Is It Bad To Drink Water That’s Been Sitting Overnight—Or Longer?
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Your grandma might force you to drink water that’s been kept overnight in a copper vessel, but is it really safe to gulp water that’s been sitting overnight? That’s the million dollar question we are going to attempt to answer for you today!
Guilty as charged, every single one of us has chugged down a glass of water that’s been sitting on our bedside table for more than 8 to 9 hours. Or even longer, who knows! And it should be perfectly safe right? Because that’s what the night table is there for anyway – to keep your phone, the book you were reading last night, your table lamp, and of course, water.
Moreover, you’ve been doing it for years. And as far back as your memory goes, you can’t recall ever falling sick because of drinking the water you had kept on your nightstand!
So, is there a catch? Yes, indeed.
According to medical experts, when you get up after a long night’s sleep, your body inevitably gets dehydrated, which is why you instinctively reach out for the glass of water kept right by your bed (1), (2). But whether you should drink from that glass or a bottle is kind of debatable.
Water On The Bedside Table – A Regular Germ Fest
This might not sound like news to you (and you probably already know it) but the water that’s been left forgotten in an uncovered glass is far from hygienic. A lot of debris, dust, and even an unfortunate mosquito could drop into your glass of sedentary water, forming a top layer of scum, which is not safe for consumption.
So then closed containers should be safe, right?
No, they’re not! Although you won’t find a dead mosquito’s body floating in your water if you keep it in a bottle, it still won’t be free from germs. When you sip on the bottle or the pitcher, your lips come in direct contact with it. This leaves a generous dose of sweat, skin cells, dust, and even the occasional nasal discharge on the brim of the bottle. So, once you drink from the same bottle or pitcher, you end up gulping down all the contaminants that had laced the concerned vessel.
Moreover, your saliva also contains bacteria, which gets added to the water you’re drinking too and then backwashes when you swallow the water (3).
According to Dr. Mark Leavey, who is a primary care specialist at the Mercy Medical Center in Massachusetts, water that contains your salivary bacteria can be called contaminated. He explains, “If it’s allowed to incubate for hours, that could potentially contaminate the water, and make you ill by reintroducing that bacteria.”
So, what’s his advice? “Once you have put your lips to the bottle, you should consume that bottle in one sitting and then discard it,” he says.
But then, it can be argued since it’s your very own bacteria that you’re going to be drinking, there are really no chances that you’ll fall sick because of it. After all, most of the people all around the world drink water that’s been kept in mugs, bottles, and glasses for hours and never fall sick.
With that being said, it’s better that you don’t share your glass of water or bottle with anyone else as someone else’s bacteria definitely has the potential to harm you. Moreover, if you have a compromised immune system or have undergone chemotherapy, received a transplant, or are an HIV/AIDS patient, you should definitely prevent yourself from being exposed to water that has been contaminated, whether it’s from a tap or a bottle.
Additionally, it’s a misconception that bottled water happens to be squeaky clean and safer for consumption than tap water (4). Each of them has to meet and maintain the same standards of hygiene. Moreover, nearly 25% of the water you get in bottles has been anyway drawn through the main water supply (5). So, now the next question is:
Is Water Left In The Car Safe?
No. Water that has been left under the sun for too long will start heating up, which makes it an ideal bacterial breeding ground. More so if you’ve already taken a sip from it. You can put the bottle below your seat to save it from the heat, but that won’t stop the production of bacteria.
Besides, most plastic bottles possess chemicals such as BPA, which mix with your water when left in the sunlight for some time. BPA can give rise to several health problems, which affect your behavior and brain (7).
Although these days BPA-free bottles are available, you’ll still end up with bacteria irrespective of the material of your selected bottle. In fact, metal bottles are worse as they heat up quickly.
Nonetheless, keeping your hydration levels up to the mark is very important. So, instead of using the water that’s been sitting overnight, just pour yourself a fresh glass every time you get thirsty.
