

Ask HN: Cold Showers and Other Tricks - slindstr

I really love surfing, so recently I decided to start taking cold showers so it wouldn't be a huge shock when I jumped in the water in the winter months.  Wetsuit, or no wetsuit, believe me when I say that it's still a "special" feeling the first time cold water splashes you when you paddle out.<p>Anyways, I happened to take a cold shower one night before going to bed and I had the most amazing night's sleep.  Since then I've been religiously taking a cold shower before bed and it's great.<p>I just wanted to share this trick because I'm sure there's some people out in HN land that have a tough time with sleep.  I was also hoping you could share any tricks like this that you use in your life.<p>Thanks!
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lwhi
The times I've tried this, I've felt quite warm afterwards. It definitely
helps circulation.

Takes a lot of getting used to though - it's quite difficult to concentrate on
getting clean when your body's concentrating on trying to breath :)

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slindstr
I couldn't agree more on both points! Luckily since I'm in Florida, our water
doesn't get _that_ cold, but it gets cold enough to make me yelp every time I
jump in.

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markstansbury
I prefer whiskey and crying.

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lwhi
I prefer self-flagellation.

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lwhi
:)

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oziumjinx
Were you able to fall asleep faster or just had a deeper more refreshing
sleep?

When you woke up, did you feel more rested?

Was it easier to get out of bed?

Just wondering what it was that made it "amazing".

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slindstr
I fall asleep faster and I feel great the next morning (not as groggy). I'm
not sure if I used to have trouble staying asleep, but I know for sure I had a
real tough time falling asleep in the first place. Either way, I feel more
energetic throughout the day now.

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dcaldwell
I just heard Tim Ferris suggest this on his Mixergy interview about his new
book.

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slindstr
Here's link to that interview if anyone's interested:
<http://mixergy.com/timothy-ferriss-four-hour-body-interview/>

I'll have to check out his book to see what else he says about it. Thanks!

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eswat
I haven’t finished the book yet but the chapter where he discusses the effects
of cold temperatures on the body was the most interesting to me, being a
Canadian.

But I’ll skip the cold showers and ice baths. I get my share of shivering by
just walking outside. ;)

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lukeinth
Will try a "special" shower tonight, let you know if it works for me.

