How often should you use a sauna?
By the Find My Sauna team·
Updated ·
7 min read
Once a week as a treat, or most days as a habit? The research on sauna and health has a surprisingly clear message about frequency, with one big caveat. Here's what the studies found, how often Finns actually go, and how to build a routine that suits you.
The short answer
For most healthy adults, 2–3 sessions a week is a good target, and 4 or more is fine if you enjoy it. In a large Finnish study, men who used a sauna 2–3 times a week had a 22% lower risk of sudden cardiac death than men who went once a week, and men who went 4–7 times had a 63% lower risk. These figures show a link, not proof that the sauna caused it. If you're new, start with once or twice a week and short rounds, and build up from there.
What the Finnish studies found
Almost all the evidence on sauna frequency comes from the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study in eastern Finland, which recorded the habits of middle-aged men in the 1980s and followed them for about 20 years. Their saunas averaged around 79 °C (174 °F). Comparing men by how often they went:
| Outcome, compared with once a week | 2–3 times a week | 4–7 times a week |
|---|---|---|
| Sudden cardiac death | 22% lower | 63% lower |
| Developing high blood pressure | 24% lower | 46% lower |
The cardiac death figures come from a 2015 paper in JAMA Internal Medicine on 2,315 men aged 42–60. The same paper found that men who went 4–7 times a week were 40% less likely to die of any cause during the study. The blood pressure result is from a 2017 paper in the American Journal of Hypertension. Other papers from the same study found a 66% lower risk of dementia with 4–7 sessions a week, and a 2018 analysis that included women found a 61% lower risk of stroke. The pattern is the same every time: more often, better outcomes.
Length mattered too, though less. Men whose sessions lasted more than 19 minutes had about half the risk of sudden cardiac death of men who stayed in for under 11 minutes. More on what all this means for your heart in sauna benefits.
Why the numbers need care
- It's a link, not proof. Men who used a sauna most days may have been healthier, wealthier or more relaxed in ways the researchers couldn't fully measure, even though they adjusted for exercise, smoking, income and more.
- The top group was small. Of the 2,315 men in the 2015 paper, only 201 went 4–7 times a week. Most, 1,513, went 2–3 times.
- Mostly Finnish men. The results come from middle-aged men in traditional Finnish saunas. We know less about women, younger people and other kinds of sauna.
None of this makes the findings worthless. It means "more often is linked to better health" is a fair summary, and "you must go five times a week" is not.
How often Finns actually go
Finland has around 3.2 million saunas for 5.5 million people, according to the Finnish government, and its sauna culture was added to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage in 2020. A 2018 review in Mayo Clinic Proceedings put a typical Finn's habit at least once a week, with 2–3 sessions a week being average. Many Finns have a sauna at home or in their apartment block, which makes going often easy.
A schedule for beginners
- Weeks 1–2: once or twice a week. One or two rounds of 5–10 minutes, with a cool shower and a rest between.
- Weeks 3–4: two or three times a week. Rounds of 10–15 minutes if you feel fine.
- After that: as often as you enjoy it and can fit it in. Keep listening to your body rather than a target.
For timings within a visit, see how long to stay in a sauna.
Weekly plans
| Plan | How often | Each visit |
|---|---|---|
| Busy week | Once | 2–3 rounds, a proper rest between |
| Steady habit | 2–3 times | 2–3 rounds |
| Like the frequent Finnish group | 4–7 times | 1–2 rounds, moderate heat |
If you train, a sauna after endurance sessions fits well. Thinking of going daily? We look at that separately in is it OK to use a sauna every day.
Infrared vs traditional saunas
All the frequency findings above come from traditional Finnish saunas. Nobody has followed infrared sauna users for decades, so we don't know whether the same pattern applies.
The closest thing is Waon therapy, used in Japanese hospitals for heart failure: 15 minutes in a far-infrared sauna at 60 °C (140 °F), followed by 30 minutes resting under a blanket. In trials, patients did it daily for a week or two under medical supervision. That suggests frequent, gentle infrared sessions are well tolerated, but it doesn't tell you what's best for a healthy person. Infrared sessions are milder, so going several times a week is usually easy to manage. More in what is an infrared sauna.
Signs you are overdoing it
- You feel drained rather than relaxed afterwards.
- Headaches or dizziness after sessions.
- Dark urine, a dry mouth or thirst that doesn't go away. You're not drinking enough.
- Your sleep is getting worse rather than better.
- Dry, itchy skin.
Cut back on how often, how long or how hot, and see if it settles.
Who should be careful
Check with a doctor before using a sauna regularly if you are pregnant, have a heart condition or unstable blood pressure, or take medicine that affects blood pressure or sweating. Men trying for a baby may want to cut back: in a small 2013 Italian study, two 15-minute sessions a week for three months lowered sperm count and movement, which recovered within six months of stopping. Never use a sauna after drinking alcohol.
This guide is general information, not medical advice.
Where to find a sauna
Find My Sauna lists 2,616 places with a Finnish-style sauna, from city pools to harbour saunas. These cities have the most:
Gellerupbadet
Aarhus · Sauna at the local pool
Damp Sauna Østraadt Havn
Stavanger · Shared sessions every day
Oslo Badstuforening Kroloftet
Oslo · Riverside saunas
Frequently asked questions
How many times a week should you use a sauna?
Two or three times a week is a good target for most healthy adults. In Finnish studies, 4 to 7 sessions a week was linked to the lowest risk of heart disease.
Is once a week enough?
Once a week is still worth doing, and it was the habit of the comparison group in the Finnish studies. Going more often was linked to better heart health.
How often should a beginner use a sauna?
Once or twice a week for the first couple of weeks, with short rounds. Build up to two or three times a week if you feel fine.
How often should you use an infrared sauna?
As often as a traditional sauna, or more, since sessions are milder. There is no long-term research telling us the best frequency.
Can you use a sauna too often?
You can overdo it if you skip water, stay in too long or go when you are ill. Feeling drained, dizzy or getting headaches are signs to cut back.
