep!

Regulating your temperature – A hot tub also has a direct influence upon the thermoregulation of your body. As the day progresses your body temperature does fluctuate a little depending upon external influences such as the weather and the amount of physical exercise you undertake. However, the general trend is for the body temperature to gradually increase up until early evening. After this point it drops relatively quickly giving your brain a clear signal that it is time for sleep.

This may explain why we sometimes feel colder in the evenings and it encourages to snuggle up nice and warm and cozy ready for bed! If you get into a hot tub then you artificially mimic this thermoregulatory process. As you sit in the hot tub your body temperature gradually rises followed by a relatively rapid fall in temperature as you get out. The colder air hits you and the water evaporating from your skin all help to cool your temperature quickly and your brain can interpret this as a sign to start going into sleep mode.

Faster Blood flow and circulation – Due to the heat in a hot tub your body has to work quite hard to keep your core temperature down to a safe level.As you get hotter your blood vessels near the surface of your skin dilate which can decrease your blood pressure. To compensate for this your heart has to pump harder and your circulation increases.

There is also a well-known study that claims that being in a hot bath or hot tub for an hour or so burns up as many calories as going for a 30-minute walk. Your system is working so hard to keep you cool that it burns the same as walking! Not bad and therefore no surprise that you can feel tired after being the hot tub. You will have burned calories and had a mini work out all whilst just sitting there and relaxing!

Dehydration – Because your body is subject to heat whilst in the hot tub it does its best to keep cool and regulate your core temperature. We just saw how your blood circulates more strongly to help with this but another way that your body tries to keep cool is through sweating.

Sweating works by utilizing the cooling effects of water evaporating on the skin but in a hot tub this simply doesn’t work. Most of your body is submerged anyway and, rather than realize this and give up often the body will just sweat more and more in an attempt to keep cool.

This means that it becomes extremely easy to become dehydrated in a hot tub and one of the symptoms of dehydration is lethargy and fatigue. One of the main problems is that you simply do not realize how much you are sweating and so don’t think to drink. Often when you start to feel unwell through dehydration it’s too late.

The best plan is to make sure that you are well hydrated before getting into your hot tub and then to drink regularly throughout your hot tub session. If you want to keep tabs on how much you are drinking then a water bottle is a good way to regulate your intake rather than just drinking glasses of water and forgetting how much you have had.

How not to feel tired after a hot tub

So, we have looked at why a hot tub makes you feel tired and sleepy. So far I have sort of assumed that you want to feel tired and sleepy after your hot tub session and that you will either head to bed for a nap of just wallow in the soporific relaxation post hot tub!

However what happens if you don’t want this? Maybe you want the relaxation of the hot tub for a while but then want to be energized and get on with your day?

Well, there are two things to do.

Hot tub aromatherapy – The first is to use energizing aromatherapy oils in your hot tub. These will probably not make you feel less relaxed and sleepy after your hot tub session but they will give you a bit of a mental zing whilst in the hot tub! Just make sure that you use hot tub specific oils and as other oils can be damaging to the hot tub’s inner workings.

Keep your session short – The longer you are in the hot tub for the more relaxed and sleepy you are going to feel. Try to keep your sessions relatively short and, if you feel a crashing wave of tiredness coming on then get out! It can be helpful to have a timer or a clock nearby and maybe only go in for 10 – 15 mins max.

Keep well hydrated – Becoming dehydrated in a hot tub makes you feel fatigued as well as giving you a headache and other unpleasant symptoms. Try to get into the hot tub well hydrated and sip plain liquid whilst you are in the hot tub and when you get out.

Choose your time of day – If at all possible work with your body and don’t use the hot tub in the evening if you aren’t prepared to feel sleepy afterwards. The morning can be the best time to have an energizing hot tub session which brings me to the next section.

The James Bond Shower – Ok, now to the ultimate way to use your hot tub to feel great and to energize you. Preferably in the morning go for a run, cycle, brisk walk, go to the gym or whatever your favorite exercise is. After exercise make sure to rehydrate and then go far a quick warm shower to wash the sweat off followed by a short hot tub session of 10 – 15 minutes. When you get out of the hot tub get in the shower again and gradually turn the temperature down until you stand in a cold shower for as long as you can bear it.

Yes, it’s mildly unpleasant, character building and slightly mad, but, I can fairly much guarantee that you will feel amazingly refreshed and energized after it!