Sauna Before Bed: A Relaxing Way to Improve Your Sleep

Do you have trouble falling asleep?

Do you wake up feeling tired in the morning?

Or do you often feel stressed and tense before bedtime?

If your answer is yes to any of these questions, you need to try sauna before bed. But before we get into that, let us start with the basics.

Sauna is a traditional practice that originated in Finland. It includes exposing yourself to high temperatures with steamy or dry air in a closed room.

It begs the question, why would you choose to do that?

The simple answer is that it is good for you. Numerous studies over the years have proven that sauna offers a bunch of health benefits, such as improving blood circulation, easing muscle pain, reducing stress, and, most importantly, detoxifying your body.

It has one more major benefit: it makes you sleep better, something we will discuss in detail in this blog.
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Sauna Before Bed Improves the Quality of Your Sleep

​Is sauna good before bed?

The answer is a definite yes.

A study showed that a quick sauna before bedtime increased deep sleep by over 70% within the first two hours and 45% within the first six hours

But how exactly does it do that?

There are tons of sauna before bed benefits, and here are some of those benefits that can improve the quality of your sleep:

 1. Sauna Lowers Your Body Temperature
As you might have guessed, a sauna session significantly raises your body temperature because it causes your blood vessels to dilate, which in turn makes your sweat glands produce more sweat.

What you may not have known is that after you leave your sauna to cool down, your body temperature drops below its average temperature.

But what good does that do you?

Well, when your body temperature drops below normal, it sends a signal to your brain that it is bedtime. 

Why exactly?

Because it mimics your body’s natural circadian rhythm.

In simple terms, a lower body temperature helps you fall asleep faster and deeper, something you definitely want.

2. It Relaxes Your Mind and Body
We have said it before, sauna is a great way to relieve stress and tension from your body. A quick sauna session reactivates your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for helping your body rest up and relax.

It doesn’t end there. Sauna also helps your body release endorphins, which you can refer to as your body’s own painkillers and mood enhancers.

With this combination, a sauna session helps your mind and body to relax, which in turn helps you fall asleep quickly and peacefully.

3. Sauna Before Bed Improves Your Melatonin Production
Let’s start by understanding what melatonin is.

Melatonin is a hormone that your pineal gland produces in response to darkness. Melatonin regulates your sleep-wake cycle, and it helps you fall asleep at night.

A quick session of sauna before bedtime can stimulate your pineal gland to enhance its function and increase melatonin production.

Not only that, melatonin also significantly improves the quality of sleep by increasing the duration of your REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, a stage of sleep where you dream and consolidate your memories.
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Sauna Before Bed Is Good For Your Health
A sauna at night does more than improve your sleep quality; it helps to improve your overall health too.

But don’t take our word for it. Here are some proven health benefits of sauna at bedtime:
 
1. Sauna at Night Boosts Your Immune System
We have talked about how sauna for sleep dilates your blood vessels. Well, it also boosts your white cell count, which you already know are the defense system of your body that helps it fight infections and diseases.

Sauna before bedtime also helps your body stimulate the production of a certain molecule called heat shock proteins, which protects from stress and damage.
2. It Improves Your Cardiovascular Health
Studies show that saunas can lower your blood pressure by improving blood flow, reducing inflammation, and even lowering your cholesterol levels. 

All these effects come together and give you possibly a life-saving benefit. It can significantly lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, or any other cardiovascular problem. It can also help strengthen your heart muscles, improving its efficiency and your overall health.​
3. Sauna Can Increase Your Metabolism
Sauna can increase your metabolism, but how?

Well, sauna increases your body temperature and heart rate, which can, in turn, result in increased metabolism.

Sauna can boost your metabolism rate by 25-33% after the first day, which means you can burn calories during and after your session.

4. Sauna Promotes Your Brain/Mental Health
As we said before, sauna sessions help both your mind and your body.

A sauna session before bedtime increases the blood flow to your brain and promotes the growth of new brain cells. It can improve your cognitive function, memories, and even your mood.

A side benefit is it can also protect your brain from neurodegenerative diseases. Sauna prevents the buildup of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, which are hallmarks of diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.

You may like to explore our Steamist Residential Steam Bath Generators

5. It Rejuvenates Your Skin
Louise Louca, founder and senior skin specialist at Bloom Skin Clinic, Manchester, stated, “Using a sauna is essentially a form of exercise for your skin” 

A good sauna session can stimulate your body to produce collagen. Collagen is a protein that gives your skin its firmness and elasticity.

Sauna also helps your skin shed dead skin cells, which reveals your complexion.


Types of Sauna That You Can Use

You might be wondering what type of sauna can you use.

Well, there are a few options that you can choose from, depending on your needs, preferences, and availability:

#1. Traditional Sauna
Traditional saunas, also known as Finnish saunas or dry saunas, use a primary heat source, which can be anything from a wood stove to an electrical or gas heater.

A typical Finnish sauna warms the air inside the room to around 160°F to 200°F (65°C to 90°C), with a consistent humidity level of 10% to 20%.

Additionally, traditional saunas typically have rocks that you can splash with water to create steam, increase humidity, and warm the air inside the room.

#2. Infrared Sauna
You can use an infrared sauna before bed that uses infrared light that targets your body and heats it up directly. It is significantly efficient as it directly heats your body instead of heating the air inside the room.

Also, the direct approach provides the same benefits as the traditional sauna while maintaining a much lower temperature, which translates to less energy consumption.

An infrared sauna maintains a steady room temperature between 120°F to 140°F (50°C to 60°C), with considerably low humidity levels.

You might also like to read: Infrared Sauna Pod: The Ultimate Buyer's Guide For 2023

#3. Steam Rooms
As you might have guessed, steam rooms are not exactly the same as a sauna, but they are concept is quite similar.

Steam rooms typically have a generator installed that produces steam and fills the room with hot and moist air.

Steam rooms usually have a temperature of around 110°F to 120°F (43°C to 49°C), with a humidity level of 100%.
Some Tips for Sauna Before BedNow that you know the benefits and want to try the sauna before sleep, here are some tips for you. These tips will help you get the most out of your session.

1. Choose the right time: The best time to take a sauna at night is about 1 to 3 hours before your bedtime. It gives you plenty of time to cool down and relax your body before you hit the bed.
2. Choose the right temperature: Typically, the optimal temperature for a great sauna is between 70°C to 90°C (158°F to 194°F). But, it is not necessary that you follow this by the letter. You should always adjust the temperature and decide for yourself according to your preferences and tolerance level.
3. Choose the right duration: Ideally, the recommended for a sauna session is anywhere between 15 to 20 minutes. You can repeat the process up to 3 times with a 5 to 10 minutes break between each session.
4. Choose the right hydration: Sauna is going to make you sweat, and you should drink plenty of water before, during, and after the session to save yourself from dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. You can also replenish your fluids with herbal teas or juices.
5. Choose the right clothing: The best clothing for a sauna session is no clothing at all. If that is not your first choice, you should wear loose-fitting clothing. You should also remember to remove any jewelry or metal you may have on your body, as they can overheat and burn you.
6. Choose the right accessories: To make your sauna experience even more enjoyable, you can use aromatherapy, music, or meditation to create a relaxing atmosphere. You also have the option to use a towel or a hat to comfort yourself and regulate your body temperature.

​Bonus: Sauna suits aid workout and help sleep better
Sauna suits are a new buzzword among fitness enthusiasts. These are exercise suits that create effects similar to an actual sauna and make you sweat.

You see, sauna suits help you burn calories as you’ll experience intense sweating when wearing one of these suits.

And even though they aren’t the same as a real sauna, you can use one for your workout session before bedtime. This will create effects similar to a sauna and eventually help you sleep better.

6 Safety Tips for
You Saunas are great for you, but you have to use preventive measures to ensure your safety and maximize the effectiveness of your sauna and sleep.

Safety Tip #1: Start Small
If you are new to the whole Steamist sauna experience, we recommend you don’t stay any longer than 5 to 10 minutes per session. It is a new experience for your body, and it needs to get accustomed to it.

As you incorporate the sauna into your routine and start getting used to the heat and humidity, gradually increase your session duration for best results.

Safety Tip #2: Pre-Sauna Cool Down
Don’t rush into the sauna right after exercising; it could be bad for you. You need to wait at least 10 to let your body relax and cool down to prevent overheating or dehydration from setting in.

You might also like to read: Sauna Before Or After Massage: What's The Right Way?

Safety Tip #3: Hydrate Yourself
Make sure you drink plenty of water/fluids before and after you sauna session. Sauna makes you sweat, which means you lose a lot of fluid. So, you need to drink plenty of water to hydrate yourself

However, avoid drinking water during your sauna session. It can cause late-night bathroom breaks and disrupt your sleep.

Safety Tip #4: Avoid Alcohol and Medications
Alcohol and medications like antihistamines, beta-blockers, diuretics, sedatives, painkillers, and stimulants can impair your sweating or cause your body to overheat before or after your session.

Safety Tip #5: Listen To Your Body
It is always important to listen to what your body is telling you. If you ever feel unwell, uncomfortable, dizzy, nauseous, or faint during a session, leave the sauna immediately and seek medical attention if necessary.

Safety Tip #6: Enjoy The Experience
Sauna before bedtime is meant to relax your mind and body and for your enjoyment. It is not a competition where you need to prove your endurance. 

Find a comfortable spot to sit, breathe deeply, close your eyes, or do whatever relaxes you, such as meditation, listening to some music, or simply chatting with your friends.

Wrapping It Up

​After all that we have learned, it is sufficient to say that sauna and sleep are extremely compatible.

Sauna before sleep can be a relaxing and beneficial way to improve sleep quality and overall health. 

That being said, it is crucial that you follow certain guidelines and listen to your body for the best result.

Now, you might be wondering how having sauna before bed might be a chore since you need to go to an establishment to get one.

Not anymore. You can simply install a sauna at your home and have your much-deserved sauna session whenever you want.

If you are curious how to do it, get in touch with us.

We at Steam & Sauna Experts bring decades of experience in installing and maintaining top-of-the-line sauna rooms and equipment.

To make this an even better deal, we also have an inventory loaded with a full range of steam and sauna equipment and accessories from industry-leading manufacturers, Steamist, Amerec, and Mr. Steam.

We have everything you need, all in one place.

All you need to do is contact us; we have you covered.