The basic round
- Shower first. Finnish practice starts with a shower to clean up and warm the skin.
- Sit on a towel and start on a lower bench, where it’s cooler. Move up as you get used to it.
- Stay 10 to 15 minutes, or until you’re sweating well. Finland’s Visit Jyväskylä guide describes rounds of about 10 to 15 minutes; Harvard Health suggests keeping sessions to 15 to 20.
- Add löyly if you like. Ladle water onto the hot stones for a burst of steam. In company, ask first.
- Cool off: a cool shower, a cold plunge, or snow in winter.
- Rest and drink water, then go back in for another round if you want one.
After your last round, take a warm shower and dry off.
How long and how often
Start short, 5 to 10 minutes per round, and build up over a few weeks. In the long-term Finnish study, the biggest differences showed up in men who used a sauna 4 to 7 times a week. What the research found.
Safety basics
- Skip alcohol before and during a sauna. Harvard Health advises avoiding alcohol and medications that impair sweating or cause overheating.
- Drink two to four glasses of cool water after each session (Harvard Health).
- Leave right away if you feel dizzy, faint or unwell, and skip the sauna when you’re ill.
- Talk to your doctor first if you have heart disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure or another health condition, or are pregnant.
What happens in your body
Harvard Health notes that skin temperature climbs to about 104 °F within minutes, the pulse rises 30% or more, and a short session can produce about a pint of sweat. That’s why water and a gradual cool-down matter.
Questions people ask
- How long should you stay in a sauna?
- About 10 to 15 minutes per round, up to 15 to 20 minutes per session per Harvard Health. Beginners can start with 5 to 10 minutes.
- Should you shower before a sauna?
- Yes. Finnish practice is to shower before going in, and again after the last round.
- Can you drink alcohol in a sauna?
- No. Harvard Health advises avoiding alcohol before and after a sauna.
Plan a sauna at home The health research
Sources: Visit Jyväskylä, sauna procedures and etiquette; Harvard Health, saunas and your health. General information, not medical advice.