How Long Should You Sauna For Stress Reduction Benefits?

Saunas are an extremely promising tool for stress reduction. Many people will ask how much time they should spend inside a sauna to reduce stress. In this blog post, I´ll cover the answer to that question from different perspectives.

Saunas For Sleep Quality And Stress Relief Benefits

A recent 2019 study explored what effects people would get from regular sauna visits. The study participants had to complete a 71-item questionnaire about their experiences using an infrared sauna.

The main reasons the study participants visited the saunas were relaxation (stress relief), decreasing pain, and to socialise with other people (1). More than 80% of people also experienced sleep quality benefits after a sauna visit.

As sleep quality is extremely closely linked to mental well-being, this benefit for sleep quality is very welcome (2; 3; 4; 5). Even if you don´t have mental well-being issues, sleep deprivation puts you at much greater risk for depression and anxiety.

People who visited a sauna between 5 and 15 times per month also had slightly better mental health scores. Overall, saunas were exceptionally well tolerated. Very slight side effects only occurred in rare cases and were never dangerous. Dizziness, headaches, and dehydration were some of the most common side effects.

So, for most people, saunas are an auspicious tool to feel better overall. I´ll explore that dynamic in more detail in the rest of this blog post. Suffice it to say that if you want the maximum mental well-being benefits, it's safe to say that 3-4 sauna sessions per week are best. Ensure you stay at least 20 minutes inside an infrared sauna for the best results.

Also, if you´re interested in deep dives on related topics, I recommend exploring earlier blog posts I wrote on these topics, such as:

• How Infrared Saunas Can Reduce Stress
• How Infrared Saunas Helped Overcome My Anxiety
• Why An Infrared Sauna Anxiety Symptom Management Habit Makes Sense
• Can An Infrared Sauna Help You Sleep Better?
• The Infrared Sauna Depression Benefits You Might Not Know About
• The Power Of Solitude In An Infrared Sauna
• Infrared Sauna Use As A Treatment For Depression

I´ve also written a very extensive overview page on all the infrared sauna health benefits if you´re interested in that. In that blog you´ll read about other topics such as infrared saunas and joint health, heart and blood vessel health, and diabetes support, among others.

Next up, let´s explore the effects infrared saunas can have on a health condition that affects many people nowadays - depression:

Inflammation, Whole-Body Hyperthermia, And How Long To Use An Infrared Sauna To Counter Depression

Studies published in the last few years have found a powerful link between using an infrared sauna and depression in a few cases (6; 7). A very specific ¨whole body hyperthermia¨ protocol is used in these studies.
Let me explain what that protocol means:

Typically, using an infrared sauna increases what is called your ¨core body temperature¨by significantly. But, eventually, you´re getting too hot and will have to exit the sauna for a while. With whole-body hyperthermia, a unique setup is used. The head - the weakest link if your goal is to get your core body temperature up big time - is cooled during the infrared sauna session.

The core of your body and extremities are then heated to nearly maximum tolerance. These whole-body hyperthermia sessions are really intense. In the scientific studies I just quoted, the Sauna Dome of Clearlight® Saunas is used. That Dome is a portable sauna model whereby the heater panels are located very close to the body, leading to maximal core body temperature increases.

The results?
Whole-body hyperthermia using the Clearlight® Saunas Dome leads to an extremely fast-acting effect on depression in many cases. Often, a single whole-body hyperthermia session is sufficient for some people to no longer be considered ¨clinically depressed¨

The problem, however, is that you cannot complete this protocol by yourself as the temperature increases are quite extreme. So I only recommend whole-body hyperthermia under medical supervision.

For depression, the studies used an average of 80 minutes to achieve a sufficient core body temperature increase for an antidepressant effect. The time spent in the sauna ranged from 60 to 110 minutes (almost two hours) for different study participants.

And overall, although many participants with clinical depression saw rapid results, these results also lasted over time. Even after more extended follow-up periods by the researchers, the depression did not return in many cases.

But why does whole-body hyperthermia have such a significant effect on depression? There's strong evidence that depression is interlinked with excessive inflammation in many cases (8; 9; 10). Whole-body hyperthermia brings that inflammation down big time, which then has a strong effect on depression. 

Evidence exists that in some people with depression that inflammatory response in the immune system has gone haywire (11: 12: 13; 14; 15). Talk to your physician if you want more information on this topic.
Next up, let´s explore what saunas do for your stress hormone levels:

How Long Should You Sauna To Lower Stress Hormone Levels And Feel Better?

Spending merely 15 minutes inside a sauna can lower your stress hormone levels (16). For that goal, a traditional sauna at 95 degrees Celsius was used (203 Fahrenheit).

However, the case can be made that infrared saunas offer a far superior result for lowering stress. Several reasons can be given for that conclusion:

• Far infrared saunas are far gentler than regular saunas at they have a maximum temperature of 55 degrees Celsius (131 Fahrenheit). The sauna won’t feel extremely hot and the air will be relaxing for your airways instead of burning them.
• The different types of infrared light penetrate your body. That light thereby affects cellular function through many different mechanisms. In plain English, different types of far and near infrared act like a type of nutrient in your cells.
• To many people, spending time in an infrared sauna feels exceptionally relaxing.

Depending on the study you refer to, infrared saunas activate the ¨rest and digest¨ part of the nervous system (17; 18; 19). That ¨rest and digest¨ part is called the ¨parasympathetic nervous system¨.

That parasympathetic nervous system can be opposed to the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system is often called the ¨fight, flight, or freeze¨ nervous system - and active during stress.

And, while in the short-term, the sympathetic nervous system is activated during a sauna session, after the session is over, the parasympathetic becomes more predominant than before. Researchers can measure the increased activation of the parasympathetic nervous system by the ¨Heart Rate Variability¨(HRV=. That HRV is how much the interval between your heartbeats differs between beats - a higher HRV signifies deeper relaxation in the nervous system.

Overall breathing capacity (FEV₁) also increases over time with sauna sessions. Higher FEV₁ is also a sign of greater parasympathetic activation. Overall, these results are extremely promising for stress reduction in society.

For the best stress-reduction results, you’ll have to use a sauna at least thrice weekly for six weeks. The duration of the sessions was 30 minutes in total (with breaks). 

It´s essential to emphasise that a sauna habit creates far superior results than a few sessions here or there. So instead of focusing on quick results, ensuring you’re creating a long-term sauna habit where you use a sauna three to four times a week will pay off big time in the long run.

Hopefully, you now understand that frequent sauna sessions help you deal with chronic stress and even clinical depression in some cases. Next, let´s explore how stress and anxiety affect health and why this topic is so problematic today.

How Chronic Stress And Anxiety Affect Health

An extreme amount of recent science explores the many problems of chronic stress and chronic anxiety on health in modern society (20; 21; 22; 23; 24; 25; 26; 27). Stress and/or anxiety, when they are persistent, affect almost any process in the human body. 

Cellular health goes down, organs deteriorate quicker than usual, and your overall risk of many other diseases, such as heart and blood vessel problems, cancers, depression and burnout, goes up.

Commonly, humans used to be hunter-gatherers that would only be exposed to stress on a temporary basis. An unexpected meeting with predators would be an example of such temporary stress. But because the human brain can imagine poor outcomes and ruminate about them, the chronic stress and anxiety that are so pervasive in society are a new phenomenon from an evolutionary perspective. Our human brain was only meant to release stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol during a temporary danger, and not 24/7 when we imagine a vital presentation we might have to give three weeks from now.

Chronic stress and chronic anxiety can even change structures of the brain. The prefrontal cortex - which can be conceived as the CEO of your brain that ought to be mostly in control - can lose some of its required activations. Other areas, such as the hippocampus that’s involved in memory, can even become smaller. And emotional areas, such as the ¨amygdala¨ - which is like an alarm bell in your brain - can become more frequently activated and grow in size even.

And in developing nations, up to 35% of people experience an anxiety disorder at some time in their lives. Up to 70% of people with chronic diseases, moreover, currently also experience chronic stress.

So, the relaxing effects that infrared saunas can have by lowering your stress hormone levels long-term and activating your rest and digest nervous system are extremely helpful. Stress management has become more critical than ever in this quickly-moving society.

Let´s explore another part of this dynamic:

Saunas For Sleep Quality And Stress Relief Benefits

A recent 2019 study explored what effects people would get from regular sauna visits. The study participants had to complete a 71-item questionnaire about their experiences using an infrared sauna.

The main reasons the study participants visited the saunas were relaxation (stress relief), decreasing pain, and to socialise with other people (1). More than 80% of people also experienced sleep quality benefits after a sauna visit.

As sleep quality is extremely closely linked to mental well-being, this benefit for sleep quality is very welcome (2; 3; 4; 5). Even if you don´t have mental well-being issues, sleep deprivation puts you at much greater risk for depression and anxiety.

People who visited a sauna between 5 and 15 times per month also had slightly better mental health scores. Overall, saunas were exceptionally well tolerated. Very slight side effects only occurred in rare cases and were never dangerous. Dizziness, headaches, and dehydration were some of the most common side effects.

So, for most people, saunas are an auspicious tool to feel better overall. I´ll explore that dynamic in more detail in the rest of this blog post. Suffice it to say that if you want the maximum mental well-being benefits, it's safe to say that 3-4 sauna sessions per week are best. Ensure you stay at least 20 minutes inside an infrared sauna for the best results.

Also, if you´re interested in deep dives on related topics, I recommend exploring earlier blog posts I wrote on these topics, such as:

• How Infrared Saunas Can Reduce Stress
• How Infrared Saunas Helped Overcome My Anxiety
• Why An Infrared Sauna Anxiety Symptom Management Habit Makes Sense
• Can An Infrared Sauna Help You Sleep Better?
• The Infrared Sauna Depression Benefits You Might Not Know About
• The Power Of Solitude In An Infrared Sauna
• Infrared Sauna Use As A Treatment For Depression

I´ve also written a very extensive overview page on all the infrared sauna health benefits if you´re interested in that. In that blog you´ll read about other topics such as infrared saunas and joint health, heart and blood vessel health, and diabetes support, among others.

Next up, let´s explore the effects infrared saunas can have on a health condition that affects many people nowadays - depression:

Inflammation, Whole-Body Hyperthermia, And How Long To Use An Infrared Sauna To Counter Depression

Studies published in the last few years have found a powerful link between using an infrared sauna and depression in a few cases (6; 7). A very specific ¨whole body hyperthermia¨ protocol is used in these studies.
Let me explain what that protocol means:

Typically, using an infrared sauna increases what is called your ¨core body temperature¨by significantly. But, eventually, you´re getting too hot and will have to exit the sauna for a while. With whole-body hyperthermia, a unique setup is used. The head - the weakest link if your goal is to get your core body temperature up big time - is cooled during the infrared sauna session.

The core of your body and extremities are then heated to nearly maximum tolerance. These whole-body hyperthermia sessions are really intense. In the scientific studies I just quoted, the Sauna Dome of Clearlight® Saunas is used. That Dome is a portable sauna model whereby the heater panels are located very close to the body, leading to maximal core body temperature increases.

The results?
Whole-body hyperthermia using the Clearlight® Saunas Dome leads to an extremely fast-acting effect on depression in many cases. Often, a single whole-body hyperthermia session is sufficient for some people to no longer be considered ¨clinically depressed¨

The problem, however, is that you cannot complete this protocol by yourself as the temperature increases are quite extreme. So I only recommend whole-body hyperthermia under medical supervision.

For depression, the studies used an average of 80 minutes to achieve a sufficient core body temperature increase for an antidepressant effect. The time spent in the sauna ranged from 60 to 110 minutes (almost two hours) for different study participants.

And overall, although many participants with clinical depression saw rapid results, these results also lasted over time. Even after more extended follow-up periods by the researchers, the depression did not return in many cases.

But why does whole-body hyperthermia have such a significant effect on depression? There's strong evidence that depression is interlinked with excessive inflammation in many cases (8; 9; 10). Whole-body hyperthermia brings that inflammation down big time, which then has a strong effect on depression. 

Evidence exists that in some people with depression that inflammatory response in the immune system has gone haywire (11: 12: 13; 14; 15). Talk to your physician if you want more information on this topic.
Next up, let´s explore what saunas do for your stress hormone levels:

How Long Should You Sauna To Lower Stress Hormone Levels And Feel Better?

Spending merely 15 minutes inside a sauna can lower your stress hormone levels (16). For that goal, a traditional sauna at 95 degrees Celsius was used (203 Fahrenheit).

However, the case can be made that infrared saunas offer a far superior result for lowering stress. Several reasons can be given for that conclusion:

• Far infrared saunas are far gentler than regular saunas at they have a maximum temperature of 55 degrees Celsius (131 Fahrenheit). The sauna won’t feel extremely hot and the air will be relaxing for your airways instead of burning them.
• The different types of infrared light penetrate your body. That light thereby affects cellular function through many different mechanisms. In plain English, different types of far and near infrared act like a type of nutrient in your cells.
• To many people, spending time in an infrared sauna feels exceptionally relaxing.

Depending on the study you refer to, infrared saunas activate the ¨rest and digest¨ part of the nervous system (17; 18; 19). That ¨rest and digest¨ part is called the ¨parasympathetic nervous system¨.

That parasympathetic nervous system can be opposed to the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system is often called the ¨fight, flight, or freeze¨ nervous system - and active during stress.

And, while in the short-term, the sympathetic nervous system is activated during a sauna session, after the session is over, the parasympathetic becomes more predominant than before. Researchers can measure the increased activation of the parasympathetic nervous system by the ¨Heart Rate Variability¨(HRV=. That HRV is how much the interval between your heartbeats differs between beats - a higher HRV signifies deeper relaxation in the nervous system.

Overall breathing capacity (FEV₁) also increases over time with sauna sessions. Higher FEV₁ is also a sign of greater parasympathetic activation. Overall, these results are extremely promising for stress reduction in society.

For the best stress-reduction results, you’ll have to use a sauna at least thrice weekly for six weeks. The duration of the sessions was 30 minutes in total (with breaks). 

It´s essential to emphasise that a sauna habit creates far superior results than a few sessions here or there. So instead of focusing on quick results, ensuring you’re creating a long-term sauna habit where you use a sauna three to four times a week will pay off big time in the long run.

Hopefully, you now understand that frequent sauna sessions help you deal with chronic stress and even clinical depression in some cases. Next, let´s explore how stress and anxiety affect health and why this topic is so problematic today.

How Chronic Stress And Anxiety Affect Health

An extreme amount of recent science explores the many problems of chronic stress and chronic anxiety on health in modern society (20; 21; 22; 23; 24; 25; 26; 27). Stress and/or anxiety, when they are persistent, affect almost any process in the human body. 

Cellular health goes down, organs deteriorate quicker than usual, and your overall risk of many other diseases, such as heart and blood vessel problems, cancers, depression and burnout, goes up.

Commonly, humans used to be hunter-gatherers that would only be exposed to stress on a temporary basis. An unexpected meeting with predators would be an example of such temporary stress. But because the human brain can imagine poor outcomes and ruminate about them, the chronic stress and anxiety that are so pervasive in society are a new phenomenon from an evolutionary perspective. Our human brain was only meant to release stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol during a temporary danger, and not 24/7 when we imagine a vital presentation we might have to give three weeks from now.

Chronic stress and chronic anxiety can even change structures of the brain. The prefrontal cortex - which can be conceived as the CEO of your brain that ought to be mostly in control - can lose some of its required activations. Other areas, such as the hippocampus that’s involved in memory, can even become smaller. And emotional areas, such as the ¨amygdala¨ - which is like an alarm bell in your brain - can become more frequently activated and grow in size even.

And in developing nations, up to 35% of people experience an anxiety disorder at some time in their lives. Up to 70% of people with chronic diseases, moreover, currently also experience chronic stress.

So, the relaxing effects that infrared saunas can have by lowering your stress hormone levels long-term and activating your rest and digest nervous system are extremely helpful. Stress management has become more critical than ever in this quickly-moving society.

Let´s explore another part of this dynamic:

Are Chronic Stress And Chronic Inflammation Interrelated? How Long Should You Sauna To Lower Chronic Inflammation?

Other mechanisms exist as well. For instance, chronic stress is tightly intertwined with higher levels of inflammation across the body (28; 29; 30; 31). Fortunately, quite a few studies show that more frequent sauna bathing leads to lower overall inflammation levels (32; 33; 34; 35).

A higher frequency of sauna bathing, of more than three times per week, reduces the overall risk of dying by 14%. That overall risk of dying is measured by so-called ¨ all-cause mortality¨, the risk a study participant dies of any cause whatsoever.

Also, a higher frequency of sauna bathing of three times per week or more also protected against the harmful effects of high inflammation. That three times per week frequency or more was compared to participants who spent two sessions in a sauna on a weekly basis or less.

Other studies also measure the ¨C-reactive protein¨ in the body of participants. C-reactive protein arguably is the most important biomarker for measuring inflammation in the body. The pattern was similar here once again:

With a higher frequency of sauna sessions throughout the week, C-reactive protein levels were far lower. With one sauna session C-reactive protein levels were 2.41. With two or three sessions, C-reactive protein levels are 2.00. And with four sauna sessions per week or more the levels were only at 1.65. So spending much more time inside a sauna can lower your C-reactive protein levels by 30-40% over time. In turn, these lower chronic inflammation levels will dramatically decrease the harmful effects of both inflammation and stress on your body.

Aim for 4 - 7 infrared sauna sessions per week for the best results. And spend at least 30 minutes in your infrared sauna to maximally lower inflammation for stress-reduction purposes.

Lastly, one recent study also investigated the effects of whole-body hyperthermia on inflammation (36). Here, the inflammation-lowering effects directly affected the presence and symptoms of clinical depression in study participants. 

An important anti-inflammatory compound called ¨interleukin-6¨ was increased in the blood directly after a sauna session. Once again, well-being, inflammation and depression were interlinked and saunas gave amazing results. The effects of just one whole-body hyperthermia session lasted up to six weeks.

And there’s more - let’s consider more fascinating research:

Infrared Saunas And Psychotic Disorders: What Is The Ultimate Treatment Time?

Although rarer, infrared saunas can even help people with psychotic disorders (38; 39; 40; 41). Other brain conditions, such as Alzheimer´s and dementia, are also influenced.

For measuring the effects of saunas on psychotic disorders, however, participants were followed for around 25 years. When comparing the weekly sauna frequency ratio, four to seven sessions per week reduced the risk of psychotic health problems by a whopping 77% compared to participants who used the sauna once weekly.

That 77% reduction is both fascinating and extreme. 

Psychotic disorders are health conditions where people lose contact with reality (42; 43; 44). These psychotic disorders are rare as up to 3.5% of people in developing countries such as the UK will experience them during their lifetimes. Psychotic symptoms - which are temporary - are less rare, though.

Surprisingly, saunas have such a strong effect. Some studies speculate that the combination of the physical sensation, the ability to shut off and not think about your day, and the combination with social pleasure makes sauna visits so supportive for mental health. Many of the processes by which saunas affect our mental health are mostly unconscious.

So how long should you sauna for psychotic disorders? The length is not necessarily the most important part here - a 30-minute session is just fine. Building a sauna habit with a higher frequency throughout the week is far more important here - aim for at least 4 weekly sessions for using a sauna for psychotic disorders.

Of course, if you’ve got a psychotic disorder, talk to your physician too. 

But ultimately what explains these unconscious effects of spending time inside a sauna? Why do people feel so good? Let’s explore that answer next:

Creating Natural Painkillers: How Long Should You Sauna For Creating Opioids In Your Body?

Once you spend some time inside an infrared sauna, you’ll feel really great. That feeling is created because your body starts circulating so-called “endorphins, " natural opioids (45; 46). 

If you´re a naturally healthy person, that response is activated to a far greater extent. In people with addiction problems, the natural opioid response to heating may be impeded.

Just one 20 or 30-minute sauna session is sufficient for these natural opioids to be released.

There´s also evidence that heating the body stimulates the internal cannabinoid system of the body (47; 48; 49). Hence, many different mechanisms exist by which your body promotes great mental health by releasing feel-good substances.

And then there's this research:

The Optimal Sauna Time For “BDNF” - Or Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - For Regenerating Your Brain

Many human studies show that heating your body and sweating heavily increases the circulation of so-called “BDNF” (50; 51; 52; 53, 54). BDNF stands for “Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor”. BDNF keeps your brain young and healthy and boosts cognitive function (55; 56, 57, 58).

BDNF influences the serotonin, dopamine, and GABA systems of the brain. Serotonin makes you feel that all is well, dopamine gives drive and motivation, and GABA aids in relaxation and shuts your brain “off”. BDNF can also influence learning and memory, as well as aid in the creation of new brain cells.

And, fortunately, BDNF is also a natural antidepressant and works an an anti-anxiety agent. Many people with brain conditions, whether psychotic disorders or depression, have lower BDNF levels. Your BDNF levels also influence other brain diseases such as dementia, Parkinson’s, and others.

Chronic stress also lowers BDNF levels in the brain. And, knowing that saunas increase BDNF levels instead, that´s great news. So let’s look closer at the sauna studies  (50; 51; 52; 53, 54).

In some studies, BDNF increases more when participants use a sauna than exercise. Exercise is a great tool for BDNF too, however, and if you can you’d ideally combine both. In that case, engage in intense exercise for 20-30 minutes and then enter your infrared sauna.

Merely spending 20 minutes in hot water, such as a hot tub, also increases BDNF levels. So it’s incredibly likely that spending 20 minutes in an infrared sauna is sufficient for increasing BDNF levels. Studies do show, however, that the results build up over time. So it’s best to get three or four infrared sauna sessions in per week if you can, with a minimum of 20 minutes.

Temperatures do need to be hot for the best BDNF effects, though. Sitting in a hot room isn’t sufficient to get the best BDNF increase. 

The good thing is also that BDNF is protective against future stress. At least in animal studies, higher levels of circulating BDNF allowed animals to better deal with a trauma and retain high sleep quality.

How Long Do You Have To Use A Sauna For Growth Hormone Increases? And How Growth Hormone Lowers Stress and Boosts Quality Of Life

Growth hormone has a big impact on your quality of life and mental health (59; 60; 61; 62; 63). Higher growth hormone levels are associated with less anxiety and depression and lower stress levels.

Once again there’s great news:

Spending time in a sauna greatly impacts the amount of growth hormone in your body (64; 65; 66; 67, 68). In some studies, growth hormone levels increase by 140+ after just one session. Growth hormone levels are only raised temporarily though as levels drop down quickly after your sauna session is over.

But, just one 30-minute session is enough to enjoy the antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects of growth hormone. But you’ll have to use your sauna frequently for the best results. For that reason I recommend using a sauna for growth hormone four times per week once again, for at least 30 minutes per day.

Overall, hopefully, I’ve informed you perfectly on how long you should sauna for stress reduction benefits. By starting small, and increasing the frequency and duration of your sessions over time, you’ll achieve almost magical results.

Also, if you’re curious, I recommend checking out the page I wrote on other infrared sauna health benefits as well. That page informs you about the basics of infrared sauna benefits that many people have questions about, such as heart and blood vessel health, diabetes support, skin appearance, fat and weight loss, and much more.