The Best Times of Day to Drink Water for Optimal Hydration

Drinking water is a key aspect of staying hydrated—it helps regulate your body temperature, keeps your digestive system running smoothly, and even improves brain function. Despite claims on social media, there’s no “right” time of day to drink water—it’s best to find the times that work best for you.

You may choose to drink extra water before bedtime, which can help with overnight hydration and improve your blood circulation while you sleep. It’s possible that drinking water first thing in the morning could also help rehydrate you after sleeping, but there isn’t sufficient scientific evidence to show this.

There’s no difference between drinking a lot of water at night or in the morning. It is important to drink water to replenish the time you’re sleeping and not hydrating, but either time can work.

If you choose morning, drinking water on an empty stomach also isn’t a concern. Because water can help digestion, you may find that drinking water in the morning helps your body get moving for the day, but it’s not necessarily better than drinking water with a meal.

A common piece of advice is to make sure you’re hydrating during all meals. If you have somewhat regular meals throughout the day, this might be a helpful way to remember to drink enough water.

There is also some limited evidence to show that drinking water prior to eating can make you feel full and cause you to eat less food, which is suggested to help with weight loss or weight management; however, this is not consistently supported by evidence, and it’s important to talk with your healthcare provider before starting any diet or weight loss plan.

There is a myth that drinking water while eating can harm your digestion, but this is also not well supported by research. In general, drinking enough water helps prevent constipation, so avoiding water at meals is not necessarily likely to help your digestion.

Because exercise can be dehydrating, it’s especially critical to hydrate before, during, and after physical activity. This is particularly important for kids and when it’s hot outside.

If you’re participating in strenuous activity, it might be beneficial to supplement with sports drinks or other electrolytes, as sodium can help you rebalance while sweating a lot. However, because sports drinks can be sugary, try to balance them with plain water.