IR sauna benefits impart many life-changing health benefits such as better heart health, improved muscle recovery, and enhanced skin health for just only a few minutes of your day.
However, how long is too long in an infrared sauna?
In this article, we’ll tackle the optimal time to spend in an infrared sauna according to your individual requirements, as well as discuss whether a daily infrared sauna session is good for you.
How long should you stay in an infrared sauna?
Short answer: it really depends.
The amount of time you can safely spend in an infrared sauna is influenced by several factors such as your overall health, familiarity with infrared saunas and how long it takes for you to break a sweat.
Overall health
Infrared saunas may exacerbate symptoms of individuals with certain health conditions such as hypertension and blood pressure. We highly recommend staying for only up to 20 minutes OR following your doctor’s personal recommendation to avoid overexerting your body.
Conversely, If you’re fit, have high hydration levels and have no history of health complications, you can tailor your sauna sessions for up to a maximum of 30 minutes or more to maximise the IR sauna benefits.
Familiarity
If it’s your first time hopping in a sauna, it is important to note that your body might not be acquainted with infrared heat yet.
For starters, we recommend beginning with five to ten-minute sauna sessions twice a week – this allows your body to habituate itself to the effects of infrared saunas and see if it’s safe for you.
As your body adapts to the infrared sauna, you can kick it up a notch by undergoing 10-20 minute sessions for up to three to four times a week.
Sweat time
Since infrared saunas operate at a lower temperature, you may find yourself taking longer to break a sweat compared to a hot-air sauna. We recommend starting with around 10 minutes and then adding 10 minutes each time or until you sweat heavily.
If you’re new to the sauna, you might find you don’t sweat at all the first few times, or even the first several times! That may sound strange, but some people have suppressed sweating mechanisms due to past pesticide exposure or other toxic exposures. As you use the sauna more regularly, you’ll notice that you sweat more quickly and profusely. At some point, if you persist, you’ll likely become a champion sweater.
Once you find the sweet spot, you can choose to break down your session into smaller, but manageable 10-minute increments with a five-minute break in between for a healthier experience.
Daily infrared sauna session: is it good for you?
There is scientific backing that repeated sauna bathing is proven to impart beneficial effects on your body, and infrared saunas allow you to reap those benefits daily without overexerting yourself.
Since IR saunas use infrared technology to directly apply heat to your body, the ambient temperature is lower compared to a hot-air sauna. This allows you to spend longer periods without receiving the stress and discomfort of sitting in one.
Thanks to this comparatively lower barrier of entry to the practice, your body can soak up benefits longer while allowing your mind to seamlessly enter in a meditative state.
Staying too long in high temperatures
A common misconception you might have is that the higher the temperature in the sauna, the better it is for your body.
However, higher temperatures do not mean better and faster results. As long as your body starts to sweat, you are now in the process of receiving numerous IR sauna benefits.
It is important to note that while infrared saunas minimise any health risks like overheating, burns, and cardiovascular strain compared to a traditional ‘hot-air’ sauna, it can still happen if you push your body to its limits.
If this happens during your session, it’s important that you leave the sauna – if you feel uncomfortably hot, dizzy, or are having difficulty breathing, then break your session into smaller, but manageable increments.
To prevent it in the first place, we highly recommend getting a personal recommendation from your doctor and letting them evaluate how healthy you are before setting a set timeframe for your sauna session.
Conclusion – How long should you stay in an infrared sauna?
As always, we recommend tailoring your sessions according to your individual needs, health goals, or better yet, following your doctor’s recommendation. This ensures that you have a safe and healthy experience between your sauna sessions.
If you’re looking for ultra-safe and efficient options in the market, our saunas are the perfect models for you to take home. With our low-EMF & ELF heater technology and hypoallergenic Canadian Hemlock wood, you can spend longer periods without worrying too much about your well-being.
Reach out to us today and let Sun Stream Saunas help you achieve better health goals at home.