Is Showering In The Dark Worth It?

Summary

Podcast Summary: Kennedy Saves the World – Is Showering In The Dark Worth It?

Host: Kennedy
Guest: Jimmy F.
Date: November 17, 2025

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Overview

This episode of Kennedy Saves the World explores the rituals and science behind achieving better sleep, including popular techniques, personal anecdotes, and cultural quirks. Kennedy and her guest Jim dive into strategies like showering in the dark, the Viking breathing technique, and the impact of modern distractions on sleep. The conversation blends humor, practical advice, and relatable experiences.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sleep Struggles and Rituals

[00:00–01:45]

• Both hosts share their ongoing challenges with getting enough quality sleep.

  • Kennedy admits to anxiety if she doesn't get eight hours:

    "If I know I have to be up in like seven and a half, it gives me anxiety and it makes sleep more difficult." (Kennedy, 00:25)

  • Jim jokes about never sleeping:

    "If it makes you feel any better, I have not slept since 1993, okay?" (Jim, 00:21)

• Both agree that a consistent sleep routine is essential but hard to maintain due to work and social obligations.

  • Jim likens sleep to a baseball season—it’s about the overall average:

    "It's like a baseball team. You're not going to go undefeated, but if you can win 98 out of 162, you're getting good sleep." (Jim, 03:37)

2. Alcohol and Sleep Quality

[01:45–02:33]

• Recent conversations with "Mr. Wonderful" inspire Kennedy to avoid alcohol within three hours of bedtime, as it impacts sleep scores negatively.
  • Kennedy shares:

    "One of the habits... he has cultivated, he does not drink alcohol within three hours of going to bed." (Kennedy, 01:56)

  • She mentions sleep trackers and the anxiety they can provoke:

    "One of the new psychological diagnoses is people who are obsessed with their sleep trackers on their watch..." (Kennedy, 02:00)

3. Nighttime Tech & Obsession With Metrics

[02:33–03:18]

• The discussion points to the sometimes misleading information from sleep trackers.
  • Jim reflects:

    "There were probably times where you got better sleep than your watch made you think you did. Or worse." (Jim, 03:09)

  • Both note the value of trusting your own feeling over data.

4. Sleep Techniques and Social Media Trends

[03:44–05:07]

• Kennedy describes trying the "Viking breathing technique" seen on Instagram, designed to engage the parasympathetic nervous system and help fall back asleep.
  • Details of technique: Breathing in for 2 counts, hold 1, out for 8, repeat for 2 minutes.
  • Advice she received:

    "Dina... said, do not look at your watch, because then you're conditioning your brain to wake up at the same time." (Kennedy, 04:26)

  • She feels these hacks can reset the body—but with mixed success.

5. Showering in the Dark

[05:07–05:37]

• Kennedy experiments with a new sleep hack: taking a warm shower in complete darkness before bed.

  • "You go into a dark bathroom and you take a shower, and then you go into a dark bedroom and get in bed... It's supposed to tell your body to shut everything down. And I slept through the night when I did that." (Kennedy, 05:07)

• Jim admits he’s never tried it, but recognizes how darkness helps with hotel naps.

  • "I'll knock out those blinds and all of that... But you can't do the lights completely because you don't want the escort to knock on the door and think you're not there." (Jim, 05:37)

6. Screen Time, TV, and Modern Distractions

[06:00–06:46]

• The hosts discuss how screens and television can ruin sleep quality, advocating for timers and minimizing light.
  • Jim:

    "Looking at your phone before bed... zonks you out nuts. ...You need a timer on your tv." (Jim, 06:04)

  • Kennedy:

    "There's a part of your brain that's still following along with whatever's on tv..." (Kennedy, 06:39)

7. Sleep and Health (Weight, Mind, Youth)

[07:05–07:43]

• Sleep’s importance for weight loss, brain health, and growth (especially in teenagers) is emphasized.
  • Jim:

    "You'll burn more fat, build more muscle mass if you get more sleep... it's absolutely better for your brain just the same." (Jim, 07:07)

  • Kennedy lets her daughters sleep in and believes teen sleep is 'sacred':

    "I let my girls sleep in on the weekends... Their brains are growing. They need to unwind... there was something sacred about teenagers and sleep." (Kennedy, 07:21)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On sleep tracking obsession:

  "One of the new psychological diagnoses is people who are obsessed with their sleep trackers on their watch."
  (Kennedy, 02:00)

• On alcohol and sleep:

  "He does not drink alcohol within three hours of going to bed."
  (Kennedy, 01:56)

• On good sleep routines:

  "It's like a baseball team... if you can win 98 out of 162, you're getting good sleep."
  (Jim, 03:37)

• On sleep techniques:

  "I tried this Viking thing where you breathe in for two counts, hold it for one, and then you breathe out for eight counts like you're fogging up a window..."
  (Kennedy, 04:39)

• On showering in the dark:

  "And it's supposed to activate the warm water. And the ritual of showering combined with darkness is supposed to tell your body to shut everything down."
  (Kennedy, 05:19)

• On teenagers and sleep:

  "I let my girls sleep in on the weekends... There was something sacred about teenagers and sleep."
  (Kennedy, 07:21)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–01:45: Sleep struggles & rituals
• 01:45–02:33: Effects of alcohol, sleep trackers & new habits
• 03:44–05:07: Viking breathing technique, sleep advice hacks
• 05:07–05:37: Showering in the dark experiment results
• 06:04–06:46: TV and screens impact on sleep
• 07:05–07:43: Sleep's connection to health, parenting and routines

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Conclusion

Kennedy and Jim deliver a funny, candid exploration of modern sleep woes, fads, and proven strategies—from odd breathing techniques to the benefits of a dark shower. Despite cultural pressures and technological distractions, they agree on the essentials: consistent routines, limiting alcohol intake before bed, and prioritizing rest—especially for developing teens. The episode blends practical wisdom with tongue-in-cheek commentary and bits of irreverent humor, making healthy sleep seem both attainable and worth pursuing.

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Transcript

[A]

Foreign. Hello and welcome to this episode of Kennedy Saves the World. It's Monday, which means I didn't get a lot of sleep this weekend, Jim.

[B]

No, you did not. No, no, you did not.

[A]

What the hell?

[B]

If it makes you feel any better, I have not slept since 1993, okay?

[A]

So I need sleep. I love getting at least eight hours of sleep a night. If I get less than eight hours before I go to bed, if I know I have to be up in like seven and a half, it gives me anxiety and it makes sleep more difficult.

[B]

Yeah. And, and people who know you say you need to get indoor sleep too. It's not just, it's not just the eight hours, it's there. There comes a point where getting woken up by those sprinklers on the park bends is. That's part of the reason you got to make it quality sleep.

[A]

I thought we were supposed to like cold shower. So that's why, you know, that's how I rationalize it.

[B]

I'm so glad you brought this up because this is a real problem for so many people. For all the things people talk about in politics today on a Monday, the sleep thing is such a driving force behind everything you do. And I didn't know that. Like when I was a cab driver, someone actually had said that to me, like, if you're trying to lose weight, your metabolism operates at a higher level when you're sleeping. Your brain is sharper if you get more sleep. So there's so many benefits we all neglect. And I think a lot of it has to do with a routine.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, and I think that is the issue. I know some of your routine. I mean, I mean it like we share a very similar Sunday, Sunday routine, which is you cheat death up until a certain point in the day. That's entirely predicated on what time your first Monday. Societal obligations.

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

So if I had America's newsroom this morning at 9:30, that means I probably stopped drinking yesterday around 5.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Okay. But on the days I don't have it at 9:30, I, I might start drinking at 5. You know, it might only make its way till 9. But in that four hour concentration, you're handing yourself a tremendous bill for the next morning.

[A]

Yeah. So I was talking to Mr. Wonderful about this and he said it's one of the habits that he has cultivated. He does not drink alcohol within three hours of going to bed. Because that's one of the things I've noticed is. And I talked to a sleep expert and she said One of the new psychological diagnoses is people who are obsessed with their sleep trackers on their watch. And I was like. Because I was like, I'm only getting deep sleep in the first part of the night. And she's like, slow down. Like, don't be so chained to that. But I do see a correlation between drinking alcohol. Too late, I'll get a horrible sleep score. It sucks.

[B]

Yeah. Again, though. But it's back to the sleep score, and I think the score. This is another thing I want to know about this, because I don't keep track.

[A]

No. You wear a Movado.

[B]

No, stop it.

[A]

But, no, seriously, you don't wear, like, an aura ring or. I have a garment.

[B]

I actually, it's funny, I won this in a San Francisco poker game in, like, 1999. It's a great story for another time. I don't know that it could legally be told, but it's mine and it's with me. And anyway, okay, that thing matters. Like, I. I would argue there were probably times where you got better sleep than your watch made you think you did. Or worse.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Because sometimes, yeah, you got that eight hours because it tracked you to where you were. But was it a restful eight hours? Because have you ever woken up? I think it's a Jim Gaffigan bit. He's like, you ever get too much sleep?

[A]

Oh, yes.

[B]

It's like, you wake up. Absolutely. Oh, my God.

[A]

You feel hung over.

[B]

Yeah, exactly.

[A]

From sleep.

[B]

So I think, honestly, if I was offering a solution to this, because this was a constant topic in my life when I was a cab driver. It's just that you need to have this really consistent routine because your aggregate sleep game will be good.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It's like a baseball team. You know what I mean? You're not going to go undefeated, but if you can win 98 out of 162, you're getting good sleep.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

That's something.

[A]

So I. Of course, in my Instagram algorithm, there's a lot of sleep stuff. So I saw this thing called. It was like the Viking breathing technique. And so. And they're like, it is guaranteed to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, and your vagus nerve will fill up with blood and allow you to fall asleep quickly. So I tried it a couple times, because I will wake up at three in the morning, and Dina, downstairs in makeup said, do not look at your watch, because then you're conditioning your brain to wake up at the same time. She said, do not look at your watch. If you wake up in the middle of the night. And so I tried this Viking thing where you breathe in for two counts, hold it for one, and then you breathe out for eight counts like you're fogging up a window, like. And then you go. I return. I don't know why you say that, but that's apparently part of it. And you do that for two minutes. And it's supposed to reset your brain for. Fill the vagus nerve up with blood and set you at ease so you can go back to sleep. And the Vikings apparently used to do this. Don't go anywhere more. Kennedy Saves the world right after this.

[B]

The Minnesota Vikings. Oh, oh.

[A]

Cause I was gonna say the purple people eaters.

[B]

Okay. Who've never won a Super Bowl. You shouldn't be taking advice from them. But it is. Okay. You mean the Vikings. Vikings.

[A]

Jim Kelly sleep technique.

[B]

I love that.

[A]

Also ringless.

[B]

I love that.

[A]

So there's that. And then the thing came out last week about dark showering, and so I tried that as well. And it's weird because you. You go into a dark bathroom and you take a shower, and then you go into a dark bedroom and get in bed and go to sleep. And it's supposed to activate the warm water. And the ritual of showering combined with darkness is supposed to tell your body to shut everything down. And I slept through the night when I did that.

[B]

Is that true?

[A]

I didn't even need the Viking breathing technique when I did that.

[B]

That's amazing. I've never tried that one. The dark everything thing. I'll do that in a hotel if I'm doing, like. If I'm taking a power nap before show, I'll knock out those blinds and all of that. But you can't do the lights completely because you don't want the escort to knock on the door and think you're not there. It's like, you know, this guy drove a long way, I was gonna say.

[A]

Then you have to turn him away.

[B]

Hey, Ronaldo. No, I'm kidding. But hold on a second. I felt like I owed you a joke.

[A]

It was Steve.

[B]

Steve. But what's so funny about all of this? Because I've. I. I spent a lot of time on this, which sounds. I know, sounds crazy. There are things happening in the modern era that didn't used to happen. Okay? Like, the screen. Just the screen, period. Like, looking at your phone before bed. They say it's really bad because it, like, zonks you out nuts. A very simple thing that people need to do a better job of is, like, the tv. You need a timer on your tv. Do you know how many people, me being one of them, would fall asleep in front of a tv? And you now have, like, more active sleep that's not actually restful.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And then you wake up and pee and shut that off. Yeah.

[A]

Because there's a part of your brain that's still following along with whatever's on tv, whether it's a game or a movie.

[B]

It's crazy that it took us too long to realize it, but Bill Cosby was just trying to help those women.

[A]

He was a sleep expert, your honor.

[B]

He was a Viking technique follower. People don't know the Cosby.

[A]

She wanted to help people relax. That's all. He's a friend, man.

[B]

Not good. But you gotta sleep better.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

This was a constant. If you're trying to lose weight, I tell Lincoln this all the time. Like, you're trying to get in shape. You will burn more fat, build more muscle mass if you get more sleep, which sounds crazy because you're not doing anything, but everything moves at a better rate. And it's absolutely better for your brain just the same.

[A]

Yeah. And I, I, I let my girls sleep in on the weekends, and people, like, they're still asleep and it's noon. I'm like, good for them. Their brains are growing. They need to unwind. I know you're supposed to keep the same routine on the weekends, but I think there was something sacred about teenagers and sleep.

[B]

Amen. I agree. And that's. Lincoln has that superpower. When we hung out last time we spent the weekend together. I think he slept till like, 1.

[A]

God bless.

[B]

And he got up, ate lunch, and took a nap.

[A]

Oh, and then he got Meat Fest.

[B]

Yeah, we did.

[A]

Oh, what a. What a life. What a country.

[B]

America.

[A]

Yes. And now we can focus on the right things.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

That is drinking the appropriate amount of booze at the right time of day on a Sunday and then getting great sleep the rest of the week.

[B]

Amen.

[A]

Here to help you. You'll miss us when we're gone. Will you ever this Asman Kennedy saves the world along with Jimmy F. I'm Kennedy. Listen ad free With a Fox News podcast plus subscription on Apple Podcasts and Amazon prime, members can listen to this show ad free on the Amazon music app. Oh, go ahead and leave me a review while you're there. I'd love to hear what you have to say. You've been listening to Kennedy saves the world on the Fox News podcast network.

[B]

It's will taint country. Watch it live. At noon Eastern Monday through Thursday at foxnews. Com or on the Fox News YouTube channel. And don't miss the show. Listen and follow the podcast five days a week at foxnewspodcasts. Com or wherever you download your favorite podcasts.