{"id":29789,"date":"2023-07-21T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-21T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog-staging.saatva-node-stage.tsc-starts-coding.com\/?p=29789"},"modified":"2023-11-02T20:18:58","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T20:18:58","slug":"cold-therapy-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saatva-node-stage.tsc-starts-coding.com\/blog\/cold-therapy-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"I Tried Cold Therapy for 4 Months\u2014Here\u2019s How It Improved My Sleep"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I’ve been willingly submerging myself in sub-40 degree Fahrenheit water two to four times per week for the last four-ish months. And while I originally sought out cold therapy for completely different reasons, I\u2019ve been pleasantly surprised to find that the exposure to the cold has helped me get some of the best sleep of my life<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how, exactly, is plunging into near-freezing water helping me sleep better at night\u2014and wake up feeling more refreshed in the morning? Let\u2019s take a look at everything you need to know about cold therapy: what it is, how it can impact sleep, and how you can (safely!) incorporate cold exposure into your own sleep hygiene routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is cold therapy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cold water therapy (also known as cold therapy or cold exposure) is a practice that involves submerging most of your body in extremely cold water. Which, as it turns out, causes a cascade of effects in the body\u2014many of which have a positive impact on both physical and mental health<\/a> (more on those benefits in a minute).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it\u2019s possible to do cold water therapy on your own, I do mine at a local wellness center. Each session starts off with breathwork<\/a>\u2014and after a few deep inhales and exhales, I get into the cold plunge. The tub is about as long as I am tall (I\u2019m 5\u20196\u201d, for reference), with a wooden exterior and aluminum interior, and the water inside is typically about 37 degrees (there are often chunks of ice in the water when I get in!). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I\u2019m in the tub, I submerge myself up to my neck in the water, leaving my hands and fingers above the water, as your extremities get cold faster than the rest of your body (the wellness center provides booties to cover your toes). Then, I sit and settle into the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what\u2019s it like? When you first get in the cold plunge, your body pretty much screams for you to get out\u2014and your body activates the sympathetic nervous system. Or, in other words, you go into \u201cfight-or-flight\u201d mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs it activates, you get this massive release of adrenaline and cortisol<\/a>\u2014and so your body is ramped up,\u201d says Bryan Call, doctor of chiropractic and owner of Cell Regen<\/a>, a wellness center focused on longevity (and the center where I do my cold plunges). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you can sit through that initial fight-or-flight response (which generally takes about three and a half minutes), \u201cthe sympathetic stimulation and drive become exhausted and your parasympathetic then can begin to take over,\u201d says Call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once your parasympathetic nervous system (aka rest and digest) kicks in, the stress you initially feel getting in the water gives way to a much more centered, meditative experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After I\u2019ve been in the water for a while (generally, my goal is seven to seven and a half minutes), I get out of the cold plunge and immediately get into a sauna (a practice known as cold therapy), where I warm up for about 10 minutes. Then, it\u2019s back in the water for another quick dip (complete with an underwater head dunk!), and voila\u2014that\u2019s a wrap on my session. (Here’s how to biohack your sleep<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the benefits of cold therapy? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There isn\u2019t a ton of research on the benefits of cold water therapy\u2014but there are studies that suggest that cold plunges may help improve immune function,<\/a> lower inflammation<\/a>, and improve recovery<\/a>. And those aren\u2019t the only potential benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you expose yourself to the cold, your body accommodates and adapts,\u201d says Call. \u201cIt increases your body’s ability to regulate temperature\u2026and it trains and strengthens the cardiovascular system.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cold therapy also causes blood vessels to constrict, which prompts the lymphatic system to flush fluid through the body\u2014removing toxins in the process. \u201cIt\u2019s very much a detoxifying process,\u201d says Call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cold exposure may also help with mood and stress\u2014thanks to the neurotransmitters released while you\u2019re submerged in the cold water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou get about a 300 to 500% boost of [norepinephrine]…[which] basically makes cortisol unusable to activate how it normally does for about four to six hours,\u201d says Call. \u201cAnd then you get the release of dopamine, which is our\u2026pleasure reward center in the brain that makes you feel great.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s also a mental benefit that comes with sticking with the cold plunge\u2014despite the extreme discomfort you\u2019ll likely feel when you first get in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour body is screaming out with everything it has for you to escape, and you just say, \u2018Thanks buddy, thanks for sharing. I’m just going to go ahead and stay in here,\u2019\u201d says Call. \u201cYou literally build resiliency\u2026and that mental capacity and knowledge carries with you so far out of just doing a cold plunge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned, more research needs to be done into the effects of cold therapy. But anecdotally, I can say I’ve seen huge benefits, both to my physical and mental health, as a result of my time spent cold plunging. I feel more energetic. My mood is better. I feel stronger and more resilient. And I have less pain and feel better in my body (which, for someone living with rheumatoid arthritis, is a big deal). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is cold therapy good for sleep?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

But, as I mentioned, one of the more unexpected benefits I\u2019ve experienced from cold therapy is I\u2019ve been getting way better sleep. I\u2019ve had an easier time falling asleep, I\u2019ve been sleeping more deeply, and I\u2019ve been waking up feeling more refreshed than I have in a long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While there isn\u2019t a ton of research on how cold immersion impacts sleep, when I spoke to Call, he had the same experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have my Oura Ring<\/a> tracker [data] and I got about a 35% increase of my deep cycle delta wave sleep when I was doing my cold plunges\u2014and about a 25% increase of my REM cycle,\u201d says Call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Anecdotally, I can say I’ve seen huge benefits, both to my physical and mental health, as a result of my time spent cold plunging. I feel more energetic. My mood is better. I feel stronger and more resilient. And I have less pain and feel better in my body (which, for someone living with rheumatoid arthritis, is a big deal). <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Part of the reason why cold plunges may help with sleep has to do with the impact on the nervous system. \u201cYou’re activating and releasing a lot more of those parasympathetic hormones that cause your body to be calm in the moment and relaxed,\u201d explains Call. \u201cIt’s prepping yourself for a much deeper sleep into the night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Just make sure not to do cold plunges too close to bedtime; because you feel energized immediately following your cold therapy, getting in the water too late into the evening might make it harder to initially fall asleep.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to try cold therapy safely <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Interested in giving cold water therapy a try? Here are a few tips to get started\u2014and get started safely:<\/p>\n\n\n\n