Why Does Sauna Bathing Feel So Good? – Science Hasn’t Found All the Answers
Why Does Sauna Bathing Feel So Good? How Does the Sauna Relax Us? Great questions! We’ve gathered here a few interesting ways in which being in a hot Finnish sauna affects your body. Where exactly the feeling of wellbeing comes from, however, we still do not know for sure.
This article is based on the Terveyskirjasto Duodecim article “Sauna and Health,” written in Finnish by Professor, specialist in clinical chemistry, Lasse Viinikka, in 2024.
The Finnish sauna is one of the hottest places in the world that people voluntarily step into. When the temperature rises close to one hundred degrees Celsius, it is no longer a matter of gentle warmth like in steam rooms. In the sauna, the human body naturally tries to maintain its normal body temperature. As a result, circulation changes significantly. Circulation increases and blood vessels expand as the body boosts its cooling system.
Changes in circulation
At room temperature, only about 5–10 percent of the heart’s pumping energy is directed to the blood vessels in the skin, but in the sauna that figure rises to as much as 50–70 percent. The heat causes blood vessels to dilate, which is visible as redness of the skin. This dilation makes it easier for the heart to pump blood—yet at the same time, the heart must work harder to prevent blood pressure from dropping. The pulse quickens. In some people, blood pressure decreases in the sauna, while in others it remains unchanged or even rises. Pay attention to how you feel, and step out to cool down if you start feeling weak or dizzy.
You Sweat a Lot – Drink Water!
The skin temperature quickly rises above 40 degrees Celsius. Sweating starts quickly and intensifies rapidly. Because the air in a Finnish sauna is relatively dry compared to, for example, various steam rooms—sometimes also mistakenly called saunas—sweating is efficient: sweat evaporates quickly from the skin. During one sauna session, you may lose from half a liter to a full liter of sweat, so remember to drink plenty of water while bathing.
Tip: Many people rinse themselves with water, take a shower, or dip in a lake before climbing onto the sauna benches, as bathing with wet skin can feel more pleasant than with dry skin.
When water is thrown onto the hot stones of the stove, a loud hissing sound and a cloud of steam rise. Very quickly, the air in the sauna feels much hotter. The actual temperature does not rise, however—the condensation of steam releases energy, making the air feel hotter against the skin.
Does the Sauna Release Endorphins?
So what is it that makes sauna bathing feel so relaxing that Finns return to the heat weekly, some even more often? Endorphins act in the human body much like morphine, reducing anxiety, among other things. Some older studies have suggested that sauna bathing may increase the level of endorphins in the brain, but this has not been reliably confirmed.
Could it be, then, that the sense of wellbeing comes from the sauna being a relaxing environment—a place where the stresses of adult life are briefly forgotten, where one can simply focus on being, on feeling the power of the heat on the skin and body, carefree like in childhood, free of pressures and guilt? That too might be possible.
Learn more: No Phones, No Books: Why the Finnish Sauna Is the Perfect Spiritual Detox
For now, we still do not know for certain why sauna bathing is so deeply relaxing. But perhaps that does not really matter—the main thing is simply being able to enjoy the steam.
Read next
What to Bring to a Finnish Sauna – A First-Timer’s Guide
What You’ll Find in a Finnish Sauna: A Simple Introduction
In Finnish Saunas, Nudity Isn’t a Taboo – Here’s Why That Matters
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