Many people describe stepping out of a sauna feeling calmer, lighter, and mentally clearer. That sense of relaxation is real. Heat exposure has been shown to influence circulation, autonomic recovery, and the body’s stress response. While infrared saunas are not a substitute for medical care, research suggests they can be a useful wellness tool for relaxation and recovery, helping to bolster physical and mental wellness at both systemic and cellular levels.
How does an infrared sauna work?
Traditional saunas provide short-term passive exposure to high temperatures. They do this by heating the air to temperatures typically ranging from 45 °C to 100 °C /13 °F to 212 °F. Heat is transferred to the body through the superheated air.
Unlike a traditional sauna, infrared saunas warm the body directly with infrared heat 1. The radiant energy directly penetrates tissues, muscles, and joints, instead of heating the air around you. This warms the body from the inside by raising core body temperature and causing the body to sweat. Here are some of the ways infrared light and heat affect the body:
Deep tissue penetration: Infrared rays, especially far-infrared, are absorbed by cells, causing water molecules to vibrate and move, which generates heat.
Mitochondrial stimulation: Infrared energy helps to activate mitochondria (the energy-producing structures within cells) to increase production of ATP, which powers cellular repair and regeneration.
Increased blood flow: By boosting core body temperature, infrared heat causes blood vessels to dilate and increases nitric oxide production. This improves circulation of more oxygen-rich blood throughout the body and removing inflammatory waste.
Exercise response: Infrared heat triggers the sweat glands at lower temperatures compared to traditional saunas, with an effect similar to light-to-moderate exercise.
Infrared heat can make the sauna experience more comfortable for those who have trouble with high-heat temperatures that conventional saunas can create.
How an infrared sauna may support relaxation
As you enjoy downtime — to meditate, do breathwork, or practice gentle yoga — the infrared heat and light are directly impacting some physiological processes in the body which can lead to a more relaxed state.
Saunas optimize the body’s physical response to stress
Per a review published in Experimental Gerontology, the body’s response to repeated sauna use causes a process called hormesis.2 When this happens, the body overcompensates for mild environmental stress (in this case, the heat). And while you may think any stress is bad, in this instance it’s beneficial to your body and health. That’s because it sets off a biochemical cascade that helps repair cell damage and protects your body from larger stressors3 which would typically cause inflammation and cell damage.
Over time, cortisol levels decrease
Research published in the Journal of Human Kinetics looked at the effects of a single sauna on white blood cell count as well as cortisol levels in both athletes and untrained individuals. There were a few important findings to note. In subjects classified as athletes, they secreted less cortisol than the nonathlete group4 in response to the heat. As one of the main hormonal regulators of stress, decreasing cortisol in the body can help you relax and over time, can reduce that fight-or-flight sensation you feel in stressful situations.
This decrease in cortisol also increased neutrophils and eosinophils in the athlete group – white blood cells that help fight and ward off infection, viruses, and bacteria in the body. By regularly sitting in an infrared sauna (and staying in shape doesn’t hurt in this scenario), may help regulate cortisol levels and ward off inflammation.The end game? A little time in the sauna can help melt away stress, support overall wellness, and make more space for the moments that restore you.
Sitting in a sauna may normalize blood pressure
Stress can sometimes cause a temporary spike in blood pressure. Yet, if you deal with chronic stress, it may elevate your blood pressure longer. This can increase your risk of developing heart disease or experiencing a stroke. Frequent sessions in an infrared sauna may help to reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors such as high blood pressure.
A review published in Experimental Physiology found that lifelong sauna exposure is linked to a reduced cardiovascular disease risk.5 The meta-analysis looked at 15 studies with heat exposure ranging from 30 to 90 minutes, with over 10-36 sessions. Heat therapy reduced blood pressure, including both systolic (the pressure caused by the heart contracting, pushing out blood) and diastolic (the pressure caused when the heart relaxes and fills with blood) blood pressure. Blood flow in the arteries also improved with sauna use, protecting heart health.
Separate research published in Circulation Journal found that repeated sauna treatment can even improve ventricular arrhythmias6 (abnormal heartbeats). This is because the heat from sauna therapy increases activity in the parasympathetic nervous system7 (PNS), which controls the body’s ability to relax. When PNS increases, it lowers the resting heart rate and regulates heart rate variability, promoting overall heart health.
Sometimes the idea of doing something that relaxes you may seem frivolous, or not the best use of your precious time. Let’s reframe that line of thinking. By investing in a Sunlighten infrared sauna to help with relaxation, you’re taking a little time out of your day to achieve overall wellness that may keep you heart disease-free and may even add years to your life.
Make relaxation part of your long-term wellness plan
Taking time to relax isn’t an indulgence. No matter how you do it, it’s one of the ways you support the systems that help your body regulate stress and recover from physical and mental strain. Infrared sauna use can be part of a broader routine that rounds out your wellness. Used consistently, it can create intentional time for rest and recovery with meaningful effects for your vitality and long-term health.
Interested in finding the right sauna to help with relaxation? Check out all of your Sunlighten infrared sauna options here. Or, scroll to our “Which sauna is right for me?” quiz on our homepage to help narrow your choices down.
