Why Sleep Matters: The Foundation of Health and Well-Being.
Sleep. We spend a third of our lives doing it. It’s no secret that it’s vital to our health, but it underpins so much more than just our energy levels. A good night's sleep is essential for mind and body functioning. But how does this work, and why are scientists, health experts (and our mothers) so adamant about quality sleep?
When we fall asleep, we cycle through two phases, each serving its own purpose: rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM. Although both play important roles in our restorative processes, recent studies are showing that non-REM, as the deep sleep phase, is more crucial when it comes to classifying sleep quality.
Ever felt foggy after a poor night’s sleep? You’re not alone. Sleep majorly impacts brain functioning. Good sleep ensures ‘brain plasticity’, or the ability to adapt and respond in a flexible manner. When we are denied this, whether it's due to our own habits or the endless interruptions from a lively little one, our brains are more rigid and less able to process information and store it, leading to decreased memory. And if that wasn’t enough to convince you to prioritise your sleep schedule, not getting enough sleep may potentially jeopardise your health in other ways. There is the potential to be more prone to illness and infection due to a compromised immune system, risk for high blood pressure and depression may rise, and the disruption in your metabolic health could disrupt your hormones and entire endocrine system.
So what do saunas have to do with it all, and do they have the potential to help you achieve better overall sleep health? We’ve narrowed it down to the top three key ways, supported by expert opinions, in which a sauna could boost your sleep, and have a rippling effect on your everyday life and well-being.
The Science of Saunas: How Heat Therapy Impacts Sleep
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Heat Therapy
According to Neurologist and sleep specialist Dr Chris Winter, when we expose ourselves to the heat of a sauna, our core body temperature and skin surface temperature is known to rise, with the latter potentially reaching upward of 40 degrees. This increased heat may trigger our body's thermoregulatory system to kick into gear, catalyzing circulation and sweating—our body's efforts to cool us down. After a sauna session, our body continues to cool, and our temperature drops until it returns to its comfortable range of 36–37 degrees. This temperature shift emulates the body's natural rhythms and its tendency to decrease in temperature as we wind down in the evening, which supports our ability to fall asleep.
Dr Chris Winter, author of The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child, believes, “When our body temperatures start to rapidly fall, it's sort of a natural trigger to fall asleep.” So when we drastically increase that difference in temperature, such as exiting the sauna after a session, we may experience these effects on a more profound level, “that can be a trigger to help you fall asleep a little bit faster”. You can listen to Dr. Winter talk more about this process and the benefits of heat therapy for sleep on the Sleep Unplugged podcast here.
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Relaxation effects
Based on Dr. Paul Daidone’s expert opinion (medical director of treatment center ‘True Self Recovery’), “our bodies are exposed to high temperatures within the sauna. Our body increases blood flow to the muscles via vasodilation - the widening of blood vessels to allow better blood flow… It allows faster delivery of oxygen and nutrients to muscle groups, aiding the release of tension and recovery of muscles.”
For this reason, many athletes are known to utilise saunas as recovery mechanisms to help with faster muscle recovery and promote relaxation after strenuous exercise. Research also shows sauna use may potentially promote an increase in β-endorphins (Kukkonen-Harjula & Kauppinen 1988), (Vescovi et al 1992), which seem to be partly responsible for the euphoria associated with exercise (Basso & Suzuki 2017).
Another benefit to come from vasodilation is the secretion of serotonin (Vanhoutte 1987). Serotonin is responsible for relaxation, mood stability and regulation and overall well-being. You might know it as the ‘happy’ or ‘feel-good’ hormone, but with its relaxing effects, serotonin also plays a role in providing you with a restful night's sleep (Bakshi & Tadi 2022).
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Stress less, princess
Our last benefit of sauna use on sleep is to do with mental clarity, calmness and stress reduction. Let's start with the Parasympathetic nervous system. You may have heard the saying ‘rest and digest’, well, that’s what the parasympathetic nervous system does; puts us in a state of relaxation so we can run crucial homeostatic processes.
Biochemist Dr. Rhonda Patrick is a public figure with a science-backed opinion on the benefits of sauna not only on the body, but for sleep too. She vouches for the mental and psychological effects of saunas on sleep and their relationship to better sleep. According to Dr. Partick, many people who use saunas regularly report lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. As Dr. Patrick emphasizes in her podcasts and articles, saunas play an integral role when it comes to a holistic approach to mental well-being. You can listen to Dr. Patrick talk more about this topic here: How Heat Therapy Improves Slow Wave Sleep.
There is of course the physically relaxing and sociable side of sauna practising that mimics mindfulness and meditation. But ultimately these processes work together to help the body fall into a calmer state faster, potentially helping us achieve a deeper, more restful and restorative sleep.
Our Top Tips To Enhance Sleep With A Sauna
So what can you do with this information to make the most out of your sauna sessions and enhance your sleep quality?
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Post-Sauna Cooling Session
Sleep studies have found that having a Sauna approximately 2 hours before bed leaves the body enough time to experience the full effects of core body temperature regulation, and maximise results from all the above benefits. This time period may also enhance sleep onset, and stimulate deep sleep and recovery.
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Shorter Sessions For Sleep Benefits
It has been found that shorter sessions could correlate to better sleep patterns and more restorative rest, while longer sleep sessions are linked more to aid in the physical benefits.
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Hydrate And Cool-Down The Right Way
Hydration is vital in sauna practices. Our bodies lose a lot of liquids during a sauna session so it’s crucial to hydrate before and after a session to minimise dehydration which may interfere with sleep patterns.
And lastly…
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Routine.
Night/bedtime routines have become quite a term in recent years but structuring your night in a way that mentally and physically prepares your body for rest is one of the best ways to ensure you’re maximising your shut-eye time. This could look like dimming the lights, avoiding screens and blue light, and relaxing into some calming activities such as reading, meditation or even some light yoga or stretching.
(Putkonen & Elomaa, 1976; Partinen, 2006.)
Final Thoughts: Change Your Sleep Game With Saunas
Sleep is the foundation of so many aspects of our health as humans. Taking in all that has been discussed in this article, we hope you’ve gained a greater understanding of the role of sleep in our day-to-day lives and some of the potential impacts regular sauna use may have on improving sleep quality and quantity. We hope we’ve equipped you with the knowledge and strategies to harness the power of heat therapy and take your sleep to the next level - because a rested body and a calm mind is the foundation for living your most vibrant life.
Disclaimer: Clearlight would like to remind users that this should not be taken as direct medical advice, and you should always consult a licensed health practitioner before making any significant changes to your lifestyle or existing pain treatment regimen.