Sometimes using the sauna isn’t all joy and relaxation.
You might feel a range from mild discomfort to an outright need to get out. If you feel a need to get out, you should–especially if you feel dizzy or lightheaded.
Here are some reasons your sauna experience is less than perfect and what you can do about it.
You might feel worse while using, or after using, the sauna if you are dehydrated, you are using it for too long or at too high of a temperature. Additionally, heat stress will cause some discomfort and this is a good thing as long as you don’t over do it.
Reason 1: You Are Dehydrated
If you feel awful after a session in the Sauna or Steam Room, consider the possibility that you are dehydrated.
One of the of the outcomes, if not aims, of using the sauna or steam room is to build up a good sweat. This means that the risk of becoming dehydrated is very high and you should be drinking plenty of water before and after using the sauna.
Signs of Dehydration
Some signs you are dehydrated include: thirst, dry mouth, dark yellow urine when urinating, low volume of urine when urinating, headache, muscle cramps, rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, dizziness and feeling faint or fainting. Source.
Illnesses which cause fever, vomiting, or diarrhea can cause you body to lose massive amounts of water and you should avoid the sauna to prevent the risk of dehydration.
How to Avoid Dehydration
You can avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water. While this might sound obvious, it is less obvious how long it takes for your body to absorb water after drinking it.
When you drink water, some of it is immediately absorbed in the mouth, but most water is not absorbed until after it is released from the stomach into the intestines. This can take anywhere from 5 to 45 minutes depending on your personal genetics and whether you’ve eaten. Water tends to be absorbed quicker when your stomach is empty.
This means that you should start drinking water at least 45 minutes prior to using the sauna so that has a chance to be absorbed into the body.
Reason 2: The Sauna is Too Hot and You’ve Been in for Too Long
Begin Small and Work Your Way Up
A typical Sauna session should be 15 to 20 minutes long. Inexperienced sauna users should start small. If you are new to using a Sauna, or use them infrequently, there is no shame in starting with a five minute session and working your way up.
Even experienced sauna users may feel poorly if they are using too long. If you are using the Sauna for 30 minutes or more and are experiencing negative consequences, then you are probably overdoing it. A 15 to 20 minute sauna session is enough to achieve most, if not all, of the health benefits of using the sauna.
Adjust the Temperature
A traditional sauna should be between 160 and 170°F (71 – 70°C). An infrared sauna will typically be 110 and 130°F (44 – 54°C). You want to make sure that your sauna falls within these ranges.
If your sauna is an appropriate temperature, you may still want to adjust down if it feels too hot. If you are using public sauna and you are unable to adjust the temperature, then compensate by using the sauna for a shorter period of time.
Reason 3: Heat Stress is Stress
Anyone who has exercised knows that, paradoxically, the physical stress caused by exercise can both cause you to feel stressed and relaxed–it can cause you to feel miserable and times and euphoric at times.
This is because exercise causes stress to the body: stress to muscle tissue, stress to bones and joints, stress to the cardiovascular system. Source.
But eventually, the body responds to this stress by releasing endorphins. Endorphins both reduce your brain’s ability to feel pain and cause you to feel good.
Moderate amounts of stress causes the body to go through a process called hormesis–this is basically the scientific term for the saying: “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” When the body undergoes a moderate amount of stress, it strengthens your body and increases your body’s tolerance to that stressor.
The stress caused by exercise is similar to the heat stressed experienced by using the sauna. Both exercise and sauna use cause an elevation in internal core body temperature and an increase in heart rate. Studies show many of the health benefits of exercise can be produced by heat stress.
When using the sauna, like exercise, you will begin by feeling discomfort, but after a while you will begin to feel endorphins.
If you find you are feeling worse after the sauna, you might not be using the sauna long enough to experience the endorphin response, or you might be overusing the sauna to the point that the discomfort you are feeling is overwhelming the endorphin response.
The trick is to find the middle ground between too much stress and not enough.
The Bottom Line
When using the sauna, you need to listen to what your body is telling you.
Be sure to look for signs that you are dehydrated. If you are, then drink plenty of water and allow time for your body to absorb it before you use the sauna.
Don’t do too much too soon. Make sure your sauna is set at an appropriate temperature and start small, gradually increasing the length of your sessions until your body adapts.
Find the middle ground. You should feel some discomfort because you are experiencing heat stress. This is good as long as you don’t over do it. Eventually your brain will release endorphins and you will feel better than when you started.
