Does Sauna Make You Tired?

Feeling tired after a sauna session is completely normal, but many wonder why it happens. The heat, sweating, and even your body’s natural response to relaxation all play a role. 

If you’ve ever left the sauna feeling exhausted, you’re not alone. Let’s explore why this happens and how you can manage it better.

• Sauna-induced tiredness is normal due to dehydration, heat stress, and the body’s recovery process.
  
  

• Stay hydrated before and after your session to avoid fatigue from dehydration.
  
  

• Limit your sauna time to 15-20 minutes to prevent excessive tiredness and dehydration.
  
  

• Infrared saunas may cause less fatigue than traditional saunas due to lower heat levels.
  
  

• If you have health concerns, consult a doctor before using a sauna to avoid complications.

• Feeling Exhausted After Sauna Is Normal: Yes, it’s completely normal to feel exhausted after using a sauna. The heat forces your body to work harder to cool itself down, which uses energy and leaves you feeling tired.

• Sweating and Dehydration Contribute to Fatigue: Sweating and dehydration also contribute to the fatigue you feel after a sauna session.

• Your Body Needs Time to Recover: After a sauna session, your body typically needs time to recover, and the tiredness will usually fade within a few hours.

• Sauna Causes Fluid Loss: The heat and humidity in a sauna make you sweat more, causing your body to lose fluids and electrolytes.

• Tiredness Due to Dehydration: When your body loses more fluids than it takes in, you can feel tired, sluggish, or even dizzy. Dry mouth, lightheadedness, and fatigue are common signs of dehydration.

• Hydration Before Sauna: Drink 16-20 ounces (500-600 ml) of water 30-60 minutes before your sauna session to help prevent dehydration.

• Electrolytes for Rehydration: If you've been sweating earlier, try drinking something with electrolytes, like coconut water or a sports drink, to keep your body balanced.

• Body Struggles to Cool Down: Heat stress happens when your body can’t cool itself properly. The sauna’s heat increases your heart rate, making you sweat more. This puts strain on your body, causing you to feel tired as it works harder to regulate its temperature.

• Sweating and Detoxing Takes Energy: While sweating to cool off, your body also starts flushing out toxins like lead or mercury. The detox process uses up energy, which can leave you feeling even more exhausted as your body works harder to remove these substances.

• Blood Pressure Drop Can Cause Fatigue: After a sauna, blood vessels expand, which can cause a drop in blood pressure, leaving you feeling faint, dizzy, or tired. For some, this drop is the main reason behind post-sauna fatigue.

• Cooling Down Helps Stabilize Blood Pressure: To help minimize these effects, it's important to cool down properly, take a cool shower, or let your body gradually adjust to a lower temperature. This helps regulate your heart rate and blood pressure.

• Elevated Heart Rate Causes Fatigue: During a sauna session, your heart rate increases as your body works to cool itself down. This elevated heart rate can lead to fatigue afterward as the body recovers from the intense heat exposure. The heat also boosts circulation by widening blood vessels, which further raises heart rate.

• Heat and Exercise Amplify Fatigue: Combining sauna use with exercise intensifies muscle strain and exhaustion, as the heat amplifies the physical effort your body is already under. The added heat stress makes your body work harder, leading to greater fatigue.

• Infrared Saunas Can Feel Like Exercise: Infrared saunas, unlike traditional ones, use heat that goes deeper into the body. This deeper heat raises your heart rate in a way that feels more like moderate exercise. This can make you feel even more tired after the session.

Endorphins are natural chemicals in your body that help you relax, often released during stress or pleasurable activities.

While they reduce stress, they can sometimes leave you feeling tired or sleepy after a sauna. This post-sauna fatigue is the result of the body’s calming response to endorphins.

• Saunas Help Relax the Body: Saunas are known for their calming effects on the body. As muscles relax and tension melts away, you may feel a wave of calmness, which can contribute to feelings of tiredness.

• Essential Oils Can Enhance Relaxation: Using essential oils like lavender or chamomile during your session can enhance relaxation, leaving you deeply calm but more tired afterward.

• Relaxation Can Lead to Physical Drainage: The relaxation response helps the body recover, but it may leave you feeling physically drained, as your body works to fully unwind.

When you don’t get enough sleep, your body and mind can feel more stressed and tense, making it harder to feel rested. 

However, using a sauna after a poor night’s sleep can help relax both your body and mind. This calming effect can improve your overall sleep quality, as saunas ease muscle tension and promote a deeper sense of relaxation, which may lead to better rest in the days that follow.

To avoid excessive fatigue, it’s best to limit your sauna session to 15-20 minutes. Staying too long in a sauna, especially with higher heat levels, can lead to dehydration and fatigue. 

Beginners should start with shorter sessions (5-10 minutes) to allow their bodies to adjust. Listen to your body, if you feel tired or dizzy, it’s time to leave.

If you feel tired after a sauna session, it’s not necessarily a reason to avoid it completely. However, if you feel consistently exhausted, consider reducing the duration of your sessions or taking breaks. 

Stay hydrated before and after your sauna session, and avoid using it when you're already feeling worn out. If fatigue persists, it may be worth discussing with a healthcare provider.