When is the Best Time to Drink Water?

There’s a wealth of information available on the amount of water you should drink every day - but do you know when you should be drinking that water? Should you front load your water intake in the morning or spread it out across the day? Should you be drinking a glass of water a few hours before bed, or is that fluid intake of better use elsewhere? Proper hydration is pivotal, and there are peak points during your day where drinking a glass of water could improve your performance.

The Best Times of Day to Have A Glass of Water

When Starting Your Day

After waking, you’ve likely just gone 6 to 9 hours without drinking. That means you’re waking up dehydrated, so it’s ideal to start your day with a glass of water. By hydrating in the morning, you’ll start your day with an improved mood and higher energy levels. You’ll also satisfy your thirst and start on the right track to developing healthy hydration habits.

When You Feel Hungry

Symptoms of dehydration can be mistaken for signals indicating hunger; so before reaching for that snack, drink some water and monitor your state. This can commonly be the cause of hunger felt not long after a meal or persistent, frequent hunger pangs.

When hunger does strike, drinking water 30 minutes before eating can even help with weight loss. A 12-week study found that people who drank approximately one bottle of water 30 minutes before a meal lost almost 3 pounds more than those who didn’t.

Fluid intake that close to a meal can also lend an assist to the digestive system—especially if your meal is high in fiber.

When You Don’t Feel Well

If you’re sick, water can quite literally help wash away what’s troubling you. Fighting through any pain and discomfort to put back a glass of water will not only provide the usual benefits of hydration—it’ll also assist in clearing any toxins from the body that may be dragging you down. It’s important to avoid dehydration in situations where your body is already playing defense. That can be even harder if your ailment includes symptoms that expel lots of water, like vomiting or diarrhea. These are times to drink water.

Headaches are included, too. They can be a common symptom of dehydration, and being dehydrated is a known trigger for the dreaded migraine.

Mid-afternoon

If you’re feeling the midday slump, water can be your siesta in a glass. Just like in the morning, water will help improve mood, visual perception, memory, and any feelings of fatigue. Reaching for a glass of water instead of a coffee or other caffeinated drink can also help improve your sleeping habits—caffeine consumed less than 6 hours before bed can disrupt your sleep routine, which can have a direct impact on how you start the next day.

Be sure to drink some water before hitting the hay, too. Providing some extra hydration before shutdown can help keep problems posed by dehydration at bay.

Before, During and After Exercise

If you plan to exercise, you should also plan to sweat. Replacing those lost liquids requires drinking 6-to-12 ounces of water for every 10-to-15 minutes you’re active—and another 16-to-24 ounces once it’s all over. Keeping your body hydrated during a workout can help the heart from working too hard to move heavy, dehydrated blood around the body.

It can also help electrolytes keep your body running at peak performance. Due to the amount of electrolytes lost through sweat and exertion, you may want to consider an oral rehydration solution like DripDrop ORS to replenish the body’s electrolyte supply and keep you on your game.

During preparations for an especially rigorous physical event, consider utilizing a drinking water daily schedule that increases fluid intake and addresses water needs. That way, your body is hydrated and prepared for what lies ahead—and you aren’t rushing to take in a large amount of water all at once, a mistake that may cause bloating and hamper performance.

How To Drink More Water in a Day

It can be difficult to break habits - but what about adding some new ones? Incorporating better hydration habits in your day is one of the best things you can do for your body.

When possible, keep a reusable water bottle on hand. Many people simply forget to stay hydrated, so having a water bottle with you will serve as a constant reminder to drink water. It won’t be long before you find yourself subconsciously sipping water while at work or relaxing at home. For the fastest source of hydration, carry an electrolyte drink mix, like DripDrop, as well.

It isn’t all about healthy additions—though subtraction isn’t the right word, either. Using water with an electrolyte powder to replace habits like a midday cup of coffee or a soda at any time of the day can not only improve hydration, but overall physical and mental health.

Get the Most Out of Your Daily Hydration With DripDrop and Save 25%

Staying hydrated with a steady intake of water can keep a number of negative effects from influencing your daily life. To get the most out of your fluid intake, however, consider enhancing your water with an oral rehydration solution.

DripDrop contains three times the electrolytes found in a sports drink, so water enhanced with DripDrop is going to provide maximum hydration to your body while helping deliver the electricity conducting minerals—or electrolytes—that help the body reach and operate at its true potential.

The multi-flavor pouch provides a number of pre-selected flavor packets, while a subscription allows you to pick and choose your favorites while saving 25% off.