The human body is made up of up to 70% water. This is a popular statistic that many people state off the top of their heads. However, there can be variations based on many factors such as the person’s age, health, sex, and weight.

How much water in a human body?

Studies conducted on adults of varying ages and both the sexes revealed that the adult human body constitutes 65% of water on average. Regardless, the statistic does reveal that water is a large part of who we are, and it is very important to keep the body hydrated. Not doing so has many adverse effects.

The benefit of drinking warm water

The human body also expels water naturally through breathing, sweating, and passing urine. For now, let us look at the benefits of drinking warm water before tucking yourself in for a good night’s rest.

1. It aids in weight loss

People battling with their weight would do well to drink a glass of warm water before bed. Water by itself has no weight loss properties. However, water does occupy space in your stomach which can appease your appetite.

This will make you less prone to eating more because the water will be making you feel fuller than you really are. Warm water also activates metabolic activities in the body because the body tries to regulate its temperature in order to make up for the sudden increase in heat. This makes the body burn energy which results in more calories burnt.

2. It will keep you hydrated

The human body is a very efficient biological machine. It does thousands of different activities with ease throughout the day. These activities may not seem all that demanding by themselves, but when all of the activities are taken as one, they do begin to exert a toll on the body. This toll must be paid for by a regular intake of food and water.

The human body can go for 40 days without food; however, the body will begin to break down after not drinking water for two days. Drinking water before bed is a great way to replenish fluids lost throughout the day. You will also wake up feeling healthier because you won’t feel dehydrated.

3. It flushes toxins out of the body

Plenty of toxins make their way into our bodies from the environment as well as the food we eat. Water is a natural cleansing agent and works to flush these toxins out of our systems. The organs that benefit the most from water are the skin and the muscles.

Drinking plenty of water has a noticeable effect on your skin. If you’re suffering from bad skin, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to drink a lot more water.

4. It can reduce stress levels

If you suffer from a lot of stress, it might not be a bad idea to drink a cup of warm water before bed. Warm water improves the central nervous systems functions which can have a positive effect on your mood.

5. It will help with menstrual cramps

All the ladies who suffer from menstrual cramps can drink a cup of warm water as a home remedy. The heat from the water calms and soothes the abdominal muscles which help cure cramps as well as spasms.

You could drink Lemon water before bedtime, these are the nutrition facts:

• Lemons are high in vitamin C, folate, potassium, flavonoids, and compounds which are known as limonins (Limonins are found in lemon juice).

• People with weakened immune systems would do well to drink a cup of lemon water. As already mentioned, vitamin C is found in lemons and is very beneficial in keeping stress levels low.
• Vitamin C improves macular degeneration, reduces inflammation, reduces the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

• The nutrient breakdown of a single glass of water is as follows –
  • Calories: 9.
  • Sugars: Less than 1 gram.
  • Vitamin C: 25% of the RDI.
  • Folate: 1% of the RDI.
  • Potassium: 1% of the RDI.

• Lemon water has powerful antibacterial properties. This helps it ward off infections.

Disadvantages of drinking water at night:

1. It can damage your kidneys

Too much of a good thing is bad for you and water is no exception. Drinking too much water before retiring for bed makes your kidneys work harder to flush the excess water out of your body. Over a period of time, this can lead to the condition of your kidneys deteriorating.

2. It can lead to constipation

Warm water mixes better with contaminants than cold water. Drinking water from taps can be unhygienic if the taps are old.

3. It can injure your internal organs

Keeping in line with the first point, this is only a problem if you drink too much hot water. Drinking a lot of hot water can injure the linings of your internal organs and can even cause minor zits which aren’t a lot of fun.

4. It can affect the volume of the blood

Drinking too much warm water before bed is really dangerous because it can dilute the blood in the blood vessels. Overdoing it should never be an option when it comes to drinking warm water before bed.

5. It will affect the quality of your sleep

Drinking too much warm water before bed can make you feel really warm which will make it hard for you to fall asleep. In addition to this, it can also lead to frequent trips to the bathroom at night to relieve yourself. This will affect your sleep which will result in you waking up feeling cranky and tired.

Does drinking water at night make you gain weight?

Drinking a cup of water before bed doesn’t make you gain weight and can actually help you lose weight. While there is no magical pill, food or drink to help you lose weight, water can help you shed those extra pounds. It does this by making you feel fuller than you really are which will appease your appetite making you less likely to make those trips to the kitchen at midnight.

If you drink warm or cold water before bed, it disrupts the internal temperature of your body, resulting in your body working harder to restore its internal temperature. This makes your body burn more calories as it expands energy attempting to restore its internal temperature.

Conclusion

Drinking a cup of warm water before bed is almost universally recommended by doctors and other people to be good for your health. Barring a few unusual cases, it can only add and not take away from the quality of your life. Experiment by trying it out for a week or two to find out the difference yourself. Water is one of the building blocks of life, and we could all do with a little more of it.