We love going through lists of tips to start the new year off right. We don’t just write health blogs; we also make strides in our lives to be healthier! We aren’t just looking for tips for you but for ourselves!
We saw a tip about bringing a glass of water to bed to remind you to drink first thing in the morning. Hydration is essential to health; starting your day with a drink is excellent. But we wondered if the advice is healthy. Is leaving water on your bedside table overnight as beneficial as it seems? An uncovered glass of water may actually be something to avoid keeping on your bedside table.
While it’s less of a concern in the winter, a glass of water can attract insects seeking a drink. Even if there are no bugs around, the air in your home has dust and particulates that will settle in your glass overnight, making it less clean. In addition to dust, a glass of water holds germs. As we drink from a glass, bacteria transfer from our mouth to the water. If you take a sip before bed and leave it out in the open air all night, germs will breed.
Uncovered water can be dangerous if it is spilled. Nowadays, we have more electronics than we used to. It used to be that if you knocked over a glass of water fumbling for your alarm, you could only spill it on your lamp and table. Now, you may spill it on electronics you were charging overnight. You may short-circuit your electronics. Or, worse still, you could cause a fire.
Drinking water throughout the night or two hours before bedtime can cause irregular sleeping patterns, as you may have to get up to use the bathroom. Experts recommend drinking a glass of warm water two hours before bed to help detox the body and improve digestion. Warm water aids circulation, breaks down waste and aids sweat production. That can help remove toxins from your body and clean your skin.
Some people on our team bring water to bed for the morning. However, researching this blog has made us rethink the practice. We all have water bottles from hikes, camping and other outdoor activities. Filling up a water bottle that can be sealed is a better option. It stops dust and insects from gathering, and it prevents accidental spills. Having water close at hand for the morning is a great way to start the day. However, we want to be safe and start with a healthy drink with no fire risk!
