Many people prefer showering in the morning as way to wake up and face the new day. Others, though, prefer washing that day down the drain before they climb into a nice warm, clean bed for the night.

If you’re wondering whether or not one is better than the other when it comes to your health, Dr. Dianne Augelli of the Center for Sleep Medicine at the New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center says yes – as long as you shower at exactly the right time.

Basically, you need to give yourself a bit of a buffer zone between hopping out of the shower and sliding between the sheets.

“You don’t want to heat yourself up right before bed. Cooling down is a signal that tells us we’re supposed to go to sleep.”

Since body temperature is one of the key factors that dictates circadian rhythm, a hot shower immediately before bed could actually serve to wake you up rather than the opposite.

Experts recommend taking that shower (or bath) about an hour or hour-and-a-half before you want to crawl into bed, which should give you ample time to cool down.

If you do opt for a nighttime shower, research shows you’ll reap benefits like boosting the effects of your creams and moisturizers, clearing up breakouts, and even wrinkle prevention.

There are also benefits to showering in the morning – it’s a mood and energy-booster for sure – so maybe the answer is one of each.

You know, if you can afford the water bill.