Saunas are an incredibly popular wellness technique around the globe that dates back hundreds, or even thousands of years. However, short sessions may not provide the expected benefits, sometimes leading to dissatisfaction. Keep reading to find out how long you should stay in the sauna and what considerations can impact this length:
How Long Should You Sit in a Sauna?
Session length will depend on how acclimated your body is to the extreme heat. We typically recommend beginners or those sensitive to heat start with shorter sessions of around 10 minutes, keeping a close eye on how you feel (signs of dehydration and discomfort). For those who have used saunas for longer or live in hot climates, sessions of 20 minutes or even up to 30 minutes can be hugely beneficial.
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Sauna Experience Level
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Recommended Time in Sauna
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Beginner
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10-15 minutes
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Used to Saunas
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15-20 minutes
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Experienced (with care)
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20-30 minutes
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Remember to stay hydrated before, during, and after any sauna sessions to reduce the risk of lightheadedness and other symptoms of dehydration.
If you’re bringing a phone into the sauna, make sure it’s waterproof or water-resistant and try to limit its time in the heat. High temperatures like those found in a sauna can degrade the internal electronics and battery over time. On top of this, saunas are meant to help you unwind and relax, so being on social media isn’t conducive to that environment.
How Long to Sit in a Sauna After Workout for Muscle Recovery
After a hard workout, your body is more vulnerable to dehydration and dizziness. Because of this, we recommend waiting 10 minutes after you finish your exercise to hydrate and cool off before getting in the sauna. Once you’ve cooled down, a 15-20 minute session (10-minute session for beginners) can help boost muscle growth, reduce inflammation, and improve cardiovascular function and endurance.
Note: We don’t recommend using a sauna before working out, as this significantly increases the risk of dehydration and reduced performance.
Learn more about the benefits of sauna after workouts here.
How Long to Stay in a Sauna for Detox Benefits
For saunas to support your body’s detox processes, sessions will likely need to be 15+ minutes to start sweating out toxins, pollutants, and more. This will scale with your body’s resilience to heat and may reach 25 minutes for those more comfortable with sauna sessions.
Learn more about how saunas help detox here.
How Long is Too Long?
As shown by the table above, “too long” depends on your body and acclimation to sauna temperatures. Any signs of discomfort, lightheadedness, or dizziness mean you may have been in the sauna for too long. To avoid this, start with shorter sessions and make sure you don’t feel any of these signs before increasing your time in the heat.
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What Happens if You Stay in a Sauna Too Long?
The primary concern with prolonged exposure to heat is dehydration and its associated symptoms (lightheadedness, dizziness, nausea, muscle cramps). However, in extreme cases where precautions aren’t followed, heat exhaustion or heat stroke may also occur. This is why it’s important to hydrate before, during, and after any sauna sessions. You should also pay attention to your body’s reaction — it will tell you if the heat is too much.
Factors That Can Affect Session Length
How long you sit in a sauna can be influenced by a number of external factors. The biggest considerations are the temperature and humidity of your sauna, with hotter sessions cutting the time you should spend in the sauna. Dryer sessions with less steam (especially compared to steam rooms) are typically easier to tolerate for longer periods of time, so be sure to factor these into how long you sit in the sauna.
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Best Time to Sauna
While there isn’t a “best time to sauna,” certain times of day may offer different benefits. For example, using a sauna at night can help you relax and sleep better. Sessions after working out can help reduce soreness (and even better if this is in the evening to pair with the above benefit).