When drinking water, adding one ingredient can help flush toxins from your body and make you look 10 years younger.
One night, Xiao Jiu suddenly felt thirsty before bed. She went to the living room, poured half a glass of water, and was about to drink it when her family stopped her. They explained, "Drinking water before bed will make your face puffy when you wake up." Half-believing it, Xiao Jiu put down the glass and went back to bed. But unable to resist the thirst, she secretly got up again, drank the water, and fell asleep with a little worry.
Upon waking, her face wasn't swollen at all—just the usual routine: messy hair, bleary eyes, and sleep lines etched across her face. It seems we might have misunderstood water's role.
Truth: Drinking water before bed doesn't necessarily cause swelling.
In fact, facial puffiness isn't solely water's fault.If you drink water before bed and wake up with a puffy face or other body parts, it's likely due to two main reasons:
1. Individual constitution
Everyone's body is different. Drinking the same glass of water before bed will naturally have varying effects—some people experience nothing, while others become severely puffy. Here's a less common term worth knowing: water retention constitution.
Edema-prone constitution refers to a general term for a body type susceptible to water retention. If you wake up fine in the morning but by afternoon your calves—especially your ankles—start swelling and thickening, resembling "pig's trotters," and the swelling "springs back" when pressed, you likely have an edema-prone constitution.
Edema occurs when excess bodily fluids cannot be properly metabolized, leading to fluid retention that surfaces through the skin. This manifests primarily as swelling in the head, face, limbs, abdomen, and back, with severe cases presenting as generalized edema.
The causes of this constitutional edema can be categorized into three types. One is constitutional edema resulting from a lack of daily exercise or irregular lifestyle habits. Another is pathological edema stemming from kidney, urinary system, or heart diseases, endocrine disorders, or nutritional deficiencies. Additionally, a small percentage of women experience edema triggered by menstruation, which typically subsides after their period ends.
For constitutional edema, improvement can be achieved through dietary adjustments (e.g., consuming foods that promote diuresis and strengthen the spleen), exercise (e.g., performing leg-lifting exercises), and lifestyle modifications (e.g., going to bed early and ensuring quality sleep). Pathological edema, however, requires medical diagnosis and treatment before implementing targeted remedies.
However, whether you have constitutional or pathological edema, if you are prone to water retention, avoid excessive water intake before bedtime. Drink less than the average person, otherwise the excess fluid may cause visible swelling in certain body areas.Anyone who guzzles plain water before bed to quench thirst is prone to edema. So how can you drink water without causing swelling? It's actually simple: just drink the right amount at the right time. A. Control your water intake During sleep, your body's metabolism slows slightly but continues to function. Therefore, you need to replenish some water to maintain normal metabolic processes.Otherwise, you may wake up dehydrated the next day. However, this doesn't mean more water is better—typically 100–200 milliliters is sufficient.
Drinking too much can cause swelling the next day, even if you're not prone to it. It also leads to frequent nighttime bathroom trips, which disrupts sleep quality and leaves you groggy during the day.In cold weather like we've had recently, many people resist leaving their warm beds and choose to hold it in, which can lead to other health issues. B. Timing Your Hydration Unconsciously, Xiao Jiu developed the habit of drinking water right before bed. However, based on personal experience, this isn't recommended. Often, you'll feel the urge to urinate before falling asleep.To ensure a full night's rest, you'll inevitably have to get up to use the bathroom before settling back down.
The best approach is to drink 100-200 milliliters of water about half an hour before bed. This allows your body to absorb the water efficiently, avoiding water retention while still hydrating you. By morning, your mouth and throat won't feel excessively dry.
For your health and sleep quality, avoid guzzling water before bed. If you're thirsty but worried about frequent nighttime trips, sip about 100 milliliters of water every half hour or hour. This gives your body time to adjust.
The Importance of a Glass of Water at Night
Many people know the importance of a glass of warm water in the morning, but few realize that drinking water at night is equally vital.
For those with cardiovascular conditions, drinking water half an hour to an hour before bed can thin blood viscosity, reducing the risk of sudden events like myocardial infarction, angina, or cerebral thrombosis.
For diabetics, maintaining adequate hydration aids in blood sugar control.
For individuals with urinary tract infections, increased water intake promotes urination, helping flush bacteria from the urinary tract.
In summary, drinking water before bed does not necessarily cause edema. As long as you are not prone to water retention and adhere to the correct amount and method of hydration, slowly drinking a cup of warm water before sleep is beneficial to your health.