Sauna use is often associated with feelings of relaxation generated from a spa like experience. While saunas can induce states of relaxation, below the surface of this sense of wellbeing are intricate biological changes occurring at the molecular level in response to heat. The heat of a sauna powerfully alters physiological composition to reduce stress, improve cardiovascular health, and augment overall mental well-being. There is evidence that the global load of mental health disorders is on the rise, which may be in part due to pandemic related stress, a rise in the elderly population, or simply a rapidly changing technocratic centered world. Whatever the reason may be, the rise in mood and mental disorders is real.
The pre and post pandemic levels of reported mental health cases has increased dramatically with an additional roughly 50 million more individuals with depression, and 72.6 million more living with anxiety disorders post pandemic. For many individuals, finding ways to address mental health in non-invasive and non-pharmacological ways is important. Still for others, managing anxiety and depression could help prevent more severe incidence of psychosis. Regardless of what spectrum of mental health you may personally abide in, the reality is that sauna bathing appears to be helpful as an adjunctive mental health therapy.
It is a great fortune to live in a time when there is a plethora of research surrounding alternative therapies to many health conditions, including mental health concerns. Furthermore, the surge in studies and research on the use of heat therapy in many areas of medicine has made significant ground breaking results in how illness is perceived and treated. More recent studies that examine the correlation between the use of sauna, (including traditional Finnish saunas, infrared saunas, and Waon therapy) and mental health have demonstrated very positive results.
Whether you are looking simply to improve your mood on a day to day basis, consider adding sauna use as an adjunctive therapy to your current mental health care. If you are currently living with a more severe mental health disorder consider using a sauna to help limit anxiety and stress that may increase the risk of psychosis.
Sauna Bathing as a Key Player in Adjunctive Mental Healthcare
Mental healthcare is an ever evolving field and over the past century has evolved from something quite archaic and sadly, at times nightmarish. Gratefully, current approaches to mental healthcare and psychiatric conditions include a wide variety of treatments from cognitive therapies, pharmaceuticals, and lifestyle adjustments. The relationship between sitting in a cabin-like structure while sweating and mental well-being may seem like a far-fetched idea, but the reality is that the research has been established. In fact, so well established is the data that now saunas are being considered as a valid mental health tool for both moderate to severe cases of mental illness. (1,2)
A publication from the National Library of Medicine entitled ‘Sweating out stress: sauna bathing’s rising role in mental health recovery’ (1) discusses the role that sauna use plays in mental health recovery. This publication discusses the rise in mental health disorders since the global pandemic of 2020 and the need to find increasing solutions to this collective problem. The authors write this about their intention in finding adjunctive mental health care treatments.
“The burden of mental health issues is escalating globally, particularly among older adults. The global population is experiencing rapid aging, leading to a growing incidence of mental illnesses in the elderly.” (1)
The authors continue to expand upon the potentiality of saunas as a viable treatment in some cases of mental health disorders when they write this.
“In this context, sauna bathing has emerged as a promising candidate. It involves regular exposure to elevated temperatures (80–100°C) and low humidity (10–20%). Based on recent scientific evidence it demonstrates significant positive effects on mental health through multiple physiological pathways. Regular sauna sessions reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, improve sleep quality, enhance cognitive function, and may lower long-term risks of neurodegenerative and psychotic disorders.” (1)
So, what exactly is happening in a sauna to fill such a tall order of benefits? How can saunas help with a full range of mental health issues from depression, to anxiety, to improved sleep, enhanced cognitive function, lowered risk of neurodegenerative, and psychotic disorders? The very specific means by which the human body self-regulates internal temperature calls upon a faculty of internal systems to maintain thermostasis, and in so doing is able to ameliorate many facets of physical and mental health.
Sauna Use and Mental Health: The Biology Behind Heat and Your Mood
- Upregulate Neuronal Health
- Nervous System Regulation
- Improve Sleep Quality
There are two primary facets that are strongly affected by the heat of a sauna that can alter mental health: Positively affecting the actual brain, for example enhancing brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and altering the autonomic nervous system. This two fold effect that dose appropriate heat has on human physiology are the tandem players necessary to improve mental health.
The Autonomic Nervous System, Depression, Anxiety, and Sauna Use
Depression and anxiety are common mental health concerns, and can become very serious issues. For some these two disorders can be managed with proper nutrition, exercise, breathing techniques as well as other lifestyle changes. Others may need the additional assistance of pharmacological care under the supervision of a psychologist or psychiatrist. Still for others high levels of anxiety or depression can trigger intense expressions of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorders, delusional disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and major depressive disorders. (2)
Regardless of the mental health spectrum where you may personally abide, keeping depression and anxiety in check is extremely important. The use of saunas can be helpful in reducing anxiety and incidents of depression in some cases by working directly with the autonomic nervous system.
The paper entitled ‘Sauna Bathing and Risk of Psychotic Disorders: A Prospective Cohort Study’ (2) discusses the correlation between sauna use and a variety of psychiatric disorders. The authors of this peer reviewed paper published in the journal Karger: Medical Principles and Practices outlines the strong need to reduce anxiety and depression in psychiatric patients when they write this.
“Given the strong relationship between psychotic disorders and factors such as stress, depression, anxiety, and dementia, as well as emerging evidence on the beneficial effects of sauna bathing or thermal therapy on these factors or outcomes, we hypothesized that sauna bathing may be linked to improved mental health.” (2)
If saunas can help to alleviate depression and anxiety as well as improve sleep, it may be possible to reduce the risk of more severe psychiatric disorders from expression.
The thermoregulatory system is intricately connected to the autonomic nervous system. It is for this reason that there is such a strong connection between the notion of relaxation and sauna use. The body automatically seeks to self-regulate temperature for survival, and also the body must regulate states of stress response and relaxation.
There are many reasons for anxiety and depression, but one aspect that may help both of these conditions is the ability to move between states of hyper-arousel or sympathetic dominance where the body is very active and states of parasympathetic dominance where the body is relaxed and able to sleep. In a world so full of stimuli it can be a challenge to balance these two very distinct modes of being. While the use of smart phones and social media at all hours of the day is not the only reason for an upswing in mental health challenges, it may be a part of it. Constant stimulus, fast moving vehicles, poor quality food, economic hardship, and high stress jobs can all make it very difficult to shift the toggle from alert and awake to relaxed and asleep.
The use of a sauna can help to move the toggle from states of stress back to states of relaxation. While at first the sauna may stimulate the stress response as the heat rises, like a pendulum this initial push in one direction ultimately guides the body back into states of relaxation. This relaxation can extend several hours after the sauna has been completed. In fact, improving sleep quality is among the most important ways a person can reduce depression and anxiety. By using a sauna in the evenings and elevating the core temperature, it allows for the cooling off process to occur where sleep can come more easily as internal body temperatures drop down (a necessary aspect of falling asleep).
By actively working with the autonomic nervous system with sauna therapy it may be possible to improve both depression and anxiety, or at least use the heat therapy as an adjunctive treatment. By reducing anxiety and depression for those living with more severe cases of mental illness it may be possible to limit events of psychosis that can cause extreme damage in individuals lives. (2)
The autonomic nervous system is not the only important aspect of maintaining healthy mental states, the other important organ is the brain!
Brain Health, Improved Mental Health and Sauna Bathing
Brain health is paramount to mental health, and using heat therapy can in fact help to improve many aspects of brain health: Reduce the risk of dementia, help prevent neurodegenerative diseases, and even reduce the risk of psychosis at times. By improving cerebral blood flow, increasing the presence of neuroprotective heat shock proteins, and by increasing endorphin release it may be possible to substantially improve brain health.
According to the paper entitled ‘Sauna Bathing and Risk of Psychotic Disorders: A Prospective Cohort Study’ (2) there is a direct inverse relationship between sauna bathing frequency and incidence of psychosis. This paper referenced the very famous cohort study that followed over 2000 Finnish men, which found that the more frequently an individual used a sauna (4-7 times per week as opposed to 2-3 times per week) the less likely they were to experience mental health disorders. Here is what the authors write.
“In this prospective evaluation of the association between frequency of sauna bathing and risk of psychosis, our results showed a strong inverse association between frequency of sauna bathing and future risk of psychosis in men with no previous history of mental illness at baseline.” (2)
The ‘heat-induced’ biochemical changes that occur as a result of the body attempting to regulate internal temperature are the crux of the brain derived benefits from sauna use.
“The benefits stem from heat-induced physiological changes, including endorphin release, improved cerebral blood flow, and neuroprotective heat-shock protein expression.” (1)
This study posited several reasons for why saunas may be beneficial for mental health.
“The etiology of psychosis is multifactorial and has been reported to result from an interplay between genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors. Although the protective role of sauna bathing in the development of psychosis is not known, we propose several plausible mechanistic pathways. Frequent sauna baths enhance relaxation, pleasure and well-being, thereby reducing negative feelings and the anxieties and stresses of everyday life, which are also triggers for psychotic symptoms.” (2)
The researchers further posit the relationship between higher levels of activity from the pituitary-hypothalamus and adrenal gland triad.
“There is evidence suggesting a strong link between elevated hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal activity and psychosis.” (2)
Perhaps the reduction of oxidative stress as a potential reason for why sauna use is so effective in improving mental health is expanded upon here.
“Repeated sauna or passive heat therapy reduces levels of markers of oxidative stress and may protect against psychosis via reduction in oxidative stress.” (2)
While there remains plenty of room for more research to understand more specific mechanical reasons for why saunas are so effective in improving mental health, it is certainly evidenced that they may play a major role as an adjunctive therapy in both mild and severe cases of mental illnesses.
What Style of Sauna is Best for Mental Health?
- Traditional Finnish
- Waon Method
- Infrared Saunas
When it comes to mental health the exact form of heat therapy that is used does not appear to be that important. It seems that whatever style of sauna is most accessible to you is the best option. There may be additional benefits derived from the light frequency of infrared saunas that may not be found in traditional saunas, but overall it appears that the playing ground is even when it comes to styles of saunas for mental health.
It does seem to matter more how frequently a sauna is used for those looking to improve mental health. The ultimate dose appears to be 4-7 times per week for 20 minutes to improve sleep, mood, and the overall health of the autonomic nervous system. (2)
The authors of the paper ‘Sauna Bathing and Risk of Psychotic Disorders: A Prospective Cohort Study’ (2) write this about deciding what style of heat therapy to use.
“Other passive heat therapies such as Waon therapy, infrared saunas, and whole-body hyperthermia have also been shown to relieve stress and improve the symptoms of psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety.” (2)
If you do choose to begin a sauna therapy protocol please begin slowly with long intervals between sessions and work your way up to 4-7 times per week. Furthermore, ensure that you are well hydrated at all times and drink plenty of fluids that contain electrolytes.
Mental health is serious. Sauna bathing is not a substitute for professional and/or medical intervention. Heat therapy should be used under the guidance of a medical professional as an adjunctive therapy only. Sauna use should not replace psychiatric care under any circumstance.
If you or any one you know if suffering from suicidal ideation please call:
US Only: 988 or visit this website to chat or text with a professional – https://988lifeline.org/
International Help: If you are outside of the US please go to this website to find a suicide prevention hotline in your country: https://www.iasp.info/suicidalthoughts/
Sources Cited:
- Sweating out stress: sauna bathing’s rising role in mental health recovery: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12889280/
- Sauna Bathing and Risk of Psychotic Disorders: A Prospective Cohort Study: https://karger.com/mpp/article/27/6/562/204433/Sauna-Bathing-and-Risk-of-Psychotic-Disorders-A
- https://karger.com/view-large/figure/9919633/000493392_F01.jpg