If you’re trying to enhance the benefits of your sauna experience, a common question arises — should you sauna in the morning or the evening for the best results? Depending on the reasons why you already use the sauna or a multitude of other factors, there may be a scientific reason why using the sauna at one time of the day versus another could heighten the value of your visit.
The best way, then, to break down the health and wellness value of the time in your home sauna is to explore every major time that people may want to visit their sauna. After that, we’ll address some key questions along with the best times of the year to increase your sauna session to maximise your wellness benefits and the best sauna type to invest in for your home. Whether it’s to kickstart your morning or to relax before sleep, there are several factors that can influence when you prefer to enjoy your sauna session.
When Is the Best Time to Sauna? Morning vs. Afternoon vs. Evening
There are several reasons why using the sauna at different times during the day could impact your soak and its benefits. Understanding the best time to sauna for your body’s needs can significantly enhance your experience and results.
Morning Sauna Benefits: Kickstart Your Day with Wellness
Starting your day with a sauna session before noon can be deeply rejuvenating and offers an invigorating way to begin the morning. Morning sauna benefits include increased alertness, improved circulation, and a natural energy boost. Research shows that using the sauna early helps energize the body naturally, offering a stimulating start without relying on caffeine or other boosters. Unlike coffee or energy drinks, using the sauna is a naturally healthy way to get energised without any negative side effects.
The heat from the sauna naturally increases the body’s heart rate, simulating the effects of light exercise. If you’re wondering when is the best time to sauna to get your blood flowing and jumpstart your day, morning sessions can be a great choice. The relaxing effects of sauna use in the morning may help you feel refreshed and energised—ideal for those who want a peaceful way to enhance their muscle recovery and prepare for a productive day.
Regular morning sauna users often say it helps sharpen their focus and boost their energy, paving the way for a productive and positive day. However, it’s important to note that while some swear by the power of a morning sauna, others believe it can lead to drowsiness later on. If a sauna session leaves you feeling deeply relaxed, this might lead to mild lethargy throughout the day. It’s all about finding the ideal sauna time for your body’s rhythm.
Try a morning sauna session for yourself and see if it suits your lifestyle. If you’re someone who uses a sauna for muscle recovery or wants to start the day with a burst of energy, a morning sauna might be the perfect fit for you!
Sauna In The Afternoon
Even though there isn’t a wealth of research pointing to the afternoon as the ideal sauna time, there are several convincing benefits to enjoying a session later in the day for improved well-being. Depending on your lifestyle, you may find afternoon sauna sessions particularly beneficial when combined with certain activities.
If you’re using the sauna after a healthy meal, there’s some intriguing evidence that sauna use may help improve your digestion and metabolism. Using a sauna to boost metabolism can enhance the body’s ability to process nutrients efficiently. Studies show that pairing sauna sessions with a meal rich in probiotics can further boost your metabolism. Probiotic-rich foods can help regulate digestion, and the heat of the sauna works in tandem to speed up the metabolic process. When your body temperature rises in the sauna, it activates internal processes to keep things balanced, which can stimulate digestion and enhance the way your body absorbs nutrients from food.
However, it’s important to avoid heading into the sauna after overeating or consuming processed foods, as this can result in discomfort or upset stomach.
Benefits of Using a Sauna After Working Out in the Afternoon
For those who work out in the afternoon, using the sauna post-exercise can be a fantastic way to enhance muscle recovery and relax tired muscles. Once you’ve wrapped up a tough, sweat-inducing workout, spending time in the sauna is an ideal way to extend the benefits of your exercise. To get the most out of your post-workout sauna, follow these steps:
- Finish your workout and make sure your body is already sweaty.
- Shower to cleanse your body of sweat before entering the sauna (this is especially important for private saunas to maintain hygiene).
- Rehydrate by drinking water to replace lost fluids.
- Relax in the sauna to experience muscle relaxation and increased blood circulation to the areas that need it the most.
Using the sauna after workout in this manner can help reduce soreness and improve your post-workout muscle recovery.
Post-workout sauna sessions are particularly effective for relaxing muscles and enhancing circulation.
Even if you’re not using the sauna after a meal or workout, an afternoon sauna (midday sauna) session can still be highly beneficial. Like an afternoon meditation, the sauna helps your body relax and reduce stress. The process of your body working hard to maintain internal temperature balance (homeostasis) sends positive signals to your brain, lifting your mood and boosting your happiness.
Taking a sauna break in the afternoon can be a great way to recharge, especially if you’re tackling a time-consuming project or managing stress throughout the day.
Sauna In The Evening
There is growing research supporting the idea that the best time to sauna could be in the evening, particularly before bedtime for better sleep. Enjoying a sauna session in the evening can greatly support your overall well-being, especially by promoting deeper, more restful sleep.
Evening Sauna for Muscle Tension Relief
A major advantage of evening sauna sessions is their ability to ease muscle tension — a common barrier to falling asleep. Throughout the day, stress and posture issues can cause muscles to tighten, often reaching their peak by bedtime. You may not even realize how much tension you’ve accumulated until you lie down and notice discomfort in your shoulders, neck, or back.
A sauna session in the evening helps relax muscles and ease the discomfort caused by tension, making it easier to fall asleep. Studies, including a Finnish study involving both average individuals and athletes with symptoms of muscle tension, have shown that regular sauna use can significantly reduce tension, leading to improved relaxation. Even if you’re not sure about the extent of your muscle tension, trying a sauna session in the evening might be an effective way to relieve it and enhance your sleep quality.
Sauna Before Bed: Enhancing Deep Sleep Quality
Beyond relaxing tense muscles, evening sauna sessions are also associated with improved sleep quality. Research indicates that using a sauna before bed may help people with insomnia experience more restful and uninterrupted sleep. A study focusing on individuals with chronic insomnia revealed that incorporating saunas into their evening routine led to improvements in sleep quality. The process of relaxation and temperature regulation in the sauna can signal to the body that it’s time to wind down, making it easier to achieve deep, restorative sleep.
Taking a sauna before going to sleep not only supports muscle relaxation but also helps naturally combat insomnia, making it a valuable practice for anyone aiming to enhance their nightly sleep routine.
Best Time of the Year to Use a Home Sauna
The ideal time of year to enjoy a sauna largely depends on your location and individual comfort preferences. Temperature plays a crucial role in determining the best time to sauna to create your ideal sauna experience. This can differ significantly between those in colder regions versus those in warmer climates. So, let’s dive into the seasonal factors that affect your sauna routine.
Sauna enthusiasts generally fall into two groups — those who prefer the cozy warmth of a sauna during cold weather and those who enjoy it even when it’s hot outside. The best part is that both experiences deliver equally impressive health benefits. This decision is largely about comfort and enjoyment. Whether you enjoy emerging from the sauna into the brisk chill of winter or prefer a cool swim after a summer session, the perfect sauna experience ultimately comes down to personal preference.
Deciding when to enjoy your sauna isn’t really about gaining extra health benefits, since both winter and summer sessions offer the same advantages, but about personal comfort. What truly matters is choosing the season that makes your sauna experience most enjoyable and relaxing for you. Forcing yourself to sauna in a season or climate that doesn’t suit your preferences could decrease the overall wellness benefits of your session.
The Best Time of Year to Sauna: Follow Your Preferences
Ultimately, the right time to enjoy a sauna comes down to what works best for your daily routine and individual preferences. Since you know what suits you best, choose the season and timing that make your sauna experience most relaxing and enjoyable. After all, the goal is to maximize the positive feelings and well-being that come with every sauna session.
Maximising Your Sauna Routine: Tips for the Best Results
Even if you now have more understanding of the best time to sauna or the time that you prefer to use the sauna, there are likely still a few more questions you may be asking.
Ideal Sauna Time: How Long Should You Stay in the Sauna?
Generally speaking, the ideal sauna time for each visit is 20 minutes. While this may sound like far too long a time for sauna novices, consider this instead the limit for the sake of hydration. Spending more than 20 minutes in a sauna without pausing to hydrate can be risky. However, if your goal is to enjoy the sauna’s health benefits, there’s no need to push yourself to stay in for the full 20 minutes — even shorter sessions can be just as effective. Most of the key benefits that come from sauna use build up over time and increase with habitual use. So if you can only spend five minutes in the sauna before needing to take a break, don’t worry! No sauna is worth risking your immediate health and comfort for.
Sauna for Relaxation: How do I Maximise the Benefits of Sauna Therapy?
This question largely depends on the benefits you are seeking. While some sauna benefits are immediate such as the release of muscle tension or even just getting on a good sweat, some can take decades as proven by the study which showed that those who used the sauna at least four times a week were less likely than an equivalent group to suffer from dementia later in life. As with most things, your sauna routine should center around what feels right for you. If you’re most comfortable with two sessions a week, then that’s the ideal schedule for your body and lifestyle. And if four is your sweet spot, go ahead!
What is the Best Time of Day to Use a Sauna for Recovery
Luckily, using the sauna, for example, once in the morning to kick off a good morning and once at night to ease into a more restorative sleep is not just healthy, it’s a common practice in Finland. In Finland, many family homes have their own saunas for that reason. The only way that using the sauna twice in a day could negate your benefits is if you expose yourself to the sauna and make yourself dehydrated. Having a good sauna system means also having a reliable water system at the same time.
Things start getting difficult if you want to use the sauna in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Even the most serious and devoted sauna users usually limit their intake to two 20-minute sessions a day, as three in one day can be exhausting. Always listen to your body when in the sauna. It’s likely your body will have something to say if you try to subject it to three sessions of soaking a day.
Can Jetlag Affect What Time I Should Use the Sauna?
This is an interesting question. There are actually more than a few ways that a jetlagged person could feel sauna benefits a bit differently than someone with a normalized circadian rhythm. Our body gets used to nighttime versus day time on a level a bit different than our normal perception. As you go to bed around the same interval of time every 24 hours, your body gets more used to changing its systems to accommodate itself for sleep. So let’s say you take regular morning saunas and go from Toronto to Budapest and try to take a nighttime sauna in Hungary while your internal clock is still on Canada time. Your body might respond to an evening sauna the same way it does to a morning session simply because it’s accustomed to that routine at specific times of the day.
Jetlag can also affect the quality of your sauna visits if you’re just not wholly comfortable yourself. Forcing yourself to take a morning sauna when your internal clock is all messed up may technically be good for your muscles and internal health but getting enough sleep is likely a more pertinent need. Saunas certainly can’t cure jetlag, so don’t go out of your way to try.
Conclusion: The Best Time to Sauna is Your Ideal Time
The good news is, there is functionally no "best time to sauna". As more research is conducted a common theme we are starting to see is that there is no bad time to use the sauna. As long as you remain well-hydrated and at ease, regular sauna sessions can greatly support your journey toward achieving many important wellness goals. Morning saunas are great for easing you into a productive day, afternoon saunas can enhance a post-workout cooldown or maximise your metabolism and nighttime saunas can help you clear out long-hold muscle tension or even get you on the road of clearing out lasting insomnia symptoms.
And even more good news: the only reason someone should choose the winter or the summer sauna comes down to their own preference! Stepping out of the sauna into a cold environment can feel refreshing, while walking into the summer warmth afterward can make the outdoor heat seem mild by comparison.
The ideal time for your sauna session largely depends on what you want to achieve from the experience. But the best way to find out if that time fits your schedule and your body’s needs is to get in the sauna and find out for yourself!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is sauna in the morning better than evening?
Both morning sauna and evening sauna sessions have unique benefits, so the best time to sauna depends on your goals. A morning sauna can boost energy and focus, while an evening sauna promotes relaxation and better sleep.
2. What is the best time to sauna for muscle recovery?
For sauna after workout sessions, using the sauna post-exercise is ideal for muscle recovery. This thermotherapy approach helps relax tense muscles, improve circulation, and reduce soreness. Heat shock proteins are also activated during sauna use, supporting cellular repair and muscle recovery.
3. When to sauna for maximum sleep benefits?
To enjoy the best sleep benefits, a sauna before bed is recommended. An evening sauna for sleep helps lower stress, relax muscles, and support melatonin production for deeper rest.
4. How often should I use the sauna to get the most long-term health benefits?
For optimal cardiovascular health, consistency is key. Using the sauna 3–5 times per week offers the best balance between safety and long-term sauna frequency benefits.
5. Is it safe to use the sauna twice a day?
Using the sauna twice a day can be good or bad depending on your hydration and overall health. While Finnish sauna traditions allow frequent use, dehydration and overheating risks mean moderation is essential.
