Salt water does not cleanse your stomach, although salt water does cleanse your colon as the salt water acts as a laxative by inducing urgent bowel movements.
When you drink salt water, especially a large amount of specific salt and water mixture, it creates a hypertonic solution, which means the salt concentration is higher than that in your body's cells.
And through osmosis, it draws a significant amount of water into your intestines, which softens your stool and stimulates rapid and forceful bowel movements and essentially flushes out your colon.
Drinking salt water before bed, often with unrefined salt before bed is also said to improve sleep quality, by balancing the electrolytes in the body and also by enhancing hydration and reducing nighttime urination or nocturia.
Drinking salt water before bed is also said to calm your nervous system, and support adrenal function, helping your body retain fluids better overnight instead of flushing them out, which leads to deeper rest.
When you drink salt water before bed, it's a way of replenishing sodium in the body, which is crucial for fluid balance, and minerals like magnesium, which promote relaxation.
But timing the drinking of the salt water, right before bed or 90 minutes before bed, will help minimize any bathroom trips during the night.
Sodium helps the body hold onto water, which prevents dehydration, which can also disrupt sleep and cause dry mouth and or headaches.
And if you drink plain water without enough salt, your body may excrete the water quickly and cause you to need to use the toilet during the night.
And salt helps the cells in your body absorb and retain water, which keeps fluids balanced.
The minerals in quality salt, like magnesium, also can help calm the nervous system and reduce stress and promote relaxation for better sleep.
And adequate sodium intake helps adrenal glands function properly, especially when managing stress.
To drink salt water before bed, use quality salt, like unrefined sea salt or Himalayan pink salt, and not refined table salt, for more minerals.
Drink a small glass of around 12 ounce to 16 ounce of water with a pinch of salt, around 90 minutes before sleep.
And listen to your body, start with drinking small amounts of salt water before bed and see how you feel, moderation is key as too much salt can have negative effects on your health.
Some people believe that drinking salt water before bed aids liver and kidney function and detoxes the body and salt water is also used in some practices for bowel cleansing and gargling or drinking salt water can also help with allergies and congestion.