January 21, 2026
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Research links sauna use to health benefits ranging from muscle pain reduction to improved sleep. But staying hydrated and limiting time to 10 to 20 minutes a session is key, health experts say.
People in Finland have been using saunas for more than 2,000 years for physical and mental health.
"The thoughts and feelings that emerge from being on the sauna bench could never appear being anywhere else in the world," Finnish writer Frans Eemil Sillanpää reportedly said.
But the idea that saunas are cure-alls that provide a detox or cleanse is a bit misguided, Dr. Amy Miller, a sports medicine physician at University of Michigan Health, recently told Women's Health.
“People think, I’m going to go in the sauna and get all that stuff out of my system,” Miller said. “That’s a myth.”
Dermatologist Nicole Neuschler did call saunas "Drano for plugged-up pores,” since sweating causes blood vessels to widen and helps flush out the skin.
And research shows that safe and regular use of saunas provide a surprisingly broad array of health benefits.
Saunas have been linked to inducing a relaxation response in the body.
“There’s evidence around saunas being effective for those who have high stress work or personal situations,” Dr. Amy Zack, a family medicine physician, told the Cleveland Clinic in 2024. “The sauna experience does seem to show improvement in anxiety.”
A 2017 study also found that spending time in saunas was linked to a reduction in depression. In another study from 2019, people who used saunas reported improved mental well-being and sleep.
“The heat stimulates feel-good chemicals like endorphins and serotonin, helping you feel happier, more relaxed, and sleeping better by keeping your body’s stress hormones and circadian rhythm in check,” Andy Franklyn-Miller, a wellness expert, recently told Good Housekeeping.
Heat helps muscles relax, improves circulation and reduces stiffness, all of which can help ease muscle pain.
Not surprisingly, regular sauna users reported a reduction in pain in a 2022 study conducted in Sweden. Another study from 2019 found that using saunas helped with lower back pain.
Rachelle Reed, an exercise scientist, explained the cardiovascular benefits of saunas this way: “Anything that raises your core temperature makes your body work harder, whether you’re exercising or hanging in the sauna. Sauna users see an increase in heart rate, breathing, sweating, and cardiac output — the amount of blood your heart pumps in a minute. This shift in blood flow can help support the health and flexibility of your blood vessels.”
For instance, a 2018 study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that saunas can reduce high blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease. Another study from 2015 linked sauna use to lower risk of sudden cardiac death, fatal coronary heart disease, fatal cardiovascular disease and all cause mortality
But sauna use is not without risk. Staying hydrated before and after is important, and people should avoid consuming alcohol, Dr. Reuben Chen, a sports medicine physician, told Forbes.
Limiting sauna use to 10 to 20 minutes can help prevent overheating and dehydration, he said.
Also, people with medical conditions or who are pregnant should consult a health care provider before using a sauna.
