If you have ever had a hangover after drinking too much, you likely have experienced the typical symptoms, like fatigue, excessive thirst, headache, nausea, stomach pain, shakiness, muscle aches, vertigo, irritability, increased blood pressure, increased sensitivity to light.
While these symptoms can vary depending on the person, a hangover will produce at least one of these symptoms. Some might take an over-the-counter medication to relieve some hangover symptoms, but others opt for a more natural way to help reduce the symptoms.
Using a traditional sauna or infrared sauna for hangover relief can reduce your symptoms by sweating out the toxins and increasing your circulation. In this article, we will explore the effectiveness of saunas for hangovers.
Understanding Hangovers
A hangover is caused by drinking too much alcohol, and you typically develop symptoms of a hangover the day after drinking. There is no specific amount of alcohol to drink that can cause a hangover, as it completely depends on what your body can handle.
While most hangovers go away independently, they can last up to 24 hours. Staying hydrated when fighting a hangover is essential, as your body loses electrolytes from drinking alcohol. You should drink plenty of water and rest to restore your electrolyte levels and relieve your fatigue the day after drinking. Some common ways to help relieve a hangover include:
- Drinking plenty of fluids
- Resting
- Getting carbs into your system
- Taking pain relievers, such as Ibuprofen or Aspirin
- Drinking tea or coffee
- Taking zinc and B vitamins
- Drinking 1-2 alcoholic beverages the day of your hangover
Doing these things can help relieve your hangover and be on your way to feeling more normal again. However, you can also consider trying sauna therapy to help reduce your hangover.
Sauna Therapy: How It Works
The sauna was invented in Finland over 2,000 years ago and was originally designed to use as a way to bathe. When it was first invented, a sauna was where many went to clean their body, and it was considered a sterile environment. Many women felt it was so clean that they gave birth in the saunas.
Saunas have been proven to help balance your mood and stress by reducing your cortisol levels. In addition, sauna therapy offers various health benefits. These health benefits include:
- Detoxification
- Skin rejuvenation
- Improved cardiovascular function
- Improved immune system function
- Better sleep
- Relaxation
- Stress relief
- Increased metabolism
- Potential weight loss
- Increased blood flow
- Relief of chronic pain
- Less muscle and joint pain
- Better quality of life and wellness
- Fewer colds and viral illnesses
Spending time in a sauna for between 15 and 20 minutes a day can help you become the healthiest version of yourself, but it is important to remember to stay hydrated, as saunas can increase your risk of dehydration.
Sauna and Hangover Relief: The Science Behind It
Do saunas help hangovers? Sauna therapy, whether you use a wet vs dry sauna, can help relieve hangovers, as saunas detoxify your body and help relieve any pain.
Since you are already dehydrated from drinking alcohol, drinking plenty of water before entering a sauna is essential to help with your hangover. Sweating in a sauna can help your hangover disappear as your body detoxifies by removing the toxins from drinking too much alcohol.
Once the toxins are sweat out of your body, you should begin to feel some relief and be on your way to full hangover recovery. In addition, the sauna will help increase your circulation, regulate your breathing, and regulate your blood pressure.
Saunas help release toxins through sweating, which also helps to support your kidney function. After a night of drinking, your blood pressure increases. An infrared sauna can help reduce your blood pressure significantly.
Sauna as a Hangover Remedy: Pros and Cons
Using a sauna to help cure your hangover has pros and cons. These are the advantages of using a sauna to help your hangover:
- Detox your body
- Pain relief
- Improved cardiovascular function
- Improved blood pressure
- Increased blood flow
- Relaxation
These are some cons of using a sauna for hangover relief:
- Dehydration
- It can cause dizziness or fainting, especially if you are already dehydrated
While the pros outweigh the cons, using a sauna for hangover relief should be taken seriously. It is essential to drink plenty of water after drinking alcohol to avoid dehydration. If you are still too dehydrated, you should wait to use the sauna until you feel like you have regained your electrolytes and are hydrated again to avoid fainting or dizziness.
Other Remedies and Lifestyle Factors
A steam room for a hangover is a good way to help relieve fatigue, sore muscles, a headache, and it can help your body detoxify from drinking too much alcohol. However, many alternative hangover remedies are typically effective in helping you feel better.
Staying Hydrated
Alcohol is considered a diuretic, which causes your body to remove any fluids from your blood through your renal system much quicker than other liquids. If you do not stay hydrated when drinking, it can cause an uncomfortable hangover the next day. Staying hydrated is an effective way to avoid and help cure hangovers.
Getting Plenty of Rest
One of the most common things you can do to help relieve your hangover is to get plenty of rest. Many hangovers are due to poor sleep after drinking alcohol, and additional rest may be required to help your body feel normal again.
Getting some extra sleep the day after drinking can help your body restore its circadian rhythm and is typically effective in helping you feel better after a hangover.,
Take a Pain Reliever
Taking the recommended amount of ibuprofen or aspirin can help relieve any muscle pain, headaches, or fatigue caused by your hangover. It is best to avoid any acetaminophen, as it can harm your liver if alcohol is still in your system. Over-the-counter medications are usually effective in relieving the discomfort from a hangover.
Eat a Good Meal
Eating a good meal the following day after drinking alcohol can help lessen your hangover. Getting food in your stomach helps to boost your blood sugar levels.
While some feel that carb-heavy foods are the best way to cure a hangover, avoiding greasy foods and filling them with water-rich foods, such as cantaloupe, watermelon, or strawberries, is best.
Living a healthy lifestyle is essential to prevent and manage hangovers. It is important to avoid excessive alcohol consumption, as too much alcohol can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, digestive issues, liver disease, and stroke.
When you indulge in a night of drinking, staying hydrated and taking preventative measures the next day to reduce or even avoid your hangover is essential. The most practical tips to avoid a hangover are to hydrate and drink water between alcoholic drinks. You should also avoid getting intoxicated from alcohol consumption.
Before using a sauna, it is important to check with your doctor, especially if you have a heart condition, to ensure it is safe for you to use.
Sauna for Hangover Relief- FAQs
Are saunas good for hangovers?
Yes, using an infrared sauna does help a hangover and reduces the common symptoms. Saunas, in addition to sauna blankets, help your body to increase circulation and sweat out toxins, causing your hangover symptoms to decrease.
Can you sweat out alcohol in a sauna?
While you do not directly sweat out the alcohol, you do sweat out some of the toxins in alcohol when spending time in a sauna. The temperature of an infrared sauna usually reaches somewhere between 100 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Saunas help relieve hangovers by detoxifying your body from the toxins from a night of heavy drinking, making you feel less hungover.
How long do you stay in a sauna for a hangover?
Spending time in a sauna for hangover relief, such as a Finnleo sauna, for 10 to 15 minutes is best to avoid dehydration. You can stay in a sauna for up to 30 minutes without a hangover.
When is the best time to go to a sauna after drinking?
The best time to go in a sauna or steam sauna is the day after drinking, specifically later. Waiting until later after drinking gives your body time to rehydrate so you do not become dehydrated during your sauna session.
Conclusion
The best ways to prevent a hangover are to limit alcohol consumption and to stay hydrated. If you develop a hangover and want to help relieve the symptoms, a sauna is a great way to help detoxify your body and help your body feel some relief. Saunas work by allowing the toxins from drinking alcohol to release from your body through sweating.
While most of the toxins released in the sauna are water, the rest contain toxins, allowing you to become less bloated and toxin-free. In addition, getting plenty of rest, eating a good meal, and taking an over-the-counter medication can help relieve your hangover symptoms.
Before using a sauna for hangover relief, it is essential to consider all the factors of sauna use and consult a healthcare professional for personalized advice.
