This habit replaces night scrolling (and people sleep much better)
Nighttime scrolling has become so mind-numbingly awful that people now stand in the dark under running water instead.
The latest habit making the rounds is the “dark shower,” which is exactly what it sounds like. Lights off, water on, brain hopefully shut down for a minute. And people are actually really into it.
A recent survey by Everynight, which looked at more than 1,000 Americans, found that about 30 percent have tried showering in dim or no light. Among those who do, 62 percent say it helps them sleep better, and some report falling asleep faster and dealing with fewer racing thoughts before bed.
The appeal is pretty obvious. Phones have turned bedtime into a stream of information overload, and most people know they should put the screen down, but don’t. According to the same study, about 1 in 6 people who practice dark showering say it has replaced their nightly scrolling. Eight percent said they have even stopped using melatonin.
That alone explains why this caught on. It’s low-effort, costs nothing, and doesn’t require downloading anything or pretending you’re suddenly a morning person.
There’s also some actual science behind it, which always helps. Hot water raises your core body temperature, and the cooling that happens after you step out signals to your brain that it’s time to sleep. Research has shown that a hot shower taken about an hour or two before bed can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep and improve overall sleep quality.
The key is (semi) darkness while showering
The dark part draws in another advantage. Less light means less interference with melatonin production, which is already completely destroyed by screens, overhead lighting and whatever else people want in their apartments at night.
Put them together and you get a routine that feels almost aggressively simple. Stand in the dark. Stay warm. Cool down. Go to bed. That’s it.
Of course, if your sleep schedule is completely overcooked, this alone probably won’t help. And there are some obvious safety issues, like slipping in the shower because it’s pitch black. The same study noted that some people have already adjusted by adding dimmed lighting or bath mats to avoid a trip to urgent care.
Still, the fact that people trade doomscrolling for something so basic says where our human brains are. After years of apps, supplements, and increasingly elaborate “night routines,” the solution many people landed on was to turn off the lights and stand still for ten minutes.
It’s actually nice. This might be the most sensible thing anyone has suggested in a while.
