Heat for Hangover: Can Sweating Out in Sauna Make You Feel Better After Drinking?

There’s an ongoing debate online on whether saunas can cure hangovers. But is there any truth to this, or is it just a myth? If you’re having a Eureka moment and already thinking of inviting friends over to your place to help you “clean your liquor cabinet,” we say hold your horses! 

Check out this blog first to find out if saunas are a quick fix for hangovers.

Sauna for Hangover — Where Did That Come From?

Finnish people swear by saunas as an antidote for hangovers. According to an article by Vice, they kill hangovers by going to traditional saunas where they take off all their clothes and expose themselves to extreme temperatures — first the hellish ones of a sauna followed by a cold plunge to freezing cold waters or rolling your body in the snow — several times. But, interestingly, they don’t just go to the sauna to remedy a hangover from a drinking spree the night before; Fins also have a tradition of enjoying a drink or two while inside the sauna, which they say makes beer taste even better.

Does Sauna Help with Hangover?

Despite the many proven astounding health benefits of infrared saunas — including boosted immunity and optimal skin health — directly curing hangover symptoms isn’t one of them. In addition, there is no justifiable scientific evidence that sauna use can sweat out or detoxify toxins from alcohol consumption. 

On the contrary, a study suggests it may be wiser to skip using a sauna when intoxicated to avoid minor alcohol-related injuries like sprains or head contusions. But aside from that, it may also aggravate dehydration and other hangover symptoms due to the intense heat from saunas, which may lead to:

• Fainting spells
• Irregularities in blood pressure
• Cardiac arrhythmia

How to Use a Sauna to Feel Better After

In summary, if you’re not Finnish, forget about using a sauna to escape hangovers. 

But although it cannot make hangovers magically disappear, sweating it out is an effective strategy to make you feel better again and get you back on the right track. It helps remove lingering side effects like headaches, sluggishness, or heavy or light-headedness. Furthermore, spending a few minutes in the sauna can give you back that healthy glow and reverse skin dehydration due to alcohol use.

Follow these sauna tips for the best results.

• Do not use a sauna before or after drinking alcohol or if you still feel drunk the next day. Wait until you can stand and support yourself steadily.

• Hydrate — drink plenty of water before, during, and after your sauna session.

• Go easy on the heat. Don’t hesitate to step out of the sauna when you feel uncomfortable. How long you stay in a sauna can vary, but for most people, 15 to 20 minutes per session is already enough.

Elizabeth Shields of DeluxeMaid is an experienced author of online articles for various blog posts. She is passionate about parenting, home improvement, wellness, and sustainability topics. She is a married mother of two living in Indianapolis and apart from writing, enjoys spending her time with her family and friends.