Science

the proposal of science against solar superstorms

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Our civilization is addicted to electricity and satellites, and this dependence has given us unprecedented technological progress, but it has also left us exposed to a silent and colossal enemy such as the Sun itself. Now, a team of scientists has put on the table a plan worthy of science fiction to protect us from a global blackout that focuses on deploying an immense “airbag” of plasma in Earth’s orbit to cushion the impact of solar storms. The proposal baptized like StormWallis not the script of a Hollywood movie, but has just been published in the prestigious magazine Space Weather. Our problem. To understand why we need a space airbag, we must first understand the threat, because when the Sun experiences coronal mass ejections, spews billions of tons of magnetized plasma into space. If that cloud points towards us, it collides with the Earth’s magnetic field, causing geomagnetic storms. This is where our magnetosphere comes in, which is nothing more than an excellent natural shield, but it has a limit. For example, when we have had extreme solar storms like the famous Carrington event of 1859 or the Quebec blackout of 1989, solar particles can overload power grids, destroy transformers, fry entire satellite constellations, and disrupt global communications. The StormWall project. The physics behind StormWall is based on altering what astrophysicists call magnetic reconnection, which is nothing more than the process by which energy from the solar wind is transferred to the Earth’s magnetic field. The plan proposed by Walsh and Welling consists of placing a fleet of six satellites in orbit geostationary. With all this, when early warning systems detect that a lethal coronal mass ejection is heading towards Earth, for which we have a couple of hours of margin, these satellites would go into action. How would it be done? The maneuver would consist of releasing around 400 tons of ionizable gases directly into space. And the good thing is that the candidate elements for this space dust are lithium, barium, sodium or, in an even cheaper alternative, simply salt water. Upon release, this material would be rapidly ionized by solar radiation, creating a dense cloud of artificial cold plasma as if it were an orbital “airbag.” According to the authors’ computational simulations, this plasma injection would modify the dynamics of magnetic reconnection, reducing the intensity of a severe geomagnetic storm by more than 60%. It would be the difference between a technological extinction event and a simple anecdote with beautiful northern lights. For researchers It is not technical madness and neither is it for the scientific community. Here independent experts who have not participated in the study view the viability of the project favorably. For example, Allison Jaynes, a space physicist at the University of Iowa, and Gurudas Ganguli of the US Naval Research Laboratory, have described the idea as “highly innovative and feasible in the near term.” But also, it is not the first time this has been experimented with. In early 2026, the US Naval Research Laboratory itself carried out experiments injecting barium with sounding rockets into the upper layers of the atmosphere to study radiation cleanup. Images | freepik In Xataka | China has a spaceship of which there are barely any photos. Another unidentified object has just been released into orbit

Science confirms that movement literally ignites your creativity

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Being in front of a screen or a piece of paper and needing ideas to emerge is something that for many people is an urgent need, but the problem here is that sometimes it is completely impossible. But the reality here is that we have a wonderful way of get these ideas to come to mind through a simple walk. Science has studied it. For decades, experts have been looking for a way to unblock our brain in this situation, and here a study published in 2014 had a lot to say, since the researchers demonstrated through four experiments that walking has a positive effect on the creative thinking that is often lacking. However, his greatest contribution was the dissection of what type of creativity benefits from movement. Specifically, they saw a drastic improvement in the divergent thinkingwhich is nothing more than the ability to generate multiple new and original ideas from a stimulus, but a null or even slightly detrimental effect on the convergent thinkingwhich is the ability to arrive at a single correct or logical answer. The best. With all this we come to the conclusion that walking is an extraordinarily powerful tool for brainstorming or starting a project from scratch, but it is not the best strategy if what we need is to solve a complex mathematical equation or find the exact answer to a test. In the real world. This study laid the foundation in a controlled environment where, in fact, part of the experiments showed that the effect persisted when walking on a treadmill in front of a blank wall, ruling out that the visual stimulus in the environment was the only one responsible. But when we leave here, the logical thing we think is that everything can end up changing. And to answer this, a study published in 2024 in American Psychologist took research out of the lab thanks to sensors and real-time evaluations in 157 young adults and analyzed daily steps in an everyday context. Your results confirmed that both acute walking episodes and the regular habit of going for a walk are directly associated with greater performance in verbal creative ideation. That is, the effect was not a laboratory anomaly, but rather translated perfectly to the real world. And it is confirmed again. This same year, a systematic review published in the journal PLOS ONE analyzed 23 independent studies where 1,036 participants were grouped together. Their conclusions indicated that there is a large and statistically significant effect between walking and having better divergent thinking. But there is still no evidence regarding convergent thinking. Images | Emma Simpson In Xataka | Psychology knows that feeling pleasure in the misfortune of others is not a psychopath: it is a very “human” reaction.

Tomorrow the best science fiction series of the moment returns, with a twist in its story that has given it a perfect score

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This July 3 comes to AppleTV the third season of ‘Silo‘. And this marks the halfway point of the series: in December 2024, Apple confirmed the simultaneous renewal of a third and fourth season, and stated that the latter was conceived as the definitive closure of the story. We are halfway through this exciting series, and everything seems to indicate that we are once again facing an event: the third season boasts 100% from critics on Rotten Tomatoesthe best so far. ‘Silo’ is set in a toxic and uninhabitable future in which 10,000 people live locked in a gigantic 144-story underground silo, with no memory of how or why they got there, and firmly believing that going outside means certain death. The series follows Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson), a low-level engineer who, after the suspicious death of the sheriff, begins to unravel the thread of lies that sustain the social order of the underground complex. In this new season, Juliette has become mayor of Silo 18, but with memory gaps about what she has experienced outside, with the community trying to rebuild itself after the rebellion of the previous season and facing a new threat. In parallel, the season opens a second timeline set centuries agocentered on a congressman and a journalist who begin to uncover the conspiracy that would end up leading to the construction of the silos. This half “from the past” largely adapts ‘Shift’, the second book of Hugh Howey’s trilogy on which the series is inspired and which Minotauro has published in Spanish, and is the main novelty of this season compared to the previous two, focused almost exclusively on Juliette’s present. The praise for this new season has not stopped appearing in the last week, and the originality of the time jump stands out above all. The setting, interpretations and, as always on Apple TV+, ambition of the series, make it an absolutely essential event for science fiction lovers. In Xataka | Today one of the most acclaimed Marvel superhero series of all time returns to Disney+

We believed that sleeping with our dog or cat was a comforting and healthy idea. Science shows that it destroys your night’s rest

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More than ten years ago it was carried out a survey of 23,000 pet owners. There were curious data: a quarter of them admitted treating their pet as if they were small children and a little less than 75% admitted keeping photos of them. But perhaps the most striking thing is that half admitted sleeping with their pets. There is no memory of a sociological division of this magnitude since the potato omelet. So we’ve been wondering what science said about sleeping with your dog or cat. Do people really sleep with their pets? The truth is that sleep researchers haven’t paid much attention to the topic. We have a lot of pseudo-theories about ‘dominance’ or ‘doggy soul’ that are very successful on reality television, but the research in the ‘human-animal co-sleeping‘was a relatively forgotten area that in recent years has experienced a boom. As we have spoken on other occasions, sleep is a more cultural phenomenon than it seems and changes a lot between regions and times (Blunden, Thompson and Dawson; Worthman and Melby; Munroe, Munroe and Whiting). In the same way that it was relatively recently that Western societies separated resting places by age (children and adults), it was only relatively recently that spaces between humans and animals were completely separated. In fact, there are many cultures in which these coexistence practices are maintained naturally. And the most solid studies (Albert and Bulcroft; Westgarth et al.; Overgaauw) coincide with the survey in that there is a 50% split in co-sleeping with dogs and cats – which are the most common nocturnal companions (Albert and Bulcroft). And it’s curious because Since 2018 we know that dogs are less annoying than cats. In this sense, it cannot be said that the results of the survey are surprising. Research maintains that humans continue to show a strong attachment to their pets and are often considered important members of the family (Archer). As it says Smiththis is not free: animals are a source of support, affection, comfort, security and stability which can have important health benefits. It is true that the size of the pet has a lot to do with it and if we look in more detail (for example, in dogs) we see that 76.85% of Yorkshire Terriers or 62.96% of Chihuahuas sleep with their owners compared to 18.18% of Saint Bernards or 30.27% of Labradors. Even so, the percentage of Saint Bernards is a very high percentage. In addition to what Eckstein already pointed out, other factors that intervene are the number of children in the family (more likely where there are no children – Albert and Bulcroft) or gender (more likely with women). Some problems of sharing a bed with pets Research suggests there are some potential problems with sharing bedding with animals. Health risks. These include some immune responses, allergies, asthma or hypersensitivity pneumonitis; Bites and scratches can also occur through which infectious diseases associated with domestic animals can be contracted (Plaut, Zimmerman and Goldstein). Those most susceptible to these types of problems are young children, pregnant women and immunocompromised patients (Smith). However, the overall health risks are very low; almost insignificant if the animals receive medical care and maintain proper hygiene. Sleep problems. In general, the main problems related to sleep quality involve companions (kicking, snoring, etc.) and children, but pets also play an important role. Without going any further, a study from the Mayo Clinic found that fifty-three percent of pet owners who slept with their pets had problems resulting from it. Nevertheless, it is difficult to know the real impact of these interruptions because they are very short interruptions that by themselves explain little: however, it seems that Yes, there is a difference between sleeping in the bedroom or in the bed.. This is because interruptions can be related to temperature imbalances between humans and pets; as well as differences in sleep and wake cycles (Campbell and Tobler). If they only sleep in the bedroom, everything becomes easier. Behavior problems in animals. Jagoe and Serpell found that dogs that are allowed to sleep with their owners may experience an increase in aggression and separation-related problems. Effect on interpersonal relationships. Finally, animals can be an important source of conflict and stress in relationships. Coming to generate intimacy problems (Jagoe and Serpell) Should we sleep with our pets? Smith and his research team found that sleeping with pets in the bed had a small impact on sleep quality in the time taken to fall asleep or feeling tired when waking up. However, the authors maintain that the continued practice of co-sleeping with pets indicates benefits of social support, social interaction and personal safetydespite the disadvantages. In general, it seems that science agrees with common sense. Sleeping accompanied by animals can have some problems but always related to previous problems at a health and behavioral level. And, on the other hand, if our pet is healthy, has proper hygiene and a ‘good education’, not only are there no problems, but it can have very positive effects. The evidence has been divided in recent yearsbut remains unanimous in this regard Images | Faith Goble, John Liu, Tony Alter, Jon-Eric Melsæter. Xataka | We have been looking at Noah’s syndrome as a minority and controlled problem for years. we were wrong *An earlier version of this article was published in January 2016

Using umbrellas against the sun is the latest fashion in Spain. Science is clear to what extent it really protects us

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It is increasingly common to see how people walk down the street with an umbrella in their hands to protect themselves from the sun. This habit was something that was very internalized among the Asian tourists that we saw in our cities, but with the thermometers breaking records and the sun beating down on the streets, the umbrella is increasingly popular to prevent the sun’s rays from hitting our skin. The underlying idea. As we say, it may be quite logical to cover ourselves from the sun with an umbrella to prevent ultraviolet radiation from freely affecting our skin, something that can cause serious skin problems. But the real question we should ask ourselves here is: does using an umbrella to protect ourselves from the sun really work? It has been investigated. This is something that has already been measured by specialist dermatologists through from a study published in 2013 in JAMA Dermatology. And the results were quite good, since after analyzing dozens of standard hand umbrellas, it was found that they were capable of blocking between 77% and 99% of ultraviolet radiation. But the problem is that not all umbrellas are the same, since the study revealed that black or very dark umbrellas They are the most effective, consistently blocking more than 90% of ultraviolet rays. This is critical, especially for marketers who are already assigning numerical protection factors to umbrellas. as if they were creams. The invisible enemy. The problem of starting to use an umbrella on our streets to protect ourselves can generate a general doubt: can we go outside without sunscreen? Here the resounding answer from dermatologists is no. The key point that the scientific evidence emphasizes is that shade is a partial protective measure. And the sun not only burns us by projecting its rays directly onto our heads from the sky, but there is also what is known as diffuse and reflected ultraviolet radiation. A common effect. To explain this, we must understand that UV rays bounce off the surfaces around us, such as asphalt, sidewalks, pool water, beach sand, or glass in buildings. All that bounced radiation enters through the sides and under the umbrella, directly impacting our exposed skin. This is the same principle that we apply when we go to the beach, where many people, despite being constantly under an umbrella, come home and have several burns on their skin. This is where we clearly see that ultraviolet radiation also attacks despite being under an umbrella. It’s proven. Here a study published in 2017 tested the beach umbrella against a high SPF sunscreen, and the results showed that the group that relied solely on the shade of the umbrella suffered from sunburn. That is why it is always recommended to apply sunscreen before exposing yourself to ultraviolet radiation in order to avoid burns and the rest of the unwanted effects that the sun has on the skin. In Xataka | Science warns of the dangerous success of anti-suncream hoaxes on TikTok: “Despite being a minority, this content is influential”

Science suggests that we are ignoring ultradian rhythms

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We have been hearing about the circadian rhythmsand we know well that the blue light from screens before sleeping is bad or that the melatonin sends at night to induce sleep. However, there is a second biological clock that is much less talked about, but which dictates exactly why at 11:30 in the morning we feel invincible, but when 1:00 p.m. arrives we cannot keep our eyes open to work. These are the ultradian rhythms. Its foundation. Far from being an invention of productivity gurus, the existence of these rhythms is deeply rooted in our physiology and hormonal secretionespecially during sleep. But the important thing is that understanding them will not give us superpowers, but according to scientific and neurobiological literature, it does explain how the brain “battery” works. What are they? To understand ultradian rhythms, we must travel to the 1950s and focus on Nathaniel Kleitman, the pioneering researcher who discovered REM sleep. At this point, Kleitman and his team realized that we don’t sleep in one uniform stretch, but rather our night is divided into cycles that last between 90 and 120 minutes. During each cycle, we go through several stages, such as light sleep, deep sleep and also REM sleep. Once we reach this we start again, and this is what is known as the ultradian rhythm. It is maintained. Logic could make us think that this cycle remains only in sleep, but here Kleitman postulated the Basic Rest-Activity Cycle (BRAC). With this theory on the table, it was proposed that this same 90-minute clock does not turn off when we wake up, but rather that during the day our brain continues to operate in waves. In this way, we can see that we have peaks of high alertness and concentration of about 90 minutes, followed by valleys of fatigue of about 20 minutes where the body requires a rest to recover. A hormonal issue. Something that is well known is that the secretion of hormones is not done continuously like an open tap, but in pulses or “peaks” that are synchronized with these 90-minute cycles. For example, growth hormone is essential to repair our tissues and its maximum peak is linked to the stages of deep sleep that occur in the first ultradian cycles of the night. This means that, if these first 90-180 minutes of sleep are disturbed, the body will not repair itself in the same way. Respect the ultradian rhythm. Among the tips we can follow to control these cycles is the 90/20 rule at work. And if we assume Kleitman’s BRAC cycle, the optimal window of mindfulness lasts about 90 minutes and then we enter a moment of fatigue where we do not perform in the same way. That is why it may be best to work for 90 minutes and then take a real break away from the work screen, for 15-20 minutes to reset this cycle. But the moment of waking up is also essential, since feeling tired when getting out of bed usually occurs because the alarm went off in the middle of the slow wave sleep phase or deep sleep. That is why calculating the hours of sleep in blocks of 90 minutes increases the probability that we will wake up at the end of these cycles and be able to get up with much more energy. Images | Vitaly Gariev In Xataka | Neither red light makes you sleepy, nor white noise is magic: what science says about the trend of “hacking” the bedroom

We have searched for the formula for the definitive pre-workout breakfast. The answer from science is much simpler

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Everyone who gets up early to go to the gym has wondered on some occasion whether it is better to go to the gym without having any breakfast, just have a coffee to get energy, or prepare a large, very satiating breakfast. In this case, the quick information that we find on the Internet can lead to confusion, since depending on what you look at it will show very different advice, and that is why you have to focus. what the experts point out. The body’s gasoline. If you are going to do a high-intensity workout that is not limited to simply taking a morning walk, logically you have to offer some fuel to the body in the form of carbohydrates. These are the undisputed kings to have quick and efficient energy when, for example, starting to lift a lot of weight on a bench. Here the different guides agree that consuming carbohydrates before exercise helps maintain blood glucose levels and preserves glycogen reserves in the muscles, which are our most immediate fuel. That is, they prevent you from running out of “battery” in the middle of the session and end up giving the dreaded ‘bird’ when training. And this is what the famous ‘pre-workouts’ rely on in the form of quick doses of carbohydrates that are absorbed very quickly. The protein. In addition to fuel, it is also noted that adding a moderate amount of protein in the morning is appropriate. This is based on the need to prevent muscle damage and promote recovery, especially if the routine includes strength training. When to take it. The biggest mistake before training is not always ‘what’ you eat, but ‘when’. Here the evidence establishes an optimal window of 1 to 4 hours before exercise to make a solid intake rich in carbohydrates. However, in the real world, few get up at four in the morning to eat breakfast before hitting the gym at seven in the morning. The strategy. If the time frame is short, the strategy must change drastically, since organizations such as the United States Anti-Doping Agency they point Because there are several digestive enemies in pre-workout: Fiber should be avoided since it slows down gastric emptying and can cause serious intestinal discomfort with great effort. You should avoid fats due to heavy and energetically costly digestion, making foods that are easier to digest ideal before training. Just before starting training, it is not best to take protein, since it will not be digested and will not arrive in time to be useful in training, meaning it should be taken an hour before training or after it. There is no definitive breakfast. If someone offers a series of preparations without distinguishing the audience for which they are intended, the truth is that they are lying. The most important point here is that nutrition should always be individualized for the needs of each person, because breakfast for someone who is going to make a great effort is not the same as breakfast for another person who will limit themselves to taking a brisk walk. The time between breakfast and the start of exercise is also important, since the tighter it is, the more priority must be given to light foods that are absorbed quickly. All this means that it is not easy advice and should not be limited to a generic recipe book. Images | Anastase Maragos In Xataka | Walking does not count as “exercising”: for the 10,000 steps a day to be effective, the x3 rule must be applied

We believed that loneliness was just an emotional problem. Science points out that it is a risk factor for dozens of diseases.

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Loneliness is undoubtedly a scourge that is integrated into our society and that on many occasions goes unnoticed, especially affecting older people who are practically confined to being at home and with little social contact. And although this is something that a priori can remain in the psychological fieldthe reality is that loneliness emerges as a major public health threat as it is related to very serious diseases. A big risk. When we talk about risk factors in the field of medicine, we immediately think about nutrition or lack of exercise that are related to very serious diseases. But loneliness must also be added to this entire list, since numerous studies have found a direct association with cardiovascular, neurological and metabolic pathologies, although unraveling the exact cause continues to be one of the great challenges of current medical literature. The problem. In 2023, the United States Surgeon General public a devastating report pointing out that we were facing an “epidemic of loneliness and isolation.” And it was not a mere poetic metaphor, since the WHO has been warning that social disconnection not only affects us emotionally, but also alters our body to the point of increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, depression, dementia and premature death. A measurable impact. When we talk about disease risk, cardiovascular health is the first to suffer. Here, a scientific statement from the American Heart Association, published in it Journal of the American Heart Associationconcluded bluntly that loneliness and social isolation are independent risk factors for poorer heart and brain health. And the percentages are not anecdotal, since a meta-analysis pointed out that loneliness or social isolation is associated with a 29% increase in the risk of suffering from coronary heart disease and a 32% increase in the risk of stroke. It goes further. A massive analysis led by the Autonomous University of Madrid in 2026, after following more than 400,000 peopleconfirmed a strong association between isolation and multimorbidity, highlighting that physical social isolation is a relevant risk factor even if the person does not subjectively perceive that loneliness. The case of dementia. Among dementias, the most important disease is undoubtedly Alzheimer’s and the data are clear in pointing out that unwanted loneliness is an important risk factor for all dementias. Among the reasons that exist, the Alzheimer Center of Barcelona points out in a recent note as follows: “The relationship between isolation and cognitive decline is supported by research showing how a lack of social interaction impoverishes vocabulary, reduces cognitive flexibility, and accelerates brain decline.” Here the advice given to be less likely to suffer from this disease when you reach a risk age is to participate in group activities, take advantage of technology to maintain contact or create a social routine. In mental health. In addition to the organic section, if we move on to mental illnesses, the fact that there is no adequate social support network also leads to an increase in the probability of illnesses as important as depression or even the schizophrenia. Many causes can influence here, such as genetic factors, but in the end a cluster of situations can generate the final trigger for the disease. The great nuance. The question we must ask ourselves here is the following: do we get sick because of the biological impact of disconnection, or because loneliness is accompanied by other conditions? And here the science suggests that isolated people tend to do less physical activity, have poorer diets and have a greater propensity for smoking or alcoholism. Factors that can trigger a whole battery of serious diseases. Even with these factors in the equation, loneliness demonstrates surprising predictive strength. For example, recent research in patients with diabetes revealed that loneliness was associated with a greater probability of suffering from coronary heart disease, even outweighing several classic risk factors. Images | Anthony Tran In Xataka | Generation Z is both the most connected and the loneliest in history. And there is nothing casual about it

What science says about the bedroom hacking trend

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When there is a problem at bedtimewe try to do anything to get a restful sleep with the goal of being able to perform well throughout the day. Given this situation, on the Internet there are a large number of tricks almost miraculous that they promise us to sleep in a different way, such as the use of red lightswhite noise machines or even pillow sprays. The perspective. All this sounds good, almost like a biological hack within the reach of a purchase click, but the reality is that when we look at the scientific evidence that supports these tricks, we find a much less magical and much more boring reality. Most of these tricks do not induce sleep, and in the best cases the evidence points to a weak correlation at best. The red light. He using this type of light to sleepthe reality is that it is one of the most widespread practices or advice that is normally given in social circles. And the reality is that we are facing a scientific truth that has been misinterpreted until it has become a marketing claim. What we do know is that the blue light emitted by our cool LED lampshades and bulbs It is deeply harmful before sleeping because it stops the secretion of melatonin, the hormone that regulates our circadian clock, in its tracks. Given this, clinical guidelines explain that dim red light has a wavelength that has a much smaller impact on our circadian rhythm. You have a problem. Just because red light doesn’t ‘suppress melatonin’ doesn’t mean it ‘induces sleep’. Here various studies on the circadian response to light exposure conclude that red light does not have a hypnotic effect. That is, turning on a red light in your room is not going to magically make you sleepy, but rather the medically defensible use of red light is like a harm reduction mechanism. What we must stay with is that if we absolutely need to have a light on at night (to read a little or go to the bathroom), the red one is the one that will least destabilize the brain. But to sleep well, it is best not to have any type of light in the room. The white noise. This is the other great pillar that makes up the ideal sleeping environment. The premise here is that a constant sound like that of an untuned television or a waterfall helps relax the brain, but the reality is that we must be quite careful with this. Here is a compelling review published in Sleep Medicine analyzed the evidence behind the use of white noise as a sleep aid and was able to conclude that there is great heterogeneity between studies, so the evidence we have to say that this practice is good for sleep is very weak. In fact, the results ranged from people whose sleep improved slightly to people who slept worse because of the continuous noise. And there is more. A second study pointed to nocturnal auditory stimulation in order to have a better quality of sleep, but the reality is that, although there are small studies with positive results, there is no strong evidence to generally recommend the use of white or pink noise. The only truly defensible use of white noise is not as a “brain relaxant,” but as an acoustic masker. And if, for example, you live next to a road or have noisy neighbors, white noise creates a flat sound barrier that prevents the brain from registering those sudden noise peaks, which are what cause the hated awakenings. But using continuous white noise in an already quiet room not only lacks scientific support, but some specialists warn of possible long-term adverse effects on hearing and sleep architecture. The smells. Regarding pillow sprays, which generally have a lavender or chamomile base, we fully enter the field of aromatherapy. In this case it is logical that a pleasant smell can have a relaxing effect, but there is no clinical evidence that points to it affecting sleep architecture in any way. The best advice. What has been proven is that you should always be in a room with absolute darkness, no noise of any kind, and a cool temperature. Everything else is accessories for which there is still no sufficiently reliable evidence. Images | Pars Sahin In Xataka | We thought that sleeping was only good for rest. It actually helps us build new muscle.

Showering with cold water before sleeping in a heat wave seems like the best idea. Science warns that it is a big mistake

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Heat waves are already with us and in many places in recent days we have seen how they has far exceeded 40 ºC in many parts of our country. But the problem is not only that it is difficult to leave the house, but that sleeping becomes practically impossible for many peoplehaving a very fragmented sleep with different awakenings or even suffering from insomnia due to not being able to fall asleep. A solution. Faced with this great problem, common sense and desperation push us to get under the shower to be able to cool our body as much as possible just before entering bed to at least be a little cooler and try to fall asleep. But the problem here is that showering activates our body and can have a quite different effect than what we are looking for, making it very difficult to fall asleep. The mechanism of sleep. Something that we must keep in mind is that for our brain to understand that it is time to sleep, it needs a very specific physiological signal, which is the drop in the body’s core temperature. But when we take a shower of ice water, we get instant relief on the skin, but we cause our blood vessels to constrict so that our blood does not drop below its precious 36-37 ºC. In other words, the blood vessels They close to protect the internal heat of the body by sending less blood to our skin. The result. Although we get very fresh skin, a few minutes after getting out of the shower, the body experiences a rebound effect, retaining central heat and remaining in a state of alert because for the body there is a threat to which it has had to respond. On the other hand, warm or hot water does just the opposite, since, according to the group of researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, hot water stimulates the thermoregulatory system, causing blood to travel from the inner core of the body to the extremities. This facilitates a massive dissipation of body heat once we leave the bathroom, and that subsequent drop in core temperature is the biological switch that induces sleep. The warm water. Knowing all this, we can conclude that we should not use hot or cold water when showering, but that the middle ground is what we should look for. This is what an exhaustive review published in the journal points out. Sleep Medicine, where it was analyzed thousands of data to reach the conclusion that the optimal water temperature to improve sleep quality is between 40 and 42.5 ºC. But in a context of great heat like the one we are experiencing, experts clarify that the ideal is to look for the point of warm water, since the objective is not to roast ourselves, but to relax the blood vessels to promote heat loss from inside the body. The time. Showering and immediately getting into bed (or getting on top of the sheets) doesn’t work at all, since the body needs time to cool down. This same study we were referring to showed that the optimal time to take this shower is between 1 and 2 hours before going to bed. And best of all, it is something that has been shown to reduce the time it takes to fall asleep. These data are reinforced by a large-scale observational study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, where, after analyzing more than 1,000 adultsresearchers confirmed that bathing between 61 and 180 minutes before going to bed is directly associated with faster falling asleep, thanks to physiological changes that are related to body heat. Images | Slaap In Xataka | An expert clarifies the main mistake of sleeping with air conditioning: “It is totally unnatural and we rest worse”

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